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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / June 2005Add on fresh water level gauge?
Is there such a thing? Can you add a gauge to your existing fresh water tank? Cost? Any cheap solutions? Also, does an analog voltage gauge use significant power? Can I put one on permanently and not worry about power drain or should I put a switch on it? thanks, Bax -------------------------------------------------------------- Believe there's life out there? Help Seti! Join my team today! http://tinyurl.com/9nhp6 -------------------------------------------------------------- Electrical, Plumbing & more. Edmonton's Handyman! 406-6911 -------------------------------------------------------------- My YahooGroups: -Camping http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tent_Camping -Freecycle http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freecycle-Edmonton -Survivalism and Preparedness. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/misc_survivalism_moderated -------------------------------------------------------------- My E-Bay Auctions: http://members.ebay.ca/aboutme/bax2005/ -------------------------------------------------------------- > Is there such a thing? Yes > Can you add a gauge to your existing fresh water tank? Yes > Cost? Any cheap solutions? The cheapest is probably going to be a SightGlass Indicator type. With this type, you install a piece of clear tubing. Tap into the line coming out of the bottom of your tank, but before the pump. Run it vertical in a place you can view it easily. Then you run it back into the top of the tank. The size of the clear tubing doesn't matter, the length doesn't matter, only that it comes from the bottom and goes in the top. Using this method is almost fool-proof, easy to do, cheap and very reliable. Installing an electrical sensor is more complicated, more expensive, and may require special tools, puts a small electrical drain on the system and if you don't do it correctly, you may screw up you tank. > Also, does an analog voltage gauge use significant power? Not much. About as much as a smoke detector. > Can I put one on permanently and not worry about power drain or should > I put a switch on it? Since you didn't state which type you wanted (AC/DC), I'll cover both. You can purchase one that plugs into an AC outlet, or you can purchase one that plugs into a cigarette lighter outlet or 12volt power outlet. Either way, you just unplug it. No need for a switch. > thanks, > > Bax Your welcome. Hope this helps. Hank "...The cheapest is probably going to be a SightGlass Indicator type. With this type, you install a piece of clear tubing. Tap into the line coming out of the bottom of your tank, but before the pump. ...Then you run it back into the top of the tank." Good idea! Thanks. It doesn't even have to return to the top of the tank if it is high enough. > "...The cheapest is probably going to be a SightGlass Indicator type. > With [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > It doesn't even have to return to the top of the tank if it is high > enough. The reason for the return to the top of the tank is to (1.) provide venting while (2.) prevent contamination. 1. If the sight tube isn't vented at the top it won't "read" at all. 2. If the sight tube is vented to open air contamination (dust, etc.) will get into it and, thus, into your fresh water supply. Coffee urns get away with sight tubes that are vented at the top because (1.) they are rarely used in a dusty environment, (2.) they are rarely filled for very long (a couple of hours, maximum, vs. days or weeks), and (3.) their contents will [usually] kill any germ dumb enough to climb in [<G>]. > "...The cheapest is probably going to be a SightGlass Indicator type. > With [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > It doesn't even have to return to the top of the tank if it is high > enough. You are partially correct. The highest point has to be vented, otherwise you'll get a false reading by trapping air. By leaving the line open, you are exposing your tank to possible contaminates and possible overflows. So, overflowing into your tank is the safest, cheapest and most reliable. Maybe someone has a better idea tho. Hank <~~~~pretty dim bulb at times On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 11:52:36 -0700, ninebal310 wrote: > You are partially correct. The highest point has to be vented, otherwise > you'll get a false reading by trapping air. Actually, our Kenmore clothes washer uses the air pressure in a line like this to measure the amount of water in the tub. Pretty clever, I think.  SignatureChris Bryant http://bryantrv.com > On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 11:52:36 -0700, ninebal310 wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Actually, our Kenmore clothes washer uses the air pressure in a line like > this to measure the amount of water in the tub. Pretty clever, I think. Yep, tub fill shutoff. BD >> On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 11:52:36 -0700, ninebal310 wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Yep, tub fill shutoff. >BD My sister had a mouse nibble a hole in this hose once and the washer would overflow! :-0 .....gary > > It doesn't even have to return to the top of the tank if it is high > > enough. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > possible overflows. So, overflowing into your tank is the safest, > cheapest and most reliable. i didn't say don't vent it. all i said is that is is not necessary to loop it back to the tank. put a little hole or cotton plug in the end. there's nothing wrong with looping it back to the tank. it is just easier not to in some circumstances. it is a good idea either way. dave > Is there such a thing? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Can I put one on permanently and not worry about power drain or should > I put a switch on it? I'm still toying with the idea of installing a mechanical flow meter in the water line from the pump. If you know how much water your fresh water tank holds just make a note of the meter reading when you fill the tank and then you can calculate how much water is left in the tank. Cost? Could vary quite a bit - I think I found a meter that would work for about $60, then some fittings and misc. stuff - maybe $75 total. Signature~~~~~~~~~~~ Regards, Dave What happens if you drink some of the water then not deposit it in black tank? What if you go out drinking and bring home extra fluids? Don't drink soda's or other canned beverages without adding them in the total liquids. :) >> Is there such a thing? >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >Cost? Could vary quite a bit - I think I found a meter that would work >for about $60, then some fittings and misc. stuff - maybe $75 total. > What happens if you drink some of the water then not deposit it in > black tank? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Don't drink soda's or other canned beverages without adding them in > the total liquids. Well, Trekking, I'm not sure what your point is. The original poster asked a question about adding a gauge to the _fresh_ water tank, to which there were several good responses and I threw out another idea. So why are we talking about making deposits in the black tank and not drinking canned beverages? Dave > Is there such a thing? > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Bax if you have a drain on the tank that you could attach a clear flex tube, longer than the tank is tall, just hold the clear tube up and open the drain. the water will only rise to the level of the water in the tank. i would turn off the drain and then lower the line below the bottom of the tank to let any water out of the tube or after each use either remove the tube or put a plug into the end of the tube to avoid contamination. chuck b |
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