Page 1 of 1

Distilled water: used in all development stages?

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:16 pm
by kcf
Should distilled water be used in all stages of development: development, wash, fix, wash? Or is it only necessary to use it in the final, wetting agent stage? I'm wondering if the necessary use of tap water for the rinses at the end would negate any benefits mixing developer or fix with distilled water would produce.

Re: Distilled water: used in all development stages?

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:33 pm
by amorteguy
I used bottled, distilled water for all chemical mixes. I only use tap water for prewetting and rinses. However, the final liquid into which all films are emersed is Photoflo, which is mixed with distilled water.

I have found over the years that the negs have never shown signs of degredation or deposits due to the tap water. I have been pleased with the results, and my tap water is very nasty (high calcium content think, every tap in my house accumulates deposists very quickly, and I NEVER drink my tap water. Yuck!)

Re: Distilled water: used in all development stages?

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:29 pm
by Ornello
No, developers are formulated to work in tap water.

Re: Distilled water: used in all development stages?

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:22 am
by Keith Tapscott.
Should distilled water be used in all stages of development: development, wash, fix, wash? Or is it only necessary to use it in the final, wetting agent stage? I'm wondering if the necessary use of tap water for the rinses at the end would negate any benefits mixing developer or fix with distilled water would produce.
I suggest that you buy a Paterson filter for you tap or faucet, or buy a Brita water filtering jug to ensure clean water for mixing photo-chemistry. Distilled water is expensive to buy and only necessary for some types of alternative processes.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brita-Elemaris- ... B000J6BP5E

Re: Distilled water: used in all development stages?

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:54 am
by richam
I live in a hard water area and even have to remove my faucet aerators several times a year to clean out grains of sand and small stones. True distilled water can be expensive; I use demineralized water. It's cheap at € 0,59 for a 4 liter bottle at the Lidl store. I use it for all chemical mixing and final photo-flo rinse, but still use tap water for washing. This has solved any mineral problems without the need for special filters.