Holding tank gauges

[wsollars]

Has anyone installed the Garnet SeeLevel gauges on their Scamp tanks? If so, how do they work.

Bill

[cpaharley2008]

Not sure but I have a set to sell really cheap.

[Roy in TO]

Watcha got exactly Jim?

[cpaharley2008]

the Garnet SeeLevel gauges $85 with 3 sensors-they attach to tank exterior, no holes

[tractors1]

Externally attached tank sensors work by capacitance; when the level of stuff gets up to one of the sensors it turns on a light/led, so they're usually discrete levels (1/4.1/2/,3/4, and Full) that are displayed. Problem with the black tank sensors is that if TP or anything else sticks to the wall of the tank where the sensor is mounted you will get a false reading until it falls off the tank wall. They do work pretty well for the fresh water tank, though.

Charlie Y

[cpaharley2008]

Isn't that true with in tank probe gauges, if the probe gets gunked then your reading will be off?

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Isn't that true with in tank probe gauges, if the probe gets gunked then your reading will be off?

Yup.

I prefer external gauges as there is one less hole to leak than with internal probes.............although I don't use any gauges any more with my Casita since I can just peek in a storage hatch door and see how much fresh water I have left.

Charlie Y

[lpk49]

so can someone tell me how you know when grey and black water tanks are full? i never know. and i dont go places to dump very often. but now that i'm using it more i'd like to have a hint when it is getting close to full

[tractors1]

Black water level you can see through the opening in the toilet. Gray water depends on the type of trailer you have.
Charlie Y

[Byron Kinnaman]

I don't have a black water tank, but here's a little trick I use to get approximately how full the gray water tank is. All the water I use is from the fresh water tank, 12 gallons. The gray water tank is 26 gallons. Therefore I know I can fill the fresh water tank more than twice before I have to worry about the gray water tank.
I refill when stopped for long periods with a 3 gallon jug. I keep track of how many times I pour 3 gallons into the fresh water tank, therefore have approximate level or less than level in gray water tank.

It's like any other usage item, propane, water, battery, etc., etc., after you've done it a bit you get a pretty good idea of when to refill propane, recharge batteries, empty gray water, fill fresh water. I can't set a specific time or interval because it depends on many variables, is it colder or warmer, have we eaten out more or less than normal, is it hot so I drink more water, is it cold so I drink more coffee, and the list goes on and on.

I've missed once on the battery, and once on the propane. Those misses taught me a bit more about managing those things.

I have to admit that when it comes time to replace the propane tank I'll get one with a built in level gage.

[lpk49]

huh-i guess one person doesnt fill up a black water tank very fast. at the campground where they taught me how to dump they said not to dump too often...its better for it to be fuller...but i have never seen anything in there. and i've used it part time 3-5 months.

are there stickies or anything on here about taking care of the tanks...like how often to clean them and how do you clean them? i was searching and didnt come up with anything

[RogerDat]

You want enough liquid in the black water tank to make dumping work well but no advantage to not dumping it "too often" as long as you have enough to be worth dumping.

They make spray wands that allow you to insert them down through the toilet and spray sideways to clean off the inside of the tank.

Brother-in-law (and others I expect) pump several gallons of water in, add some cleaning solution then drive down the road to local campground for a couple of days. Trip with the "wash" water cleans tank. With all the extra clean water the dump at the end of two days is still majority clean water.

[lpk49]

thx...i just googled the question and came up with another post on here about throwing in a bag of ice cubes with the water and soap before you drive and that cleans up everything

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by lpk49

thx...i just googled the question and came up with another post on here about throwing in a bag of ice cubes with the water and soap before you drive and that cleans up everything

Forgot about that. I have thrown in some ice before, and heard of others doing it too. Ice and soapy water works well on glass coffee pots too.

[lpk49]

this has a lot of info...calgon, etc...but i guess it is sorta off-topic here so i will go there if i have more questions...thx for help

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ank-51452.html

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

the Garnet SeeLevel gauges $100 with 3 sensors-they attach to tank exterior, no holes

Which specific model is this, Jim? "3 sensors" could mean three level points on one tank, but I think it is three tanks.

Originally Posted by tractors1

Externally attached tank sensors work by capacitance; when the level of stuff gets up to one of the sensors it turns on a light/led, so they're usually discrete levels (1/4.1/2/,3/4, and Full) that are displayed...

Usually, yes, but at least some of Garnet's products - such as the Model 709-A - SeeLeveL II - have continuous strip sensors: the sensor runs the height of the tank (and can be trimmed shorter if required), and the system determines a continuous level (displayed in % full), not just three switch points.


(The product documentation also mentions propane level - that one is not capacitance-based, it is driven by the resistor-type sensor on the float gauge of a typical built-in motorhome tank)