Is it easy to fit a fuel gauge / water tank gauge ?

[Baron & Mrs Boater]

How do I go about fitting gauges to tell me if I have diesel and water ?

 

I am vaguely competent at DIY, but not sure about tackling something where there is a risk of fire or flood !

 

Any suggestions very welcome.

 

[DHutch]

With the water, you can just run a lenght of clear plastic tubing up the side of the tank, like they do on oild tanks in people gardens.

- Idealy you have it on its own tank fitting, so that its unaffected my the pump running.

- However, ours is just pushed over the drain cock, which itself is 'T' ed of the pump supply.

- The valve is only just cracked open, so it works ok (the leval goes down very slowly when the pump is running, then comes back when it cuts out.

 

 

 

In terms of the physical world, its more than possable to do the same with diesal, however, im not sure on the BSS ruleing for this, and it may not be allowed?

- Not sure what most people do, apart from just guess, and make sure they "have enough" (we dont have any diesal)

 

 

Daniel

Edited February 9, 2006 by dhutch

[Baron & Mrs Boater]

With the water, you can just run a lenght of clear plastic tubing up the side of the tank, like they do on oild tanks in people gardens.

 

 

I was kind of hoping I could have a little dial with a needle, rather than loads of tubing all over the place !

 

Its a plan though !

 

[DHutch]

I was kind of hoping I could have a little dial with a needle, rather than loads of tubing all over the place !

Yeah, you can get gauges, and also electronic read outs.

- Our "sight glass" on the water tank was only ment to be tempary, but that was 10 years ago now.

 

 

See here

http://www.sterling-power.com/htm/tgs.htm

 

 

Daniel

[dor]

THere is a company called MSD or MDS or MSC or something similar - they advertise regularly in the waterways press.

 

They sell guages for water, diesel & sewage. The sensor goes in the water pipe, near where it leaves the tank, and measures the depth by pressure. Simple, reliable and very useful. Needs power, but you can probably take that off your water pump feed. Easy to fit, about £70.

 

Sterling do one that mesures pressure by bubbling air through, but i would think less reliable and also nearer £200.

[Richard Bustens]

The problen with those type of gauges is that you have to calibrate with a empty tank and then with a full one , not a problem with the water but could be with fuel. unless you are starting from scratch with a empty tank.

[stuart]

I'm interested in this too, let me know how you get on!

[Alastair]

You can do a sight tube for fuel, but it would be easier to fit a guage, as Dan says.

 

If you want to go the sight tube route, you have to use plastic, and the top and bottom of the tube must be fitted with surge valves. These will shut off if there is a sudden flow through the pipe, hence stopping a catastrophic leak if the pipe ruptured.

 

Also, a guage could be fitted when the tank isn't completely empty, as they are usually fitted through a hole in the top of the tank.

[TeeELL]

I have a gauge, as described by DOR, it is supplied with a Hep2O fitting with a sensor and separate gauge which can be fitted up to about 2 mtrs away (using cable supplied). Very easy to fit - 'splice' it into the water outlet at the bottom of the tank, take the power feed from the water pump supply tweak the adjusters for 'full' and 'empty'. I would like a guage for the fuel tank - but that is a different kettle of fish - I may take a close look at the Sterling product (as per Dans link). When I go back to the boat I will see if I can find the details of the water gauge for you. (My only issue is the tiny rubber sleeve that joints the Hep2O fitting to the sensor and how long it will last - Note to me: must remember to turn off main water stop cock if leaving the boat with water in the tank!)

[Keeping Up]

If you know someone that can do simple electronics you could make a water tank indicator like mine. Dimensions here are for a tank that's 12 inches deep.

 

It consists firstly of a length of 3-core mains flex, with the sheath slit open for an inch by a Stanley knife at 4 inches and again at 8 inches from the end, so you can get at the wires inside. At the end you remove about a quarter of an inch of the insulation from the green/yellow wire. Then at the 4 inch point you cut the blue wire and remove a quarter inch of the insulation, and do the same at the 8 inch point the same for the brown wire.

 

You now have something that looks a bit like an attempt to prepare for wiring up a long straight mains plug. This is your water-depth sensor, which you need to poke into the tank until the end is just above the bottom of the tank. I did this by making a small incision in the plastic filler hose, then poked in the wire and sealed up with silicone sealant. So when the tank is one-third full, the water makes a contact between the green/yellow wire and the blue wire; when it is two-thirds full it also connects to the brown wire.

 

Now the elctronics; a single CMOS chip can detect when the wires are covered, and light up a red/green LED so that it shines green if you have 2/3 tank or more, orange if you have between 1/3 and 2/3, and red if you have less than 1/3. On 'Keeping Up' the rule is "Green you can do what you want, Orange you can do anything except take a shower, Red you use water only for drinking or cooking".

