Water tank level gauge. Best thing EVER!

[Boater Sam]

Having 1500 kilos of water on board, the plimsoll line method works quite well. Its 3 to 4 weeks worth anyway but a long stop when filling up.

[MtB]

6 hours ago, koukouvagia said:

I've discovered this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007WMHZQ6/?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1

 

It requires no hole in the tank, no 12v supply and costs peanuts.

 

It measures the volume of water consumed.  So I know when it reads 250 litres, it's time to fill up.

 

 

 

 

 

I too have one of these now, having seen Jim's at Braunston fest recently. 

 

On thing I notice is mine registers zero water flow when the flow though it is below about 1 litre a minute. This is because the turbine needs to spin and very low flow rates won't spin it.

 

But this doesn't matter as like Jim I've installed mine before the pump and pressure vessel. When a tap is running very slowly the pump only kicks in once the accumulator has discharged its contents, and the flow rate through the pump re-charging the accumulator is plenty to get the water meter recording.

 

Bear in mind they are hosepipe meters and not designed to be run under pressure, so for this reason too they should be fitted before the pump.

[Rob-M]

I use the looking at the bows method, when it is an inch or two higher out of the water the tank is low. We do tend to go for the little and often filling approach rather than sitting on a water point for ages waiting to fill a nearly empty tank.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

I use the looking at the bows method, when it is an inch or two higher out of the water the tank is low. We do tend to go for the little and often filling approach rather than sitting on a water point for ages waiting to fill a nearly empty tank.

 

I used to do this too, but for the first time in my 40 year boating career got caught out the other day by running out of water in the shower. I could see the bow was high but misjudged it by about 0.05mm.

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

I have the MCS like Nick above - simple to fit, simple to use. If I didn't, I'd probably stop for water once a fortnight... just to be sure!

 

Seriously though, stop at every water point or every other day? Really? 

Yes realy you old sea dog. If we stop every other day it takes ten minutes ish to fill, if we wait a week it takes an hour ish and is a pain int arse. Also if you plan your water stops to supposedly coincide with when you actualy need the water then that tap is invariably out of order when you reach it or there are two other empty boats waiting so one hour becomes three!! 

[Sea Dog]

26 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes realy you old sea dog. If we stop every other day it takes ten minutes ish to fill, if we wait a week it takes an hour ish and is a pain int arse. Also if you plan your water stops to supposedly coincide with when you actualy need the water then that tap is invariably out of order when you reach it or there are two other empty boats waiting so one hour becomes three!! 

Yeah well, if you wait 3 weeks between fills you can overnight on a water point without breaching the rules!

 

 

[MtB]

36 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Also if you plan your water stops to supposedly coincide with when you actualy need the water then that tap is invariably out of order when you reach it

 

I have learned to check the tap works on arrival, having on several occasions moored up nicely, got the hose out, connected it to the tap, unrolled it and draped the other end over the side of the bot ready to flush it out, gone back and turned the tap on, only to find it DOESN'T FEKKIN WORK. Grrrrrrrrrrr.....

[jonesthenuke]

7 hours ago, koukouvagia said:

I've discovered this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007WMHZQ6/?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1

 

It requires no hole in the tank, no 12v supply and costs peanuts.

 

It measures the volume of water consumed.  So I know when it reads 250 litres, it's time to fill up.

 

 

 

 

I like the idea but it does not look very robust. Perhaps one of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/15mm-BSP-Cold-Water-Meter/dp/B004AQ6C02?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004AQ6C02&pd_rd_r=9373c59b-8abd-11e8-b858-bfd20c132733&pd_rd_w=bLsN4&pd_rd_wg=NP4bm&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=5179604776422437276&pf_rd_r=JS5J4SJ3NVSPN646Q15Q&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1

[Onewheeler]

7 hours ago, koukouvagia said:

I've discovered this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007WMHZQ6/?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1

 

It requires no hole in the tank, no 12v supply and costs peanuts.

 

It measures the volume of water consumed.  So I know when it reads 250 litres, it's time to fill up.

