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another toilet topic - holding tank level gauges ?

magnetman

By magnetman
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Posted

I've fitted a simple pumpout lavatory system on my barge as an accompaniment to my cassette system, as I'm on this mooring and I have a pumpout machine included in the mooring fee (residential mooring). So I have a 100 litre tank which I know isn't going to last a long time but that doesn't matter as its free to pumpout anyway. When out boating we will use the cassette system anyway.

 

What does matter is how I know it is full. The tank is higher than the toilet (a Lavac manual pumped unit).Its ok it won't backflush itself... I have routed the pumpout pipe to the roof level and it works lovely. The vent goes out a skin fitting in the hull side, so this is where an overfill situation would first become evident.

 

There is a spare outlet on the tank which has a female/internal 1.25 bsp thread and there is a blanking cap for that which could be drilled to mount something inside the tank if needed.

 

So. To find out the level in the tank.

I could knock it with a block of wood and listen, or record the sound with a smartphone application showing the sound waveform :rolleyes: but this could be a bit unreliable. I could use a stick or a float in a tube, I could use a clear lid on the spare fitting on the tank, with a lamp under it so I can see the level, or I could get involved in more technical things like float switches, pressure gauges or ultrasonic detectors. or maybe even a laser?

 

What do people actually use for this ? and does it work.

 

all comments and advice appreciated

 

ta

 

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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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Posted

I've fitted a simple pumpout lavatory system on my barge as an accompaniment to my cassette system, as I'm on this mooring and I have a pumpout machine included in the mooring fee (residential mooring). So I have a 100 litre tank which I know isn't going to last a long time but that doesn't matter as its free to pumpout anyway. When out boating we will use the cassette system anyway.

 

What does matter is how I know it is full. The tank is higher than the toilet (a Lavac manual pumped unit).Its ok it won't backflush itself... I have routed the pumpout pipe to the roof level and it works lovely. The vent goes out a skin fitting in the hull side, so this is where an overfill situation would first become evident.

 

There is a spare outlet on the tank which has a female/internal 1.25 bsp thread and there is a blanking cap for that which could be drilled to mount something inside the tank if needed.

 

So. To find out the level in the tank.

I could knock it with a block of wood and listen, or record the sound with a smartphone application showing the sound waveform rolleyes.gif but this could be a bit unreliable. I could use a stick or a float in a tube, I could use a clear lid on the spare fitting on the tank, with a lamp under it so I can see the level, or I could get involved in more technical things like float switches, pressure gauges or ultrasonic detectors. or maybe even a laser?

 

What do people actually use for this ? and does it work.

 

all comments and advice appreciated

 

ta

 

If its a plastic tank there is an excellent gauge. All you do is stick the two strips with a centre bar letter H of sticky foil vertically on the tank side. In the centre of the H is stuck a transponder with wires to relay the levels to a digital display, and can be adjusted for tank shape by stepping the display read out up or down. They don't work on metal tanks though. I can't remember the make of them, the owner bought it. I fitted it couple of years ago to a wide beam boat.

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TaffyRon Collaborator

TaffyRon

Posted
Posted

sounds like a crap idea

It is, I just look in the hole but im sure you can get a retrofit gauge off egay, I need a gauge for my fuel tank but apparently boat safety frowns upon retrofitting these

Hi Ron, hope you're not angry at me, without realising it I was just reading your private sign.

 

Peter.

Yes im deeply offended, but would rather that than you picking my mushrooms in the field behind it, the ducks have long gone

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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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Bizzard,

 

that sounds just the thing. I have used a PE(e?) tank in this installation so one of those would work smile.png

Yes, it worked very well and the owner is a very fussy chap. The beauty is, with no gear at all inside the tank. The boat has moved away, but not far. I think I've got his phone no somewhere, I'll try and contact him later for the name of it. And I'll try a spot of googling in a minute.

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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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Posted (edited)

seems like it might work on vibration, similar to my knock it with a block of wood idea.

 

like this?

 

http://www.tek-tanks.com/boattanks/digital-level-indicators/

 

there must be a way to make one of these at home with some electronics and fings

No, it just I think it senses the level density through the tank between the wastes surface level and emptiness above it. And it will only work with plastic tanks. The boat fitters Big Fish now defunct supplied him with it when he bought the boat which had an unreliable internal float type in it that was naff.

Edited by bizzard
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Yes, it worked very well and the owner is a very fussy chap. The beauty is, with no gear at all inside the tank. The boat has moved away, but not far. I think I've got his phone no somewhere, I'll try and contact him later for the name of it. And I'll try a spot of googling in a minute.

 

thanks for that :)

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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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Posted

Ahoy magnetman. If you google Tek tanks and scroll down, there's a PDF explaining their self adhesive sensors and digital displays. Now I come to think of it I think it was a Tek Tank system that I fitted, and dead simple to do.

