[rollei_list] Re: OT - Hard or soft water?
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:28:54 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Lilley" <54moggie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:22 AM
Subject: [rollei_list] OT - Hard or soft water?
I am building my dream darkroom and have recently purchased
a 16x20 inch
archival 'Cross Jet' print washer. We have well water
which is rather hard.
As such, years ago I installed a salt based water softener
which supplies
the whole house with soft water.
We've a young man staying with us this summer who is
studying photographic
conservation up at Queens University in Canada. He tells
me I should use
hard water through the print washer. He maintains it will
clear the fixer
better and alkaline water is not good for paper fiber. We
drink bottled
water so of this has never been a human issue. What say
you all? Is this
true, I have some more plumbing work to do, sigh!
Rob in NJ
Salts in water do increase washing efficiency. The
most effective washing is with sea water but the residue
must be washed out with fresh water. Sulfite wash aids were
developed to mimic sea water and are actually more
efficient.
I have never heard that alkaline water is bad for
paper, maybe so but I would like a citation to some
research.
Tap water in Los Angeles tends to be rather hard,
i.e., high content of carbonates but measures slightly acid.
I am not at all sure of my measurements because pH
measurements can be tricky. I get an assay about twice a
year from the L.A.Department of Water and Power. There was
considerable concern about the quality of L.A. water some
years ago so the DWP had been bending over backward to
assure everyone of its quality.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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