How To Measure Water Depth In Tank?

[watson]

G'day I agree with all the "simple" posters. I have electronic probes in three important tanks but things bugger them up. Bird feathers/dead birds/ possum bits/ corrosion of the probes/ Powercor gone to sleep...etc.
The "T" connector, with a supported clear tube gives the best non-mechanical indication, especially if the tube support is painted white with black 45º lines painted on.
It makes the maniscus stand out like dogs doovers, and can be seen clearly as the clear tube ages.
Regards,
Noel

[ivanavitch]

Put a hose on the tap and turn it on. Lift the end of the hose up till the water stops flowing. That's the water level.

[ptc]

So Simple.
why didn't i think of that !

[DavidG]

Sit on the porch and take old Betsy.
Shoot a hole in the tank near the top. If water comes out the hole then that is (will be ) the level.
If no water comes out, aim a bit lower.
Repeat until water comes out the hole and that is the level.

[Simon3]

Here a pic of a gauge on a tank.
Beats a bullet hole :eek:

cheers

[RRick]

Hi David,

Have a look at http://www.anadexlabs.com.au . This site specialises in all types of water tank gauges from the basic float based gauges through to wireless level gauges. Price start from about $66.00.

Rick

[Bob38S]

simple problem - keep the solution simple.....
(usually = reliable too).
i recon some good ideas above.
if you go for the clear tube method then make sure you support it well.
if not the weight of the water will pull the floppy tube down and duh-dong - empty tank.

The "tell tale" tubes for our tanks are encased in a length of aluminium channel which is similar to shower screen channel. Our tanks are concrete so we simply drilled a short hole and plastic plugged the channel to the side. We also have a little 90 degree turn tap threaded into the connection at the take off point - this allows us to isolate the tube should it ever be a problem.

Regards,
Bob

[silentC]

Put a hose on the tap and turn it on. Lift the end of the hose up till the water stops flowing. That's the water level.

Umm, my pump has about 20 metres of head, so I'll have to go a long way up the hill to get the water to stop flowing...

My BIL just put a float in his attached to a bit of rope over a pulley with a weight on the other end hanging outside the tank. The higher it is up the tank wall, the lower the water level.

When I get around to it, my plan is to use a bit of clear tube as suggested above. Low tech, nothing to breakdown. Thought I might put a red ping pong ball or a fishing float in it so I can see it. A bit like the level gauge on the side of an electric kettle.

[silentC]

why not use a small tube

I want to be able to see it from a distance. Going to teach the kids to monitor it so that they're concious of the water they're using.

where the hell is 36` 55 whatever ????

That's Merimbula airport. I live a couple of km from it.

[Grunt]

This is the place to avoid.

Actually, Darren is a lucky bugger. The NSW south coast from Eden to Moruya has got to be some of the best coast line in Australia. Love it to bits.

[silentC]

You can see my tank in the Satellite view

[Grunt]

We're lucky you weren't out back sun baking nude when Google took the pictures.

[rhancock]

My BIL just put a float in his attached to a bit of rope over a pulley with a weight on the other end hanging outside the tank. The higher it is up the tank wall, the lower the water level..

I thought I might use the fishing gear which never leaves the garage - the two biggest floats and two medium sized weights. One float and one weight goes in the tank, on the end of heavy fishing line. The fishing line goes out of the smallest hole I can manage in the top of the tank, out of the garage, up the side of the house to just above the top of the wall on the edge of the deck, where the other float and weight hang, so I can monitor tank water level from my lounge!

Only problems I foresee are the hole becoming blocked, the line snagging somewhere between the tank and the deck and birds sitting on the line / float.

Simple.

[pcal]

Doesn't fit into the "cheap" category, but saw a great solution in my local Stratco the other day.

A little self contained ultrasonic sensor mounts on top of the tank, measures how far down the surface of the water is, and transmits it to the little receiver you plug into a power point back in the house. Just read the water level off the screen!

Needs batteries in the sensor every so often, and around 300 bills to lift it off the shelf, but an elegant solution none the less.

Pcal

[patty]

metal head the best way to detect fluid levels in a tank accurately is to use an ultrasonic level detector I saw one the other day that is actually cordless where you have the ultrasonic mounted on the lid of a tank and you could get up to 2 recievers with aerials that plug into a 3pin GPO (power point) inside the house and you take your readings from them I will try and find out the site for you