Gauge for holding tank

[Squeaky]

Good morning:

I am thinking of replacing my stainless steel holding tank with a plastic one which can be made in the local industrial estate (saniye).

While doing so I wonder if there is any system available to determine when the tank is full or nearly full. I don't want to get involved in using the normal fuel tank type of gauge but at the same time I don't look forward to using a "sight" gauge either.

Am interested in learning what others have done to solve this problem.

Cheers

Squeaky

 

[RichardS]

Good morning:

I am thinking of replacing my stainless steel holding tank with a plastic one which can be made in the local industrial estate (saniye).

While doing so I wonder if there is any system available to determine when the tank is full or nearly full. I don't want to get involved in using the normal fuel tank type of gauge but at the same time I don't look forward to using a "sight" gauge either.

Am interested in learning what others have done to solve this problem.

Cheers

Squeaky

My experience is that any mechanical float system will jam up before too long and stop working unless it is removed and cleaned regularly. The only system I ever had which worked was when the tanks were made from translucent plastic and you could see the level inside. However as this required removal of a side panel it was not exactly convenient.

Perhaps some kind of pressure dip-pipe system would work but I've never seen one in action on a holding tank.

Richard

 

[RobbieW]

This link to TekTanks, http://www.tek-tanks.com/boattanks/waste-tank-level-indication/, should give you some ideas that you may be able to source locally

 

[ITH]

My experience is that any mechanical float system will jam up before too long and stop working unless it is removed and cleaned regularly.
Richard

Our experience (we fitted the "Dometic" float type shown on the Tek Tank web site) agrees with Richard's view I'm afraid. Having said that, the need to *occasionally clean the floats is a minor irritation, compared with having to mop up and sanitise the bilges after an overflow from the tank.

* We have had the system fitted to two holding tanks on board for three years now - say 18 months of on board use -and have had to clean one of the flotation units twice.

 

[Carmel2]

Can they not put a transparent stripe in the tank?

 

[JeronimoMan]

Got one of those tanks and fitted it with a quick release hose thread adapter so as to clean it regularly with pressurized water from the dock.
7 years down the line its gauge hasn't jammed.

 

[RichardS]

Our experience (we fitted the "Dometic" float type shown on the Tek Tank web site) agrees with Richard's view I'm afraid. Having said that, the need to *occasionally clean the floats is a minor irritation, compared with having to mop up and sanitise the bilges after an overflow from the tank.

* We have had the system fitted to two holding tanks on board for three years now - say 18 months of on board use -and have had to clean one of the flotation units twice.

Now that is a major problem which thankfully we don't have. Our holding tanks overflow is just above sea level on the outside of the hull so when you pump the toilet and hear a little "tinkling" sound you know the tank is overflowing! Better late than never I suppose!

Richard

 

[Mistroma]

Can they not put a transparent stripe in the tank?

Probably worth fitting 2 stripes if possible (front & rear). Our tank is fairly transparent and could be difficult to see the level until I fitted an LED patch on rear. Fortunately, this only shows a clear level with no detail of contents.

 

[Tranona]

Have a look at the Gobius level indicators which are external. Pricy at around £300 each but no holes in tank and electronic so nothing to stick. Available in UK from Lee Sanitation.

 

[affinite]

I think tektanks do a sender which works on capacitance (or something similar) of two strips glued to the exterior of the tank.
Will therefore work on a plastic tank

 

[DaiB]

Have a look at the Gobius level indicators which are external. Pricy at around £300 each but no holes in tank and electronic so nothing to stick. Available in UK from Lee Sanitation.

After 3 seasons and having problems with this system it went into the skip in February. Maybe I was unlucky but I wouldn,t recommend Globius.

 

[vyv_cox]

In my 'toilets and holding tanks' talks I discuss level gauges. They are, without exception, horrendously expensive for what they are. The cheapest, that only tells you that the tank is full, was more than £100 when I last looked. With a translucent polyethylene tank, assuming you can see the front of it, the cheapest method is to shine a torch down from the top. This reveals the level nicely, which cannot be seen without the torch.

 

[Carmel2]

If you could be bothered, empty the tank, and the loo, put 10lt of water into the loo, and count how many pumps it takes to get rid of the water, given you will know the capacity of the tank you can work out how many pumps it will take to fill it.

 

[macd]

I just tap mine with a knuckle. Hollow sound: empty at that point; dead sound: not empty.
Works well enough.

 

[mlthomas]

We put this unit on the aft holding tank in the last boat. Easy to fit and and worked for the five years we had the boat.

http://www.yachtconosur.com/scad.html

Links to where we got them too
I will get round to fitting these on the new boat at some point.

 

[wazza]

Have a look at the Gobius level indicators which are external. Pricy at around £300 each but no holes in tank and electronic so nothing to stick. Available in UK from Lee Sanitation.

We have a Gobius and it's very UNreliable... I've done the setup according to the manufactures instructions... When I know the tank is full it shows empty, then sometimes it shows half constantly whether it's been emptied or filling up... I've disconnected it now as it's just taking power...

 

[SeamanStaines]

I need to set the record straight, closer inspection shows mine is in fact a tank watch unit, no a tek tanks minder. I therefore have no experience of the tek tanks unit and I unreservedly appologise for my misleading comment