cbretteville Posted March 1, 2011 Share #1 Posted March 1, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Is there any reason why I shouldn't use demin water when mixing working solutions of developer and fix? I already use it for the final rinze with a few drops of Mirasol. I usually use sterile water bought at the pharmacy, but the demin batter water I can buy in 4 liter containers are cheaper pr liter. Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 1, 2011 Posted March 1, 2011 Hi cbretteville, Take a look here Demineralized water for dev and fix a good idea?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Nicoleica Posted March 1, 2011 Share #2 Posted March 1, 2011 I'm not sure if it would be pure enough for some work, but in my younger days, we used to use meltwater from defrosted refrigerators as a cheap source of distilled water. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 1, 2011 Share #3 Posted March 1, 2011 Hi Carl, I don't think there's any reason why you shouldn't use it, but then again I'm not sure that there's any reason why you should use it either, assuming that your tap water is basically OK! I understand that as a final rinse, it's better for avoiding drying marks. I must say I've never bothered myself, however, as I don't usually have a problem. I keep meaning to pick some up to try it though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted March 1, 2011 Share #4 Posted March 1, 2011 Should work fine. Has the advantage of also being filtered so use it for everything. Ilford wash sequence will do a roll of 35 mm with 24 oz or 3/4 liter. Instructions on Ilford site, but I modify it. 6 oz, 180 ml, in the tank and invert 10 times. Repeat 3 additional times. With a plastic tank, Use 3/4 the required developer and I would flip the roll over after the first two sequences, then perform 2 more. Been doing it this way for at least ten years with no problem. It is actually more wash than Ilford says I need. IF YOU PUT HARDENER IN THE FIX or use a fix with hardener already in it AND THERE IS NO REASON TO DO SO, ALL BETS ARE OFF. USE A RINSE, HYPO CLEAR OR SODIUM SULPHITE BATH, THEN 30 MIN WASH. AND THE FILM WILL STILL NOT BE AS CLEAN. Clean water, air, tanks, and drying area are the absolute key to clean negs. Clean means dust free. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted March 1, 2011 Share #5 Posted March 1, 2011 Using demineralised water to prepare working solutions of developer and fixer from industrially manufactured products is not a good idea! Actually, manufacturers recommend against it. Only if your tap water happens be extra-ordinarily rich in carbonates ('hard water') then you may use a mixture of tap water and demineralised water, to bring the ions down to a normal level. Otherwise, just use the tap water. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted March 1, 2011 Share #6 Posted March 1, 2011 The word that I've read is that fixing is slightly less effective with pure water than it is with typical tap. Whatever. Haha. I think you should be fine. I use distilled water for my dev and other solutions because there is some strange residue that my tap water leaves behind here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gift Posted March 1, 2011 Share #7 Posted March 1, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Using demineralised water to prepare working solutions of developer and fixer from industrially manufactured products is not a good idea! Actually, manufacturers recommend against it. Only if your tap water happens be extra-ordinarily rich in carbonates ('hard water') then you may use a mixture of tap water and demineralised water, to bring the ions down to a normal level. Otherwise, just use the tap water. Here where I live we have very hard water. So I use demineralised water for mix the chemicals, even for the final rinse, both B&W and C-41 process and never had a bad result developing. So I get amazed by your advice. Never heard about it. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted March 1, 2011 Share #8 Posted March 1, 2011 Using demineralised water to prepare working solutions of developer and fixer from industrially manufactured products is not a good idea! I used demineralised water for the preparation of stock solution for a decade or so. Maybe processed 1500+ films, never noticed a problem. What problems to the manufacturers say it causes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 1, 2011 Share #9 Posted March 1, 2011 Using demineralised water to prepare working solutions of developer and fixer from industrially manufactured products is not a good idea! Actually, manufacturers recommend against it. Only if your tap water happens be extra-ordinarily rich in carbonates ('hard water') then you may use a mixture of tap water and demineralised water, to bring the ions down to a normal level. Otherwise, just use the tap water. What rationale