 

There was and American one too on a website called Defender with the same system called Scad 10018

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Sounds good - I will 'look into it' :)


Years ago I lived in a house with an aga and there was a big oil tank in the garden. There was a level gauge which had been replaced and the old one had been discarded close by. I took it inside and had a look at it / broke it into pieces. It had a float on a little cord and a clock type dial with a spring loaded drum so it would wind up and down according to the level of the oil in the tank. I wonder if one of these could be got and might work in a 'black water' tank or if it would get all --tty and clog up too much :unsure:

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Flyboy Experienced

Flyboy

Posted
Posted

I've fitted a simple pumpout lavatory system on my barge as an accompaniment to my cassette system, as I'm on this mooring and I have a pumpout machine included in the mooring fee (residential mooring). So I have a 100 litre tank which I know isn't going to last a long time but that doesn't matter as its free to pumpout anyway. When out boating we will use the cassette system anyway.

 

What does matter is how I know it is full. The tank is higher than the toilet (a Lavac manual pumped unit).Its ok it won't backflush itself... I have routed the pumpout pipe to the roof level and it works lovely. The vent goes out a skin fitting in the hull side, so this is where an overfill situation would first become evident.

 

There is a spare outlet on the tank which has a female/internal 1.25 bsp thread and there is a blanking cap for that which could be drilled to mount something inside the tank if needed.

 

So. To find out the level in the tank.

I could knock it with a block of wood and listen, or record the sound with a smartphone application showing the sound waveform rolleyes.gif but this could be a bit unreliable. I could use a stick or a float in a tube, I could use a clear lid on the spare fitting on the tank, with a lamp under it so I can see the level, or I could get involved in more technical things like float switches, pressure gauges or ultrasonic detectors. or maybe even a laser?

 

What do people actually use for this ? and does it work.

 

all comments and advice appreciated

 

ta

 

I've got a guage from MCS Boat Products. In the last 6 years it has been 100% reliable & accurate. It fits in the top of the tank & needs just a hole drilled.

 

http://mcsboatproducts.co.uk/portfolio/waste-water-gauge/

 

http://mcsboatproducts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mcs_waste_water.pdf

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Sea Dog Veteran II

Sea DogDonate to Canal World

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Posted

I've got a guage from MCS Boat Products. In the last 6 years it has been 100% reliable & accurate. It fits in the top of the tank & needs just a hole drilled.

 

http://mcsboatproducts.co.uk/portfolio/waste-water-gauge/

 

http://mcsboatproducts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mcs_waste_water.pdf

 

So have I, but whilst we were on the blocks doing the blacking it read 60%..... 60%.... 60%.... cough, splurge, bolleaux, 100%!!

 

The one on the water tank seems very accurate once calibrated, but the blighter on the pooh tank I'm a little less enamoured with.

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Loafer Veteran

Loafer

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A good indicator can also be experience. Once you know your poo tank and your average dietary efficiency, multiplied by the average no. of curries per month, you'll soon know when to look for a pumpout.

 

Or, (yawn), get a hand pump and some hose. Do your own mini-pump-outs when required. Then you cater for all seasons.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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My thetford casette toilet seems to know when the cassette is full and illuminates a little red light (only one of the 3 cassettes I have seem to do this) and it seems to work with a little reed switch beside the cassette so I assume there is a magnet in the tank sliding up and down on a float, but this has obviously got blocked on two of the cassettes or is possibly not present on all of them in the first place. I would prefer not to have electrical switchs inside the tank but I'm not going to spend dozens of pounds on a technical sticky thing with a gauge. I'd rather make one if possible. I think a shight gauge might be worth trying - a test tube with a bright coloured piece of tubing capped at both ends to form a float. test tube mounted upside down in the blanking plug mentioned. bright colourd piece of tubing floats up into the test tube Then when the bright coloured pipe hits the top of the test tube its full. This would have the advantage of being removable for cleaning purposes but it might become difficult to see through the test tube glass due to fouling. I don't know. .


The boat doesn't move about that much when moored so it probably won't slosh about a lot so the glass would most likely stay clear, I think.

 

need to figure out how to seal a test tube upside down into a 1.25 bsp socket end cap made of nylon.


This system could also easily be electrified by adding a small magnet to the bright coloured float and a reed switch duck taped to the side of the test tube :)

Edited by magnetman
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system 4-50 Veteran II

system 4-50Donate to Canal World

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I installed a Wema sensor. It is a float type. It works.

It is a steel tank.

They recommend that you use a gauge that only extends down about 3/4 of the tank depth.

My toilet is a macerator type & I expect the gauge to function for a long time without clogging up.

I have made my own LED display for it.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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I installed a Wema sensor. It is a float type. It works.

It is a steel tank.

They recommend that you use a gauge that only extends down about 3/4 of the tank depth.

My toilet is a macerator type & I expect the gauge to function for a long time without clogging up.

I have made my own LED display for it.

 

Thanks for the tip. Interested in the bit in orange as my unit is a direct (hand operated diaphragm pump) system with no macerator in it so may possibly be more prone to clogging if a float switch is used. I will have a look at the Wema and add it to my list of options. ta

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