Hi, I'm going to set up a darkroom with no plumbed water supply. I'm wondering if I could collect rain water in a water butt and filter it. I know rainwater contains more oxygen but does it contain any anwanted nasties that would affect darkroom washing if filtered? If not rainwater, could I store tapster in the butt? How quickly would it become stale/ unusable for darkroom? I have 30l containers I can transport in my car. Sorry if this is a bit left field.
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Darkroom water supply...
- Thread starter Stuwall
- Start date
The problem with rainwater is the contaminants it collects as it falls......dust, sand, gasses, roof debris etc.
Use distilled/deionised water for mixing chemicals, but film and print washing can be done in tap-water. Final rinses for film can be distilled water with wetting agent.
Mike
Use distilled/deionised water for mixing chemicals, but film and print washing can be done in tap-water. Final rinses for film can be distilled water with wetting agent.
Mike
Thanks Mike. Was wondering if I could filter rain water to make it useable? If not, I'll just use it to flush the toilet.
I have a rainwater harvesting system which runs to the household and darkroom . Rain comes off the cow shed steel roof, through a crude filter and stored in IBC tanks which are blacked out. The filter is a bucket with Pea shingle in and a pipe connecting it to the IBC tanks. Over the mouth of the bucket, is a plastic coated mesh. This collects any airborne debris, such as leaves and dead birds etc. The shingle traps smaller debris like dust and seeds etc. It does need cleaning periodically. The system is pressurised by an on demand pump Post filtering problems are mainly with midge larvae. We have essentially created a 'Mossy' farm! (once I get round to putting the super Blue filter in this will be eliminated) A Patterson filter on the tap stops any 'Jokers' and microscopic dust getting through. Water for drinking goes through a Burkey filter. We have no limescale problems (we essentially live on a Bog over Limestone) using this system.
Cheers
Diz
Cheers
Diz
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Tap water is your best option. The problem with rainwater is not the water itself, which should be fine, but the roofs and gutters it's run through. Who knows what the pigeons, cats and squirrels have left behind? I have a darkroom with no water supply and for processing it's easy enough to carry a gerrycan. You need a surprisingly small amount in fact. I use a Paterson mesh filter when filling the gerrycan and that seems to work well. Washing still has to take place in the bathroom. Your own grography may make this impractical.
Edwin Smith had no water supply either, so you will be in good company.
Edwin Smith had no water supply either, so you will be in good company.
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2022
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I use a garden sprayer with the spray nozzle removed and just fill it with tap water - it can be pressurised to give a flow through a tank for a while and it gives me 2 gallons to play with which is enough to do what I need until taking things into the house for a final wash