 

My first attempt failed because I had the unit 'On' up all the time; the small current in the sensor wires electrolysed away the copper after about 6 months. So I put a press button in the 12-volt line, next to the LED, so when you want to check the water you press the button and see what colour light you get. That version has worked for over 10 years now with no problems.

 

The electronics circuit is simple; it just uses a couple of 100k resistors, a couple of 1k resistors, a 4584 CMOS chip, and an LED. Total cost less than £1. I've sketched it from memory here.

 

[Geoff]

The Company Dor is on about is

 

MSC Products 0121 354 5552

77 Braemar Road

Sutton Coldfield

B73 6LZ

 

I bought one of their water gauges, very good and easy to fit, just need to break into the pipe from the tank and get 12volts from somewhere, although with the water tank, the outlet has to be above the sensor in order to get an accurate reading.

Give them a ring and ask for an information leaflet. (Im sure they do Diesel gauges as well)

 

Geoff

[Stephen Fulcher]

Thats ok for water, but is it safe for diesel?

[hnb2907]

The Company Dor is on about is

 

MSC Products 0121 354 5552

77 Braemar Road

Sutton Coldfield

B73 6LZ

 

I bought one of their water gauges, very good and easy to fit, just need to break into the pipe from the tank and get 12volts from somewhere, although with the water tank, the outlet has to be above the sensor in order to get an accurate reading.

Give them a ring and ask for an information leaflet. (Im sure they do Diesel gauges as well)

 

Geoff

 

Just bought one of these for my water tank a couple of weeks back. If I remember when I get around to fitting it, will post a quick update of how I got on...

 

 

Cheers,

Chris.

[Geoff]

I'm sure the diesel gauge works differently - sorry can't remember how it fitted

 

Geoff

[bottle]

The Company Dor is on about is

 

MSC Products 0121 354 5552

77 Braemar Road

Sutton Coldfield

B73 6LZ

 

Geoff

 

Further to this they have an advert in 'Waterways World" February 2006 edition page 34.

 

Fuel gauges from £86-60

 

Wast water gauge £72-80

 

In-line fresh water gauge £64-10

 

All inc: VAT

 

Just a proviso I have no connection whatsoever with this company and there are sure to be others out there.

[Baron & Mrs Boater]

This is all quite marvellous ~ I now know where to start !

 

Thanks all, I will let you know how I get on.

[david and julie]

I have bought(but not yet fitted) a fresh water and a waste water gauge from the above company. I know they only use small ammounts of power, but I am going to wire them through a horn push button, as you only need power to them whilst you are actually reading them.

 

(btw, the waste one is different and has a sender unit within the tank)

[Graham Bowers]

If you know someone that can do simple electronics you could make a water tank indicator like mine. Dimensions here are for a tank that's 12 inches deep.

 

Snip.

 

 

I've been looking for something like this so thanks.

I'm a bit rusty on electronics but will soon have it swotted up.

Cheers

Graham

[stuart]

I have bought(but not yet fitted) a fresh water and a waste water gauge from the above company. I know they only use small ammounts of power, but I am going to wire them through a horn push button, as you only need power to them whilst you are actually reading them.

 

(btw, the waste one is different and has a sender unit within the tank)

 

I've brought one of these water gauges from the Crick boat show, 10% discount, will post piccys when I fit it.

[DHutch]

Yeah, that would good, let us know how you get on!

[Canal Shop Man]

We are just looking at a non-electric gauge, with a dial which can be screwed into the filler in place of the normal cap as a permanent fixture or just lowered down the hole as required. Can be calibrated to the tank height or calibrated automatically with a full tank. Works with any liquid. Press button to read.

 

Cost should be £35 - £40

 

I'll keep you posted on progress

[Pav]

We are just looking at a non-electric gauge, with a dial which can be screwed into the filler in place of the normal cap as a permanent fixture or just lowered down the hole as required. Can be calibrated to the tank height or calibrated automatically with a full tank. Works with any liquid. Press button to read.

 

Cost should be £35 - £40

 

I'll keep you posted on progress

 

Hi,

 

Just searching on the topic of water tank gauges as we want one fitted on Marmaduke, and I came across this from 2006.

 

Does anybody know if this non electric version became available?

 

Thanks,

Pav

[Steve3]

Fitted water and waste gauges from MSC about 3 years ago chose the percentage read outs. Makes life and descisions as to when to fill or empty so easy the best money we ever spent on the boat. We leave them powered up 24/7 and dont seem to use much electric, if you had them on a push button would you forget to check.

I have no connection with this company but have recieved excellent service, if only more companies were this good.

[Amicus]

I like the look of these.

http://www.thetanktender.com/index.html

[Athy]

At £70 or £80 per gauge, I think I'll continue to use my current "gauge": a length of garden cane, insert sweet end to measure water, insert smelly end to measure diesel. Works every time.