Water tank level gauge. Best thing EVER!

[GUMPY]

Another reason for not needing one.

I've got better things to spend £85 on.

 

[Tony Brooks]

12 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Another reason for not needing one.

I've got better things to spend £85 on.

 

 

Especially as a T fitting, valve and length of plastic tube will do the same for far less cost.

[system 4-50]

Yes. Water depth gauge on both tanks. And the pumpout tank.  And the diesel tank.  Just plain civilised.  I used to get by by just rubbing two sticks together but why rough it when you don't need to?

[Bobbybass]

Easy water level gauge.

 

If it goes up my nose....it's full. ??

 

 

[blackrose]

12 hours ago, tehmarks said:

 

If you lived aboard, you'd probably have become used by now to the fact that sometimes you just can't have a shower and learnt to live with being slightly 'natural' when the circumstances demand...

 

(I jest of course)

 

As a liveaboard, I don't really feel the need for a water meter. I have an 800L tank in the bow, and the trim difference between empty and full is significant. More useful than easy than a meter, for me, would actually be painting load lines on the stem post. Low tech, high utility. I haven't done it yet, mind.

 

But as a liveaboard, I just fill up whenever I pass a water point and very rarely run out. I appreciate that when hiring, stopping for water is an additional time sink in a way that it isn't for someone who is always cruising.

 

I'm a liveaboard and wouldn't be without some sort of water tank level meter. So I don't really think it's about whether one lives aboard or not, it's simply about what sort of equipment, gauges, indicators you want on your boat.

 

As evidenced by this thread and many others, everyone is different and likes to have different stuff on their boats.

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by blackrose

[tehmarks]

No judgement meant, apologies if you read it that way, I was just explaining what works for me. I can go about five weeks without running out of water, and so I never run out of water. I don't need a meter for that reason.

 

An MCS meter is on my list of improvements - but it's very low down the list. As things stand, a quick glance at the water line tells me all I need to know if I am getting worried.

[Justin Smith]

13 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Especially as a T fitting, valve and length of plastic tube will do the same for far less cost.

If your idea is what I think it is, and it sounds very clever, should the plastic tube be see through so you can see the water level in it ?

But why do you need the valve ?

[Naughty Cal]

We had a water tank gauge on NC but we never used it. We knew that the water lasted us three days so we knew when it needed filling up or we would top it up if a chance became available.

 

Same with the van. The tank on that will last us three days. So we know when to fill it up. No need for the gauge really, although it has got one.

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

If your idea is what I think it is, and it sounds very clever, should the plastic tube be see through so you can see the water level in it ?

But why do you need the valve ?

 

The plastic tub should be see through and probably set into a length of timber with the groove pained white. It needs to be in a dim place to minimise algae growth. If you can find a small coloured plastic ball/bead that floats put that in the tube.

 

The valve is to ensure that when the water pump runs it can not suck air down the tube. It also allows you to isolate the tube to minimise the danger of flooding if the tube  is damaged.

 

This works well with separate tanks that sit at accommodation floor level but is less effective with build in tanks that run  right down to the base of the boat.

 

It would be illegal BSS wise for fuel and it would probably foul, smell and look horrible for the pump out tank.

[Alan de Enfield]

33 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

It would be illegal BSS wise for fuel

 

I'd always thought that, but no - it passed every time.

Another example of the 'flexibility' of the rules ?

 

I have 3 tanks (a 1000 litre keel tank, and 2x 900 litre 'wing tanks') and the wing tanks have a 'clear plastic tube' mounted vertically to act as contemt gauges.

The keel tank has a 'proper' electrical fuel guage.

 

Clear pipe fuel gauge shown here :

 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

I think its acceptable if it has a shut-off valve top and bottom or just the bottom if open vented, and would also be if the clear tube met the ISO/BS for fuel hoses.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Tony Brooks

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I think its acceptable if it has a shut-off valve top and bottom or just the bottom if open vented, and would also be if the clear tube met the ISO/BS for fuel hoses.

 

 

As you can see in the picture, it is 'closed' with each end of the clear pipe, jubilee clipped into a piece of rubber pipe, which in turn is jubilee clipped to a piece of copper pipe that is attached to the top and bottom of the wing-tank

 

Maybe I should just add that for the BSS's we had done on the boat, no examiner ever, ever, went into the engine room

Edited June 24, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[cheesegas]

Saw the price of the static head digital gauges and went with the plastic tube option. Does mean that the front step needs to be pulled out to check the level due to the location though. I didn't mount it centrally and even with a slight list when the toilet's getting full, it seems to be pretty accurate.

 

I do have the static head type installed on my motorcycle though, and it works very well. The miles per tank are pretty unpredictable, and after it ran out in the middle of a junction (too quick to reach down and flip to reserve!) I decided it wasn't great....

 

However, pre-gauge, I didn't ever run out of water accidentally. Once you get to know the sound the pump makes and your usage it's ok...I can go 2 weeks running the washing machine twice and not being particularly careful on water. After that, the pump gets louder as the tank walls vibrate. Could probably go 3 weeks being careful, but I'm always passing a water point anyway.

[Ex Brummie]

There is an electronic gauge made for oil tanks , the Oil Watchman. This would need a 1/4" hole to be made in the top of the tank, and a 240 volt power source for the receiver. About £65 from heating merchants. You just need to remember that if your tank is tapered that half full is not half quantity.

Works just as well with water, and does not require wiring from the sender to the gauge.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Ex Brummie

[blackrose]

12 hours ago, tehmarks said:

No judgement meant, apologies if you read it that way, I was just explaining what works for me. I can go about five weeks without running out of water, and so I never run out of water. I don't need a meter for that reason.

 

 

Yes, I'm the same. My water tank holds about a tonne and a quarter and can easily last me 4 weeks, so there's no reason for me to run out even without a meter. 

 

For me a meter isn't a necessity, it's just a nice to have. It helps not only to see how much water I've used but also how full the tank is when I'm filling up so I can estimate how long it's going to take.

11 hours ago, Justin Smith said:

If your idea is what I think it is, and it sounds very clever, should the plastic tube be see through so you can see the water level in it ?

But why do you need the valve ?

 

There's an example of the sight gauge tube meter with pictures earlier in this thread.