How does the Versalab archival print washer compare to other washers as far as water flow is concerned?

A fascinating question. The issue of water use seems to have become something of a decision point in the choice of archival washer purchase, and we think that this is marketing nonsense not logic or science.

There are several parts to the answer.

Firstly, any well designed washer will have nearly the same real water flow requirement and wash time. The total amount of water necessary to adequately dilute print-born fixer is not very great. The capacity of our washer is nearly enough dilution water by itself without additional flowing water through it. The main use of the water flow is to create a small amount of agitation and keep the water in the tank well mixed. The basic performance information we supply takes into account that some folks will not test their results - we therefore quote what we consider to be conservative numbers. The washer can be used at flows as low as .25-.3 GPM (1-1.5 liters/min.) and can get good results in 20 minutes.

Secondly, the most important elements to water use and wash time have to do with the water itself (the temperature and pH) and what you have done to the print before it gets to the washer. Pulling a print out of the fixer and placing it straight into the washer is the worst possible case. Rinse the print off in a tray of water first. Better yet use adequate hypo clearing treatment with a rinse beforehand. Then, if water use is critical where you live use rapid fix. The savings in water use from best to worst case can be as high as six to one!

Lastly, is water use really a problem where you live? We ourselves hate to see water wasted, but the water used for print washing by most photographers is a tiny amount of the water use of their household, and costs very little. A more important priority is making sure that the prints are washed, and that you don't spend more money on the washer (and its maintenance) than the water is worth.