I hate Fuel Gauges !

Refueler said:
I have plastic water pipe runs along bilge across boat from bottom of tank to the sink ... so I could actually cut and fit a Y piece. Then a sight tube vertically back to one of the openings.

At present - I have a bamboo dipstick using same principle as my fuel tank.
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This is a picture of what I came up with, it mounts inline with the tank, on a tank support. Thinking back, clear PVC pipe is available, so if I made it again I'd go with clear pipe to give me a sight gauge as well as an electrical sender.
 

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Tks for that .....

As with my Fuel Tank - it needs a second person anyway as the tank is under the fwd port bunk ... that person to keep watch on level as it fills. So any sender would only be an in use indicator ... so a sight tube would serve duty ..

Here's an interesting bit : The original design had one bilge keel as fuel ... other as water. But mine have been filled and grp'd over so basically I have solid BK's with cabin structure now installed blocking off access to port keel anyway. The Fuel tank occupies fwd stbd underbunk storage space .... water tank fwd port underbunk storage space.
For fuel tank - this is good because it has reasonable head to feed engine. But the water tank - if boat is heeled to stbd - I have to close the valve to faucet ... to stop water syphoning as sink is now lower than tank top !! This also means I only fill tank to about 75% ...
 
Refueler said:
Tks for that .....

As with my Fuel Tank - it needs a second person anyway as the tank is under the fwd port bunk ... that person to keep watch on level as it fills. So any sender would only be an in use indicator ... so a sight tube would serve duty ..

Here's an interesting bit : The original design had one bilge keel as fuel ... other as water. But mine have been filled and grp'd over so basically I have solid BK's with cabin structure now installed blocking off access to port keel anyway. The Fuel tank occupies fwd stbd underbunk storage space .... water tank fwd port underbunk storage space.
For fuel tank - this is good because it has reasonable head to feed engine. But the water tank - if boat is heeled to stbd - I have to close the valve to faucet ... to stop water syphoning as sink is now lower than tank top !! This also means I only fill tank to about 75% ...
Click to expand...

Sounds like some kind on inline valve is needed that can be easily turned on/off. We have two wing tanks for diesel, so I feel your pain - if we forget to turn off the balance pipe after filling it gets messy, quickly when heeling. The builder was evidently aware this could be an issue as any fuel coming out the vents will run back to the cockpit!
 
Moodysailor said:
Sounds like some kind on inline valve is needed that can be easily turned on/off. We have two wing tanks for diesel, so I feel your pain - if we forget to turn off the balance pipe after filling it gets messy, quickly when heeling. The builder was evidently aware this could be an issue as any fuel coming out the vents will run back to the cockpit!
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Under the sink in the cupboard - I have two valves .. one closes the sink overboard (I get sink filling up when heeled to stbd) ... and a gate valve to close the water tank supply. So its all sorted. I just have to remember !!
 
OK .. a round up post detailing a successful result ........... vertical float sender reports good readings at all levels ...................

My fuel tank is under the stbd fwd bunk - basically allied with water tank under the port fwd bunk - to balance the large engine fitted ....

This is the old sender - never worked properly ... regardless of calibration / settings etc.

R47zin2m.jpg


The old system was kept ... dip stick and scale on the underside of bunk board ...

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Excuse the lack of cleaning up - photo is after winter and before spring clean ..

New sender fitted .. reads 47% level .. manual dip is 30ltrs against the scale above ... so good enough. (I never fill more than 70ltrs).

fonaKkpm.jpg


The vertical rod is about 30mm short from bottom - so for me that's good. When it shows empty - I know I have a reserve if needed.

Very pleased ... what is really good - the level display is slow change - meaning pitch and roll will have minimum effect on displayed level.

One aspect that initially had me thinking there was a fault ... on switching off all power on board - display still showed 1/3rd .... but then I noticed it slowly going back to zero ... "ohms decay !" ..... went back to boat later and display was showing zero ... switched on power ... needle swung to fuel level.

All work was conducted while Pink Floyd Obscured by Clouds playing ..............
 
I’ve read somewhere that sight gauges are not allowed these days. Guess some must have failed in the past. I have a dip stick as the quote to fabricate a mounting pad for my stainless tank was ridiculous.
 
johnalison said:
Touch wood, mine is still working usefully. However, the one on my Sadler was 100% reliable and always accurate. It just consisted of a sight tube alongside the tank. I did fill it can-by-can and mark the pipe. It became a little harder to read ofter some years and I had the idea of putting in a plastic bead to float and be easily seen. Knowing my luck, it would probably have dissolved in the diesel and made an awful mess.
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My Sadler has the same , a sight tube alongside the fuel tank which is as described very accurate, unfortunately it has slowly become increasingly difficult to read, especially since we have had to stop using red diesel, I have found shining a light from behind it helps, but the obvious answer is eventually replace the tube, problem is I don’t know what would be the best material tube to replace it, at the moment it looks a bit like a length of garden hose.
 
johnalison said:
It just consisted of a sight tube alongside the tank. . . I had the idea of putting in a plastic bead to float and be easily seen. Knowing my luck, it would probably have dissolved in the diesel and made an awful mess.
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You can buy plastic fuel-tolerant beads sold specifically for this purpose, e.g. Sight Gauge Ball | Level Indicator for your Heating Oil Tank | Fuel Dump (other suppliers available). The postage is more than the cost of a bead and a spare!

I have a vague memory it may have been Vyv Cox, or certainly otherwise another YBW forumite, who brought their availability to my attention when I was bewailing having thrown out the funny brightly coloured bead I found in the bottom of the empty water tank of my then new to me boat, and only realising later, when I filled the tank, where it had come from.

As to improving visibility through the sight tube, my own water tube is fairly clear, but because I'm viewing it from an acute angle from above it can sometimes be hard to read without getting down on my knees to peer closely at it lights. I intend to install a small, switch or button controlled light behind the tube if I ever get that far down the to-do list.
 
Praxinoscope said:
My Sadler has the same , a sight tube alongside the fuel tank which is as described very accurate, unfortunately it has slowly become increasingly difficult to read, especially since we have had to stop using red diesel, I have found shining a light from behind it helps, but the obvious answer is eventually replace the tube, problem is I don’t know what would be the best material tube to replace it, at the moment it looks a bit like a length of garden hose.
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If you can apply a length of tape behind the tube ..... or get a paint brush ...........

Angled Yellow / Black alternate lines ... the fuel in the tube will refract the lines and appear more level. Its an age old solution used on ships sight gauges. Any fluid in the pipe causes refraction of the lines behind giving you easy sighting of content.
Its actually better than any balls !!
 
Buck Turgidson said:
I’ve read somewhere that sight gauges are not allowed these days. Guess some must have failed in the past. I have a dip stick as the quote to fabricate a mounting pad for my stainless tank was ridiculous.
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You might be right but my understanding they are OK if they have a valve (tap) to contain the contents of the tank in case of breakage or fire. Some of them won't give a reading unless the valve is opened and automatically closes once the reading has been taken. I'll see what I can find. Here is a start

Tank Level Gauge & Indicators - Johnson Valves

Liquid Level Gauges & Valves Supplier Australia | Magnetic Level Indicators
 
I think the problem was that some boaties were plumbing a bit of clear plastic hose into the end of their fuel tank and using that. (I think they were banned from entering marinas)

9 Apr 2018 — I like it. I think I would refine that somewhat to read; “Fuel sight gauges now comply with ABYC regulations 33.5.8. Thank you for bringing this

Fuel Tank Sight Glass Material - Page 5 - Trawler Forum
 
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