Anybody know of a reliable holding tank monitor system for stainless steel tanks ? And anyone used the Horst Miracle Probes for same, available from Valterra/Dometic?
I think any sensor with a probe inside a SS tank would work for you I doubt the stick on sensors would work.our boat had a ultrasound system for all the tanks no telling what the ultrasound system would cost you but it worked good
Check out these. Description indicates they will work with water or fuel.
https://kus-usa.com/products/liquid-level-sender/
Mark are you working with Silverleaf on your new build if so they have some pressure sensors that you plumb into the bottom of the tank.
Wayne
It's fairly easy to plumb in a sight tube of clear plastic hose, all you really have to have is a drain level fitting. the hose can go straight up from there and have a simple sintered metal or other type of vent on top, or it can simply loop over and go back down. The water level will show in the tube.
Jim
Jim: Won't work on dirty tanks, already have a sight tube on the fresh plus a water counter. Wayne: Don't have an electric engine on this one, dang it, so no Silverleaf. Cliff: don't think I have the vertical clearance for those expensive ones but will check them out, yea they are spendy. Stick on senders won't work on metal tanks and my tanks previously had the side mount probes, those Horst ones say they will work, just thought all you experts had already invented the wheel. Only need them on the black and gray because I
am installing the Aquaview water counter on the fresh side. Thanks.
Mark on my 05 with stainless tanks I did similar to Jim's idea and plumbed an inch and a half plastic pipe on the outside with connections top and bottom and placed the sensors on the plastic pipe
Wayne
Quote from: rusty on April 15, 2022, 09:11:31 AM
Mark on my 05 with stainless tanks I did similar to Jim's idea and plumbed an inch and a half plastic pipe on the outside with connections top and bottom and placed the sensors on the plastic pipe
Wayne
I know this thread is speaking to SS tanks, but the sensor installed on a plastic tank (or plastic hose on a SS tank) sounds intriguing. I bought the sensors for my plastic tanks that you have to drill holes in the tank for. Do the sensors you refer to just stick to the side without the need for holes?
On my 05 that I built 20 some years ago I used the the drill a hole type but I think there are stick on ones that work now a day.
Wayne
I'd like to hear more about these stick on sensors since my waste tanks are to be plastic. Also would a plastic stand pipe would work with the stick on sensors?
Jim
Sensors on the plastic tube would probably work until the bottom fitting plugs up.
A possible source. I like companies that show their prices.
https://tankedge.com/accessories.html
Wayne, great idea I should have thought of that. Did you use PVC or ABS? Which monitor did you use and which sensors? How accurate was the system? Any problems with build up on the inside of the pipes? Thanks
Lee Bradley: thanks for the lead. I wondered what ever happened to Snake River Electronics, now I know-bought out by Tech Edge.
I see they have the pipe type, but it goes inside the tank and my tanks are stacked so don't know if I'll have the clearance.
Mark I used PVC pipe. I used the monitors that you drill a hole in 3 or 4 places and mount the sensors in the hole. I would think that today they make a stick on sensor that is better and you won't have to drill any holes. I would make sure that the sensor can see through PVC. As far as plugging up the pipe my system is over 20 years old and has not plugged yet
But anything can happen. Use 1 1/2 pipe to help lessen the chances of that happening.
Good luck
Wayne
Thanks Wayne. I found a sensor at Tech Edge that is a sealed submergable plastic pipe type. Comes in from the top and is a sealed unit. They say it sticks out of the tank about 1/2" and I may not have that much room, my tanks are stacked and up tight to the top of the bay. Your idea might work better with stick on sensors.
I have stick on sensors from Silverleaf on my plastic tanks they work some times ,one is bad now and Martin is out of stock and has been for a frignn year
There are a lot of sensors available that will do the job. For instance, if you search "proximity sensor water" for instance you will see a bunch of thirty dollar units that can be attached to a stand pipe or a flat wall and will drive an indicator light directly, available in 12 and 24v versions. These can be glued on.
This is just one example of a great many. Alibaba has a sensor that costs about 3-5 bucks with a 10 unit minimum order, with those you need a low voltage source but a dropping resistor or a solid state regulator gets that job done for a buck or two. For a control panel, some LED lights and a power switch are all that's needed. It's not something that you have to spend serious money on to have the equal of the best units out there. How often do you have to check anyway? Rarely. Once you get used to your system and your usage, almost never. So it doesn't need to have all this bluetooth and wireless and phone app business going on. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, after all if the weather rope is wet it generally means it is or has rained recently. So if you have translucent tanks and/or a clear standpipe lifting the bay hatch can tell you all you need to know. For a blackwater tank that standpipe might need to be a 2 incher so it stays readable but then it only has two failure modes. It can leak, or it can get enough of a buildup on the inside that you can't see the level but both are fixable. Usually a larger diameter will be readable longer between cleanings.
Jim