darkroom trouble.?

Question

i am building a darkroom in my bathroom and i was a little worried about the saftey issues, since i will be using extremly powrerful chemicals is a small room with out a fan, will i need a ventalation system?

Answer 1

B&W I presume? Yes, they have light tight ventilators that you can buy either in the photo store or, from a hydroponics catalogue. It's kind of a comfort thing. If you pour developer and fixer down the drain at the same time by accident, yeah, you make something pretty noxious, possibly toxic and deadly. I did it once in a pro lab and it was a bit of an emergency.

Answer 2

For normal use, you should be okay without any elaborate ventilation.

First of all, I'd put a fan right outside the door.

After you get your film loaded in a daylight tank, you can open the door and get some air circulating while you're dumping chemicals into and out of the developing tank.

For printing, you will need to expose and develop the paper under a safelight. Once it's developed, though, drop it in the stop bath, and then into the fixer. After about 15 seconds in the fixer, you're again safe to open the door for more ventilation.

I'd also suggest preparing your stop bath from a 28% acetic acid solution rather than using glacial acetic acid. If you must use glacial, then take it outside to dillute it.

Other than that, you should be fine. Developer contains nothing particularly volatile or otherwise dangerous. Stop bath and fixer both contain acetic acid, which doesn't smell to pleasant but is not particularly harmful at the concentrations used in the darkroom.

By the way, for normal home darkroom use, the small amount of silver in your fixer won't do any harm unless you're on a septic tank. Otherwise, go ahead and dump it down the drain.

Answer 3

The good old darkroom nowadays is a rare thing. What with everyone going digital and Photoshop. So I am assuming you want to do B/W fine art photography.

Now the chemicals used for black and white photography are usually not too bad for you. A ventilation system is good as long as it does not compromise the darkness of the darkroom. You can have a cover for the ventilator. Cover the fan when you are working and then take it off and ventilate the room.

Answer 4

it would be better.
also check for the safe disposal of used chemicals. some you can dump But some you will have to store and arrange for collection. So the nasties can be extracted, You supplier of the chemicals should be able to put you incontact with your local service, which may be government run.

Im just trying to remember which chemical it is that you are not allowed to pour down the drain.. Its been a few years since i was in a darkroom

also one thing a darkroom should never be without - a thick roll of Gaffer tape. for repairs, and blocking those small chinks of light

Answer 5

Normal B/W darkrooms chemicals smell bad, but are not hazardous to a person.. But not having any ventilations sucks...

Answer 6

the chemicals are diluted and should be at 60 degress. i have done a lot of darkroom stuff in a small room and been OK.

Answer 7

I used a little dark room at college which had any ventilation so I would suggest it! We got strict health and safety rules!

Answer 8

They make bathrooms without fans?

Answer 9

It's a good idea to get an extractor fan. But in these days of digital photography why do you want to be so quaint.

Answer 10

it should be ok if you cover the trays after use.