Keeping cool in the dark

[stan_o]

Hello All,

 

Well out of the constant rain comes instant summer heat and humidity

here in New England. Which makes me ponder ways of keeping my

darkroom, in the basement, cool and dry. A dehumidifier does a

decent job in the winter, but not so much in the summer to keep

things cool.

 

I am curiuos if anyone has found a cooling unit, aside from

installing a standard A/C unit, my DR is approx 8x11 with a small

basement style window maybe 2 feet x 1 foot. Perhaps a chiller used

for wine cellars? or has anyone come up with a cheaper solution?

 

Thanks all.

[michael_chini]

You can buy relatively cheap ac units that are stand-alones now (no window). I have the same problem in NYC and I'll probably just keep things as cool as possible by storing them near the floor.

[tim_curry]

A small room ac unit is your best bet (window type). You can find a 5000 BTU unit for about $150 at Home Delay or Costco. I think you will find it does well with heat & humidity. Don't use one that just sits in the room. It needs to exhaust the air being cooled or you will end up with a net GAIN in temperature if you try to run it in a closed room.

[john_cook1]

A great deal of moisture enters the cellar through the foundation, so a dehumidifier is essential in summer. Just drying things out makes the basement feel cooler.

 

But to actually remove heat, I run the household window a/c's full blast and open the cellar door. With some help from portable fans the hot, dry basement air rises to the first floor.

 

When all else fails, I do darkroom processing in my skivies. Not only am I cooler, but it cuts down on developer stains.

[david_lazarus]

John just don't do pryo, you may have a real problem :)

[lbi115l]

I also have a basement darkroom, and am in New Jersey. My darkroom stays about 70 or so, today it's 90 out and the darkroom is still 70. I have a little radio shack thermometer/hygrometer that logs highs and lows. My basement has MAJOR water problems when it rains. I have an industrial type dehumidifier which pulls about 2 GALLONS of water per day.

 

I've thought of the A/C unit idea, but haven't found a way to make it work with the basement - it should be off the ground, needs space for ventilation, and also has to be light-tight. I'll figure something out eventually.

[stan_o]

Thanks all!

 

I guess I will head out and pick up a small AC unit and install that as that seems to be the easiest/cheapest solution. The solution for the venting will be to install ducting to vent it outdoors instead of into my woodshop and add a drain for the water.

 

And John, TMI on the whole skivies thing! :)