 

 

 

 

I've got two of them, one for each boat. They are jolly good. They also work installed the wrong way round, which can make fewer adaptors necessary. Now in a competition with the missus as to who uses the least water when showering. She's winning with 2.4 L, but she is smaller than me. However, she did point out that she has two bottoms to wash.

 

Martin/

[Jamboat]

5 hours ago, Furness said:

Yes, I had one of them too.I stopped using it when my coffee started tasting of diesel.

This device looks good,I will be ordering one.

We stretched a point & bought 2 ( 4’ Canes) one at the back for diesel & t’other next to water tank filler........

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, jonesthenuke said:

I like the idea but it does not look very robust. Perhaps one of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/15mm-BSP-Cold-Water-Meter/dp/B004AQ6C02?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004AQ6C02&pd_rd_r=9373c59b-8abd-11e8-b858-bfd20c132733&pd_rd_w=bLsN4&pd_rd_wg=NP4bm&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=5179604776422437276&pf_rd_r=JS5J4SJ3NVSPN646Q15Q&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1

 

This one has a near-fatal drawback. From the listing:

 

"Accumulated non-resettable total"

 

The whole point of Jim's one is it can be set back to zero each time you fill the tank.

[blackrose]

This is mine. Fitted it (between tank and pump) about 10 years ago. Just a push fit T. The clear pvc/acrylic pipe has a greater wall thickness than normal plastic pipe so won't take a ferrule but it's rigid enough not to need one. The pipe needs to be a good 6" higher than the top of your tank. 

 

The 15mm dia bleed valve is just taped onto the clear pipe with electrical tape. Keep the valve closed and just open it when you want to take a level reading. Don't open the valve while the pump is running. 

The pipe is calibrated once by emptying the tank and then timing how long it takes to fill. Empty the tank again through normal use and divide the filling time by however many units you want shown on the pipe. Fill the tank (from the same tap) and label the pipe according to your time units. 

 

Some people put a small float in the pipe to aid visibility but I've never found it necessary. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by blackrose

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

Having 1500 kilos of water on board, the plimsoll line method works quite well. Its 3 to 4 weeks worth anyway but a long stop when filling up.

I have 1275 litres (kg) tank but that method is very inaccurate on my widebeam. There's about 3" difference at the bow between full and empty. 

[rusty69]

2 hours ago, Onewheeler said:

However, she did point out that she has two bottoms to wash.

Very wise, sharing a shower! 

[blackrose]

10 hours ago, ronnietucker said:

I'm not sure of the capacity of my boats water tank, so it was always a bit of Russian roulette when using a lot of water. Am I nearly out? Will I awake in the morning to the horror of not having enough water for a cuppa?

Water tank level gauge to the rescue!

It did involve cutting a hole in the (top!) of my water tank then inserting the probe thing:

You do need to cut the probes to length. The two longest ones should pretty much touch the bottom of the water tank (to show nearly empty) with the other two cut in relation to the two longest to give a notice of full and half full.

A cable runs from the probe thing to the little control panel. It needs a 12V supply.

Let's see:

Oh! I could do with a top up!

*glug glug glug glug* (that's the water tank, not me)

Ah! Much better

Best £40 I've spent in a long time.

If you're happy with it that's good, but given all the other options I don't think this is the best thing EVER! 

[Dr Bob]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

. I could see the bow was high but misjudged it by about 0.05mm.

What's that in inches?

[Nightwatch]

 We have an ingenious system. Our tank flexes and make a loud boom. We then know we have a days worth of water left.

i was topping up the water once and a passerby asked how I know when it's full, just at that moment the water shot out of the filler, I simply said that's how. 

[blackrose]

3 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

 We have an ingenious system. Our tank flexes and make a loud boom. We then know we have a days worth of water left.

i was topping up the water once and a passerby asked how I know when it's full, just at that moment the water shot out of the filler, I simply said that's how. 

I take it your tank is stainless rather than integral? If it's doing that it sounds like your breather pipe may be blocked. The boom you hear is the vacuum (created as water is drawn from the tank) somehow releasing itself and the tank snapping back to its original shape. One day the tank may not flex but crack instead and that boom may be accompanied by a sudden flood of water travelling through the boat! Either that or it could rupture at the top and your won't notice until the next time you fill it up. You need to unblock that breather. 

