Hard Water in the Darkroom

[Deon Reynolds]

After 40 months of living on the road, we have purchased a home in New Mexico. Over the past 1,200 days I have shot almost 300 rolls of film (tens of thousands of digital images). I'm in the process of putting my darkroom back together and hope to start processing film by the end of the year.

My question is: Does hard water (high in calcium) affect darkroom chemistry? I have always filtered the water coming into my darkroom (for particulates) But, should I be trying to filter the water for calcium? We had the water tested and it came back with no issues, just doesn't taste very good. We filter the kitchen water for cooking and drinking.

 

[webestang64]

just doesn't taste very good. We filter the kitchen water for cooking and drinking.

If that is the case I would filter the darkroom water just to be sure.

 

[terri]

If you've noticed a difference in taste, then you could make a case for some kind of element that might adversely affect your negatives. Why take a chance? I'd go for filtering, too.

Post some results once you've done a few rolls and let us see. Good luck!

 

[mrca]

For mixing chemicals. I use distilled, it's inexpensive compared to having a lab process and scan. I do 3 washes with tap water, but the final with wetting agent, again distilled.

 

[Rickbb]

Hard water can and often does affect film development. I've found it leaves some odd streaks that won't clean off. BnW paper development not so much. For color get distilled or put in a softener/filter system that takes all that out.

I switched to distilled water after we moved to the country and had well water, (and after I ruined 4 rolls).

 

[mrca]

Hard water can and often does affect film development. I've found it leaves some odd streaks that won't clean off. BnW paper development not so much. For color get distilled or put in a softener/filter system that takes all that out.

I switched to distilled water after we moved to the country and had well water, (and after I ruined 4 rolls).

Exactly. I am paying about $8 a roll or more for film. A gallon of distilled is about a dollar. Not even a close call if I ruin one roll not to mention risk photos that can't be reshot. Again, my cost for lab shipping, dev and scan is over 20 dollars, my chemical cost is less than $2. It just makes sense. Now if I am just doing some test shots, maybe not, but for anything else, I have 4 gallons of distilled on hand. Also, when I mixed a 5 liter batch of Xtol developer, distilled. Mixing stop or fix, distilled and those 2 are reuseable so minimal cost for distilled there.

 

[Deon Reynolds]

Hard water can and often does affect film development. I've found it leaves some odd streaks that won't clean off. BnW paper development not so much. For color get distilled or put in a softener/filter system that takes all that out.

I switched to distilled water after we moved to the country and had well water, (and after I ruined 4 rolls).

Thank you this is good advice!