Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Terry, Since your darkroom will be "free standing", and you would like an economical system, try a used wall unit mounted on one of the garage walls, outside, or even inside on a spring-suspended pedestal. Channel the cold air via a flexible insulated tube (they are used just for that purpose as well as for distributing central heating to various rooms) to your darkroom, placing the inlet strategically as Jim indicated so as to avoid cold spots and possible condensation. You should be able to do this for less than $300 if you do most of the work yourself. An alternative would be to insulate your garage. R-19 rated insulation (or higher) would cool the interior considerably including whatever you keep in the garage. Joe Codispoti - ----- Original Message ----- From: "tm" <leicar8@earthlink.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 6:30 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Darkroom ventilation > Dear Jim: > > Based on your response below, I must appologize for not given an additional > detail: The built darkroom's walls will be 6 feet from one garage wall, 8 > from two other sides, and approximately 20 feet from the door. Thus, the > configuration you mention below with copper pipes is not appropriate for my > configuration and that is why, in my initial send herein, I mentioned a need > for a portable one to use while printing my Leica negatives. Nevertheless, I > thank you for your advice. > > Terry > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Brick" <jim@brick.org> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>; "Leica Users Group" > <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 4:12 PM > Subject: [Leica] Re: Darkroom ventilation > > > > My darkroom is in my garage and it used to get really hot in the summer. > > Fortunately, one of my sons is in commercial/industrial air conditioning > > for the semiconductor industry. Clean rooms and all of that. > > > > Anyway, I asked him about air conditioning for my 10'x10' darkroom and he > > got a Fujitsu split type room air conditioner and installed it for me. The > > compressor and evaporator are mounted on concrete outside my darkroom wall > > (the outside garage wall), two copper pipes (the feed and the return) and > > the electrical cable (four wires plus power) go between the compressor and > > the inside unit. The inside unit is mounted high on the wall over my sink > > and does not point toward either my enlarger or my JOBO. This inside unit > > contains the cooling radiator and fans. It is so quiet that you have to > > strain to hear it. It has a remote control with a myriad of functions. If > > set on high, ice cycles will form in the darkroom with 100 deg. E6 running > > and my 1100 watt enlarger running. The thing is amazing. Dead quiet and no > > wall shaking because the compressor and all of the guts are outside bolted > > to a driveway down the side of the garage. It was $900. > > > > All of the self contained room air conditioners, those that sit on the > > floor in a room, were $900 and up. So the cost was comparable. But I got > > free installation so that would have to be figured in. > > > > Jim > > > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html