Distilled water

[howard_anderson1]

water from dehumidifers or air conditioners is of very low mineral content. just be such to use a clean collection container. rain water, properly collect, also is of low mineral content.

[dave_redmann]

There are two separate issues, but to answer the simpler one first, I just bought a few gallons of distilled water for $0.58 each at Wal-Mart. (That works out to about $0.15 per liter.) If you really use a lot of distilled water, you could buy a machine to distill tap water, which would probably cost a few hundred dollars.<P>

 

But the thornier issue is why you need distilled water. It <I>may</I> prove superior for chemicals' activity, consistency, and/or shelf-life. That's why I use it to mix developer, stop, fixer, and hypo-clear. Why take a chance on the variability of tap water? The other issue is grime on the finished negs. That's why I use distilled water (with just a little wetting agent) for the final rinse. But I use tap water for the washing. I would be surprised if tap water used only for washing would leave much grime or grit when followed by a distilled water final rinse. At any rate I have not had any problems.

[rowland_mowrey]

Way back when, during WWII, the photo guys in the Pacific were faced with a water shortage so they used sea water to wash film and paper. Then they just gave the film or paper a final rinse in regular water to get the sea water off.

 

Lo and behold, these photos were excellent and had superb stability. It turns out that sea water was the first 'hypo eliminator' ever used and hypo elimination was started in this manner.

 

So, the wash water can be sea water for all the picture cares, as long as there is no suspended grunge. And, you use a short rinse in regular tap water or distilled water afterwards.

 

We have fairly hard water here, and I just wash my prints in that. Same for film, but I always use a filter for the water. I have said it above. You don't need distilled at all.

 

Ron Mowrey