Avantra Film Processor Slime

[Fiz]

Hey all, been awhile. I've got a bizarre issue with my online processor for our old Avantra Selectset 30 film imager. We've been getting white specs on the film when it comes out. I've check the developer, fix and rinse to see where this might be occurring. To my surprise the rinse was filled with clear slime. The rollers were coated, the basin was coated, everything. Upon cleaning the rinse out, what I thought was thoroughly, the stuff showed up again. I cleaned the rollers again and this time used force water through spots I couldn't get to normally. Black slime came out of it. I spent hours doing this and more and more black came out. My best guess is it's emulsion not properly washing away. I'm more of a hack at the processor portion of the system. Any suggestions or recommendations? Any idea what might be causing it?
We did lower the temp on the fix but also increased the dwell time. Not sure if this helped, hurt or did anything at all.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[VladCanada]

That's "The Blue Algae", (a kind of microorganism), very adaptive to chemistry and well spawn on gelatine base of the film.
Use tablets of chlorine or bromide (the same ones are used to clear the water in the swimming pool).
Put one (they are hard to dissolve) in your water wash section to kill the beast.
Be careful, place that tablet properly into the section as far as possible off the water drain (overflow) pipe, and try to avoid gears stuck.

 

[Fiz]

VladCanada, greatly appreciate the quick response. We actually have a tablet with special plastic bottle dispenser we leave in the rinse. Maybe that isn't hacking it anymore. I'll try your suggestion. I'm sure it will take awhile before we notice a difference. I'll get back in a week or so I hope with results of some sort.

 

[maxon]

Yes you need chlorine and/or fungicides. In addition to what Vlad said would be useful to clean the debris in the water inlet solenoid, you need good water flow in the rinse section, also empty the rinse tank over night and weekends.

 

[oxburger]

Someone once told me, and I've never tried it, to put Listerine or some other kind of mouthwash in the water. Not sure if it works or not, but at least your processor will smell minty fresh.

 

[VladCanada]

I'd rather prefer mint smell than smell of Fixer crap.
Some pills of the antibiotics work good as well.
Main market players produce a kind of mix called "antialgae", just google it.

 

[Fiz]

Minty fresh imagesetters sound delightful. One thing I discovered is upon putting the dirty film through the processor again that the spots on the film actually developed into full density emulsion. I'm thinking algae doesn't normally develop. It maybe the emulsion is not rinsing away properly?

 

[VladCanada]

One thing I discovered is upon putting the dirty film through the processor again that the spots on the film actually developed into full density emulsion. I'm thinking algae doesn't normally develop. It maybe the emulsion is not rinsing away properly?

We call them "pinholes". They could be produced by dust on the film when it is exposing, and the dust works like a mask. The second reason is: crystalls of Fixer, which develop at the air-liquid border of rollers (if the processor don't do some roller-runs when it is in IDLE status.

 

[gtmo]

Same Problem

Same Problem

we are having the same problem. With ours it goes away when we change the chemistry. Sometimes all we are getting from the fixer and developer is about a week.

 

[graficworx]

If you can, try using distilled water instead of tap water. Also, the ambient room temperature that the processor is in affects algae growth, the cooler the better. Depending on your film use you should be able to get 2 weeks or so, but I have experienced the algae as well, and it does make for a pain to clean.