Darkroom Tempering Valves

Hi,

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I am piecing together a darkroom in my basement and am currently looking at what I need to do for plumbing. One item I am thinking about is a tempering valve (to control/regulate temperature and water pressure flow).

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What brand/type of tempering valves do folks tend to put (if any) in their darkrooms. Are there any "features" which are a "must have"? Are there big differences in brands?

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Many Thanks,

Robert

You have two options:

1) a mechanical valve

2) an electronically controlled valve.

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After watching two friends struggle with poor control with

mechanical valves, I went the electronic route and

bought a Hass Intellifaucet D250 - somewhat more

expensive but wonderful to use.

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I'd highly recommend that you buy a Hass.

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-Paul

or you can be really cheap and custom build one more or less from

plans at www.darkroomsource.com.

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Thats what I'm doing. I just bought most of the hardware today and

have it dry-assembled in from of me. The only part I dont quite have

figured out yet is the thermometer. I cant find a

stand-alone thermometer designed with this purpose in mind, and I'm

not sure how to get a simple dial thermometer to stay in there under

pressure. Calumet has a thermometer pipe fixture that might solve the

problem, but I'd rather find another cheaper way.

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Wayne

there and keep if there.

Check your cold water temperature during the coldest part of the

year. (Let the faucet run a long time to get the temperature in the

ground.) Mine is about 65 degrees F. (San Francisco area.) The mixing

valve I looked at needed the cold and hot water temperatures at least

10 degrees away (in opposite directions, of course) than the

regulated temperature. I didn't get one because it wouldn't work

because my cold water was too warm.

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Make sure you check this out before you buy something.