do the manufacturers give for not using demineralized water? I use distilled water (I have a distiller), and sometimes water from a dehumidifier (from a very clean machine, and final-filtered). No problems whatsoever. Washing is a different matter. I use our native, relatively hard water because it washes best, but must be followed with a distilled water rinse then photo-flow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted March 1, 2011 Share #10 Posted March 1, 2011 What rationale do the manufacturers give for not using demineralized water? I use distilled water (I have a distiller), and sometimes water from a dehumidifier (from a very clean machine, and final-filtered). No problems whatsoever. Washing is a different matter. I use our native, relatively hard water because it washes best, but must be followed with a distilled water rinse then photo-flow. Most color kits and published formula have water softner included, and should be ok even in quite hard water, would not have expected soft water to be a problem. If you wash in high ion water e.g. salt water it will remove the hypo residue more rapidly but you then need a (or several) distilled rinse(s), as you do with hypo eliminator. If you get drying marks then you need to final rinse in deionised (e.g. a 2nd time), note some film will attract suspended particles from hard water and you will get spots, a dionised rinse will cure this as well. My faucet water is really soft most of the time, makes life real easy. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 1, 2011 Share #11 Posted March 1, 2011 Demineralised water is essential for E6 work, but if you have good, clean water out of the tap, it's not necessary for B&W work. We have a good supply of soft mains water where I live, so for B&W work, I only use it for final rinse with the Photoflo. I did experiemnt with using it to make up developer, but couldn't tell any difference, so stopped. Melt water from your freezer is OK for your steam iron but again, not necessary if you have soft water. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted March 1, 2011 Share #12 Posted March 1, 2011 Demineralised water is essential for E6 work, but if you have good, clean water out of the tap, it's not necessary for B&W work. We have a good supply of soft mains water where I live, so for B&W work, I only use it for final rinse with the Photoflo. I did experiemnt with using it to make up developer, but couldn't tell any difference, so stopped. Melt water from your freezer is OK for your steam iron but again, not necessary if you have soft water. Hi I've looked up my book as I've never used deionised or distilled. Color processing book says dont use soft water as it tends to cause excessive swelling of the emulsion, blister, frilling, reticulation. It suggests artifically hardening may be necessary by adding Epsom salts or Glaubers salt to some of the solutions... or as an intermediate bath between stages... Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 1, 2011 Share #13 Posted March 1, 2011 The Tetenal E6 kit that I use specifically says that one should use demirealised, purified water to make up the chemicals. I order mine from the pharmacy. For B&W rinsing, I use battery top-up water from the car accessory shop. Our water isn't very soft, but soft enough for us to never have to worry about furred up kettles and washing machines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted March 1, 2011 Share #14 Posted March 1, 2011 The Tetenal E6 kit that I use specifically says that one should use demirealised, purified water to make up the chemicals. I order mine from the pharmacy. For B&W rinsing, I use battery top-up water from the car accessory shop. Our water isn't very soft, but soft enough for us to never have to worry about furred up kettles and washing machines. I always follow the instructions but I dont have the leaflet for the E6 or C41 process kits to hand, but the substitute formula for the E6 and C41 all have Calgon as first chemical into solution for developers. But you need pH meter for the E6 substitute solutions... Occassionaly I have to descale kettles/washng machines, but years apart. Never had any problems. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted March 1, 2011 Share #15 Posted March 1, 2011 It is not a black-&-white (sorry! ) issue, folks! Except for extreme cases of hard water, either tap water or distilled water will generally work fine. One may be able to detect tiny differences with a densitometer (but if you are using a densitometer, you are a lab tech, not a photographer!) Consistency is more import than (within limits) any particular amount of impurity. But I've processed film with probably 100 different water sources over the years. None of them bottled, purified, or distilled. My pix came out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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