philip_sweeney Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 I am thinking about buying a good air filter for the darkroom. I am looking to reduce the increase in dust that occurs in the winter. I may not run it in the summer. Air quality is not the issue for me, just a reduction in air-borne dust. One properly sized with a hepa filter supposedly collects alot of dust. Can I expect good results? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_miller1 Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Yes a hepa filter of adequate size should prove advantageous. The only filter that would be more adequate, in my experience, would be one of the electronic means that are installed in forced air heating systems return air ducts. But that would probably be more expensive, although it would clean all air in the home. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael erlich Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Don't get an electronic air cleaner like the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze. Those things produce lots of ozone which is hazardous in a small area like a darkroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_andrews Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Hepa filters, by their very nature, clog easily and quickly. Be prepared to spend a lot of money replacing the filter frequently.<p>For a normal darkroom, where you don't really need sub-micron filtering, fibre wadding filters are more efficient and economical. They work by building up an electrostatic attraction as the airflow passes over them, and this attracts dust particles which then stick to the fibres. The space between the fibres is large, allowing a good airflow with a small power fan, but the particles they remove can be much smaller than the gaps between the fibres.<p>If you're worried about overall cleanliness of your darkroom, then you should definitely fit a water filtering system too.<br>I found the cleanliness of my negatives was vastly improved after I started to filter my wash water down to below 2 microns. Single mesh-type filters are nearly useless for cleaning water. You'll need a cartridge type to make it worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_fleming1 Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Don't know much about darkrooms but do know a bit about filtering air and water. He is dead on. I have such a dust problem on my ranch that I can't even use sheet film holders. Must stick with quickloads. Reverse osmosis will do the job on the water. Depending on your hardness a softerner might help as well ... in front of the reverse osmosis unit. Ever notice how well the spot-free rinse works at the car wash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_sweeney Posted February 1, 2003 Author Share Posted February 1, 2003 Pete and Scott: what would one call that type of air filter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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