Jump to content

Water tank help


Featured Posts

Hi all

i have stripped up some

panelling to show where my water tank is (I didn’t install it) however question is inpresume

i cannot fit a sender unit as the tank is at an angle do I have any options with my current configuration 

54E4AABB-0124-4147-8A63-83D67746CC01.jpeg

2B8D71CD-E66D-4DBA-B744-2B819DB6CA58.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very few NB's have a tank gauge, and with experience you begin to know your daily usage and how long a 'tank' will last you.

 

If you have access to the tank (not down a rubber filler hose) you can make a DIY gauge.

 

When I first get a boat I make a dipstick (a length of dowel makes a good one)

 

Empty the water tank.

 

Take a hose and time how long it takes to fill (say) a 20 litre can. - call it 2 minutes for this example.

 

Run the hose into the tank for 10 minutes. Insert dipstick, Remove dipstick and 'notch' the dipstick, this is your 100 litre mark.

Run hose into the tank for another 10 minutes. Remove dipstick and 'notch' the dipstick, this is your 200 litre mark.

Run hose into the tank for another 10 minutes. Remove dipstick and 'notch' the dipstick, this is your 300 litre mark.

 

Repeat until your tank is full and you now know how much it holds, and can regularly check how much is left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your water outlet is at the bottom then you can still fit a pressure sensor type of level gauge such as this one, there are other suppliers. You need to add a T piece into the section between the tank and the pump, unless you have a second unused connection. This will read an increasing depth of water as the tank fills, the only thing is that the volume of water will not be linear with depth as the shape of the tank changes, however that is probably not too much of an issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 03/05/2020 at 09:25, PeterF said:

If your water outlet is at the bottom then you can still fit a pressure sensor type of level gauge such as this one, there are other suppliers. You need to add a T piece into the section between the tank and the pump, unless you have a second unused connection. This will read an increasing depth of water as the tank fills, the only thing is that the volume of water will not be linear with depth as the shape of the tank changes, however that is probably not too much of an issue.

I fitted one of these. They're great. The digital gauge (left hand one in the link) has an LED back light so easy to see if fitted somewhere dark.

My problem is the lack of a fuel gauge. Looking to fit one of those at some point

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 03/05/2020 at 08:31, Kustomcut said:

Hi all

i have stripped up some

panelling to show where my water tank is (I didn’t install it) however question is inpresume

i cannot fit a sender unit as the tank is at an angle do I have any options with my current configuration 

54E4AABB-0124-4147-8A63-83D67746CC01.jpeg

 

It does appear a bit of an odd setup, with the tank at that angle, and the inspection hatch which I presume would usually be at the top almost more on the side than the top! Is there a take-off at the bottom of the tank going to the pump, or does that come off the top with a 'dip tube' down into the tank.

 

If there is a tank off the top you can have a 'sight glass' type level indicator which is what we have, however if its via a tip-tube although it could still work it would rely on the pump pulling through the water to create an inverted u-tube.

 

As a lot have said, with a large tank at one end (an little other variables) you can often gauge the state of the tank with the trim of the boat, but from what I see I suspect you have actaully got quite a small tank?

 

 

Daniel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest you soon get to know how much water you have. We never run out and sub consciously i glance at the pointy end as I pass the front and can tell if we need water. I sope with a small tank that doesnt effect the trim much it would be harder but we have never needed one. Use the money for beer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could easily fit an external capacitive probe, or several, on a plasic tank. I've got one like this: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/level-sensors/3779816/ although I bought it for much less than the current RS price. Mounted in a small box with a battery and sounder, it can be slid up and down the outside of my plastic tank to tell me the level.

 

A few similar types available on Ebay e.g. item 372728002252 - cheap enough to put, say, one halfway down and one near the bottom. Or something like item 333517827356 with a couple of probes. Searching for non-contact or capacitive level sensors will find a few more.

 

Alternatively, something like this would be fun: https://www.hackster.io/team-protocentral/non-contact-capacitive-liquid-level-sensing-using-fdc1004-9333c7 The only problem is that the FDC1004 breakout board is hard to get at the moment, and you probably wouldn't want to solder the bare SMD chip without good eyesight and a steady hand. Another possibility is the MPR121 twelve-input sensor https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/9695 You can get the chip with breakout board for about three quid from Ebay. I'm tempted to buy one myself as an experiment.

 

Good boat name! Cheers!

 

Martin/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 03/05/2020 at 09:10, Tony Brooks said:

A clear vertical tube Td off the tank to pump pipe will show the water level in the tank but it may be better to fit a valve at the bottom just in case the pump manages to suck air down the tube.

That’s what I’ve done. Works perfectly well with no moving parts. I used 15 mm Perspex tube that fitted into a push fit elbow with a washing machine shut off valve inline. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.