Edited July 19, 2018 by blackrose

[Sea Dog]

9 hours ago, blackrose said:

If you're happy with it that's good, but given all the other options I don't think this is the best thing EVER! 

Yep. The MCS version, for example, has a calibrated linear scale from 0 to 100 percent (or digital too now I think) and fitting it involves no interfering with the tank. That's gotta beat full, 2/3, 1/3, empty. Nevertheless, as you say, it's made the OP happy... and it beats guessing!

[Nightwatch]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

I take it your tank is stainless rather than integral? If it's doing that it sounds like your breather pipe may be blocked. The boom you hear is the vacuum (created as water is drawn from the tank) somehow releasing itself and the tank snapping back to its original shape. One day the tank may not flex but crack instead and that boom may be accompanied by a sudden flood of water travelling through the boat! Either that or it could rupture at the top and your won't notice until the next time you fill it up. You need to unblock that breather. 

Thanks for the frightening tactics. (Humourous comment). I'm taking this seriously.

 

Where is the breather likely to be. The filler pipe on the bow stands proud of the deck ,about three inches, with a cap. Just below the cap is a hole that is open to the elements. When the tank is full water comes out through it. If this is the breather, it is not blocked. The tank has always done this in the thirteen years of ownership. I will investigate. Never dreamed it was a risk.

[nicknorman]

Just now, Nightwatch said:

Thanks for the frightening tactics. (Humourous comment). I'm taking this seriously.

 

Where is the breather likely to be. The filler pipe on the bow stands proud of the deck ,about three inches, with a cap. Just below the cap is a hole that is open to the elements. When the tank is full water comes out through it. If this is the breather, it is not blocked. The tank has always done this in the thirteen years of ownership. I will investigate. Never dreamed it was a risk.

I don’t think it is a risk. If the breather was blocked you wouldn’t be able to extract more than a small portion of the water. It is simply a feature of stainless tanks that owners of boats with integral tanks don’t understand. When the tank is full, the water pressure pushes the  slightly non-flat sides out to an alternatively stable position. When that pressure recedes the sides return to their natural state of being slightly non-flat the other way. The boat we used to borrow used to do that, although the “boing” was at the nearly-full point (and thus a clue to look at the overflow when filling.

[Nightwatch]

3 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I don’t think it is a risk. If the breather was blocked you wouldn’t be able to extract more than a small portion of the water. It is simply a feature of stainless tanks that owners of boats with integral tanks don’t understand. When the tank is full, the water pressure pushes the  slightly non-flat sides out to an alternatively stable position. When that pressure recedes the sides return to their natural state of being slightly non-flat the other way. The boat we used to borrow used to do that, although the “boing” was at the nearly-full point (and thus a clue to look at the overflow when filling.

That's what I've always thought to be honest. It does boing back just at the full point. Don't always hear it outside the boat. A bit like filling a slightly crumpled plastic bottle. 

[WotEver]

We have a baking tray that twists when it gets to about 160C. So when the oven is on to pre-heat we hear the ‘Doink!’ and know it’s about up to temp. 

[Nightwatch]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

We have a baking tray that twists when it gets to about 160C. So when the oven is on to pre-heat we hear the ‘Doink!’ and know it’s about up to temp. 

That's interesting.

[Jess--]

12 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

 We have an ingenious system. Our tank flexes and make a loud boom. We then know we have a days worth of water left.

i was topping up the water once and a passerby asked how I know when it's full, just at that moment the water shot out of the filler, I simply said that's how. 

our stainless tank has a loud boing just before it hits full (no the breather isn't blocked) and a quieter one when there is about 3 inches left in the bottom.

 

looking at the tank the rear wall of it is slightly distorted and pops in / out with pressure.

 

if filling on the thames you have 8 seconds from the boing to turn the tap off before water is spraying through the breather and filler, on a canal it's around a minute before it comes back out the filler (it never makes it to the breather due to lower water flow)

Edited July 19, 2018 by Jess--