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Ecowash

Archival Print Washer

“Recommended by planet Earth”

Included with your washer:

is the outlet where water will exit the washer during use. The hose should be going down and the fitting installed at the bottom of the outlet chamber.

Carefully remove the Cachet Ecowash from its carton.

Open the top of the shipping carton and remove the top sponge pad. Do not lift the unit by the intake or outlet

chambers. Ease the washer out of the carton and place it at a convenient height on a flat, level surface to do the small assembly required. Take an inventory of what you have received, and check it against the following list:

D. From the remaining 10’ length of hose, measure and cut enough hose to reach from the outlet to the sink or drain. Install the hose onto the straight fitting. Be sure the hose is going down so the water will drain out by gravity. If the hose is too level the water may not drain efficiently and the washer may back up.

1. One Cachet EcoWash print washer

2. One set of five low dividers* (notches on top)

E. Install the remaining elbow fitting into the threaded hole located at the bottom, left and center of the washer.

3. One set of six high dividers* (no notches)

4. One ten-foot (approx.) length of 3/8” ID hose. This hose will be used for the inlet, outlet and drains by cutting the different lengths necessary.

5. Two 1/2” hose clamps

F. Install the straight threaded fitting into the outlet located at the side, top, and left of the washer for the inlet channel drain. This is used only when draining the print washer and is only for draining the water inlet channel. Cut to appropriate length and attach hose clamp.

6. Two threaded elbow fittings.

7. Two straight threaded fitting

8. One roll of Teflon tape to wrap threads of fittings.

9. One “Magic Wand”. A rubber tipped plastic rod for fishing smaller prints out of the washer.

10. One garden hose fitting.

G. Use the remaining length of the 10’ hose and install it to the male end of the elbow fitting. Install the clamp onto the hose. You need enough hose to reach your sink or drain. This clamp will be closed to fill the washer and remain closed during operation. Only open the clamp to drain the washer. Reminder: Be sure to lift the low dividers when filling or draining the washer!

* Dividers for 16x20 and 20x24 washers are shipped in a separate box from the washer.

Preparing to fill the washer:

Assemble the washer:

Do not fill or drain the washer without

Please reference the Eco Wash assembly diagram while reading these instructions. All of the fittings should be installed finger tight. Installing the fittings too tight may damage the threads in the washer. Wrap all of the threaded fittings with Teflon tape before installing them into the washer.

removing the low dividers.

1. Place the washer on a flat level surface that is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the unit. The washer can be placed in or out of the sink. An 11x14 washer when full of water weighs approx. 110lbs, 16x20 = 190lbs and 20x24 = 225lbs.

A. Install one of the elbow fittings into the pre-threaded hole. Located at the top, left, front, this is the inlet where the water will enter the washer.

2. Level the washer. This is important to insure the proper flow through the washer.

B. From the 10’ length of 3/8” hose, measure enough hose to run from the inlet to your water source. Cut the hose. Insert one end in the elbow fitting you just installed and the other end into the garden hose fitting.

Attach the garden hose fitting to the water source

(faucet).

C. Install the straight threaded fitting into the outlet located at the back, top, and center of the washer. This

3. Remove the protective paper from the high and low dividers.

4. Place the high dividers in the EcoWash. Starting with the first slot, insert the high divider. Then every other slot will get a high divider ending with the last slot. Be sure the high dividers fit into the lifted pegs at the bottom of the washer. (The high dividers are lifted

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2 above the bottom of the washer allowing the water to flow under them during operation).

5. Before filling the washer make sure both clamps are closed on drain and the inlet drain hoses.

7. After the washer is full, place the low dividers (notches up) in the EcoWash. The low dividers fit into the grooves at the bottom of the washer forming a seal.

This forces the water to go up and over the low dividers. It is important to remove the low dividers when filling or draining the washer because of this seal.

Efficient operation of the Ecowash:

After filling the washer, measure the flow rate and adjust the water flow according to the following chart.

Ecowash

8½ x 11

11 x 14

16 x 20

20 x 24

Flow in ounces per minute

20 oz

30 oz

36 oz

42 oz

Flow in milliliters per minute

600 ml

890 ml

1,066 ml

1,243 ml

Measuring the flow rate: Using a beaker, measure the water flowing out of the outflow hose. Adjust the water flow according to the chart. If the flow is too high the washer may backup and start to overflow. If the flow is too low, it will take longer to wash your prints.

Washing times:

It is highly recommended to rinse your prints in water before loading them into the washer. This rinse will eliminate 80-90% of the fixer from the print. The remaining fixer is removed while the print is soaking in the washer.

While the print is soaking, fresh water replaces the fixer particles trapped in the fibers of the base material. This action is known as diffusion.

Cachet recommends a 45-minute wash time for prints that are rinsed in clear water before putting them into the

Ecowash.

Test your wash times:

Don’t take as gospel anyone’s recommendations for wash times… including ours. All washing procedures, including ones using the Ecowash, should be validated as archival by running a residual hypo test. These tests will factor into your washing time formula all the variables like water hardness or softness and your own prewash procedures.

These test kits are readily available from Photographers’

Formulary in Condon, Montana (800) 922-5255 or make your own by consulting the Amphoto Lab Index Handbook.

Loading Prints in to your washer:

Load the prints by sliding them in the chambers in sequence beginning with the chamber nearest the inlet.

The safest procedure to follow is to always load new prints downstream; first prints in are the first ones out. However, if the prints have been rinsed in clear water before loading them into the Ecowash, it doesn’t matter where in the washer you put them. The water moving from chamber to chamber will still have sufficient diffusion power to carry away the particles that come loose from the fiber base.

To prevent damage to the print surface, use care in loading the prints into the washer. Prints sticking to the side of the dividers does not impair washing. Water passes through both sides of the print. If the sticking concerns you, use the magic wand to dislodge the prints. You can also use the wand to dislodge air bubbles that may form and to retrieve smaller prints that have settled to the bottom.

Caring for your Ecowash:

Do not use alcohol-based cleaners like Windex. Use a mild dish washing soap or a cleaner made specifically for acrylics. You can remove the dividers and clean the washer if necessary. Simple green works well. A very dilute solution of bleach will help remove fixer stains.

Questions or Comments:

Contact Cachet at the following numbers;

Email

Website [email protected]

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If you are using a washing aid (e.g. Perma wash), consult the manufacturers’ recommended washing times. We recommend to double their recommended time. If they recommend 15 minutes, wash for 30 minutes. When striving for archival results, err on the conservative side.

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