Fuel Sight Gauge

[puddock]

Any advice on material/ supplier of plastic tubing for my fuel tank sight gauge?

 

[Ludd]

Any advice on material/ supplier of plastic tubing for my fuel tank sight gauge?

Have you tried takig a wander round to the "slip"? They might have something "no' worth raising an invoice for"!

 

[puddock]

Bu**er me, I thought I was tight

 

[Lady Campanula]

Any advice on material/ supplier of plastic tubing for my fuel tank sight gauge?

Have a look in the skip behind your local Intensive Care Unit..... Don't forget the Marigolds!

 

[chewi]

Hyphose in Nuffield Estate Poole,probably from stock, just quote the OD you need.
I'm sure they'd post it but there must be someone a bit nearer given the Oil business up there....
Its only a pound or two per metre, get a couple of metres and keep it in stock to renew when the UV/diesel discolours it in a few years. Also get some collars from them to match the Inside Dia so it wont collapse when you tighten an olive outside it.

Tel: 01202 673333
Fax: 01202 687788
poole@hyphose.com

 

[rob2]

It's not true about Scots and spending money - just witness my mate Bill buying whisky! If you're ever tempted to revamp the whole system, I found an oil tank sight guage from BES works well when cut down to suit the application.

Rob.

 

[cliff]

Bu**er me, I thought I was tight being as tight as a crab's arse, and that is watertight

There, fixed that for you - BTW Aberdonians are not tight - they are canny, real canny

 

[cryan]

I have seen more than a few sight glasses made from clear garden hose but really to do the job properly you want a strong clear plastic or glass pipe. A quick search brought this up. No idea if good of not? http://www.plastock.co.uk/Clear-c109/?gclid=CIyuzoqt6boCFWPmwgodZFQAGQ

 

[NormanS]

The best sight glasses have a push-button normally closed valve at the bottom. Any valve would be better than none.

 

[alan17]

Try any motor factor or accessory shop for windscreen washer tube

 

[Storyline]

Homebrew shops ?

 

[Bertramdriver]

You can get 4mm thick acrylic tube at various diameters, cut to length from eBay. Costs peanuts.

 

[vyv_cox]

Many of the ones suggested above, whose purpose is predominantly to hold water-based products, will react badly to diesel fuel. One or two might last more than a day. The material that I think will give you the best life is hydraulic hose, usually nylon, which is specified to resist attack by hydrocarbons, is rigid enough to stand upright by itself and plenty strong.

 

[nigelmercier]

http://r.ebay.com/e1bLcr

 

[chewi]

Many of the ones suggested above, whose purpose is predominantly to hold water-based products, will react badly to diesel fuel. One or two might last more than a day. The material that I think will give you the best life is hydraulic hose, usually nylon, which is specified to resist attack by hydrocarbons, is rigid enough to stand upright by itself and plenty strong.

and it can be had cheaply from hyphose, like I said in post 5 (>3yrs ago!), get enough to replace it a few times, as it will discolour after about 3yrs.
Glass is not a good idea, far too easy to bash it if the guage is in the cockpit or its locker.

Tel: 01202 673333
Fax: 01202 687788
poole@hyphose.com

no connection, just a customer.

 

[alan17]

http://r.ebay.com/e1bLcr

Many of the ones suggested above, whose purpose is predominantly to hold water-based products, will react badly to diesel fuel. One or two might last more than a day. The material that I think will give you the best life is hydraulic hose, usually nylon, which is specified to resist attack by hydrocarbons, is rigid enough to stand upright by itself and plenty strong.

Whilst I mainly agree with Vyv I have been using screen washer tubing in my boat for the last 4 years it has yet to harden, dissolve or discolour. It is readily available and cheap. It is not rigid and therefore self supporting. I have fed the tube through a bulkhead into the heads and run it up alongside the door trim. It can be easily read and is protected.

 

[nigelmercier]

(>3yrs ago!)

D'OH!

 

[BurnitBlue]

I have read this whole thread with no idea how a length of clear hose will tell me how much fuel I have in my diesel tank. Is it used like a pipette? Dip it into the tank stick my finger over the hose and pull it out. It would work but a bit "drippy". Or must the tank have a spigot low down to feed the height of diesel up a plastic pipe. Surely not safe if it may only last a week before emptying the tank into the boat. Insurance issues?. Not an idle query because right now I am looking for a better way than my present system of a dip-stick which cannot be used at night.

 

[vyv_cox]

A sight glass based on a central heating tank gauge something like this http://www.bes.co.uk/products/075.asp?kw=13081&ref=googlebase&gclid=CPWercfR67oCFekBwwodyiQAFA#13081 (Labelled 'sight gauge', fourth one down) There is a push-button valve at the base that lets fuel into the plastic pipe for checking but closes it off when released. I believe that these may not be allowed on UK inland waters but otherwise an effective, safe and low cost solution. I am about to install two on my motorsailer.

 

[rob2]

Yes, the BES sight tube is just what you need. Have to change the base connector to accept copper tube, but then the valve is only open when pressed, so in event of fire, only the column of fuel in the sight tube is released as the plastic melts. I had insurance issues with a permanently open sight tube and replacing it with this was the answer.

Rob.