Holding tank monitoring?

[vtsailguy]

Does anyone know of a widget that sticks on the outside of a a holding tank to tell you the level. Men is opaque and the best I can do is bang on it and listen to the sound......

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by vtsailguy

Does anyone know of a widget that sticks on the outside of a a holding tank to tell you the level. Men is opaque and the best I can do is bang on it and listen to the sound......

There are a number of companies who sell a 'multi-node' ultrasonic transducer system - whereby you bond multiple transducers onto an external vertical surface of the tank and level indication is fed-back to a [simple] display unit to show the level in the tank. Just check on google: "externally mounted ultrasonic tank level"

[vtsailguy]

Thanks!

[rwidman]

I installed this one:

LevelGuard® SensaTank II Monitoring System with Field-Effect sensing technology by TouchSensor™

It works fine on the potable water tank but the holding tank collects "crud" on the inside of the tank wall and fools the sensor into thinking the tank is full when it is not. That might be just my tank or where I put the sensors. I'm sure it works for most people or they would be off the market by now.

[peghall]

The Profile system is the best on the market, TOP rated by Practical Sailor a couple of years ago. Profile Tank Monitors Dennis Ferriello, owner of the company, posts here...he's also the only person I know who'll answer the phone at 3 pm on a Sunday to help someone who's trying to install a system.

[vtsailguy]

Thanks for the links guys.

Are there similar options for metal fuel tanks?

[rebel heart]

I'm quite lazy so we put the holding tank right where you can see it when you flush. A flashlight against it shows the level. The opaqueness, as gross as it is, can be solved by opening the inspection port on top and scraping the sides with a long-enough stick that you'll obviously never want to use again for anything.

[AnchorageGuy]

Here is our tank monitor installation...
The Trawler Beach House: Holding Tank Monitor And Major Service On Our Ford Lehman

Chuck

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by peghall

The Profile system is the best on the market, TOP rated by Practical Sailor a couple of years ago. Profile Tank Monitors Dennis Ferriello, owner of the company, posts here...he's also the only person I know who'll answer the phone at 3 pm on a Sunday to help someone who's trying to install a system.

www.ferriellosales.com seems to be down intentionally or their DNS got messed up.

Phone contact from google's cached page - 435.656.0042

[AnchorageGuy]

It is working fine for me

[hlev00]

Odd. Some intermittent problem with their DNS I guess.

$ host Home Page
Host Home Page not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)
$ host ferriellosales.com
Host ferriellosales.com not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)

An hour later ...

$ host Home Page
Home Page is an alias for ferriellosales.com.
ferriellosales.com has address 97.74.144.203

[sailr69]

I found a tank monitor that works fine and quite cheap. it sticks through a hole in the tank top (no leakage). works like those battery electrolyte caps. three stages one inch apart from the top down. check the internet for source. I recommend these. no power needed, never fails

[AnchorageGuy]

It's still working fine for me. BTW, the system has been working great. Chuck

[colemj]

Originally Posted by peghall

The Profile system is the best on the market, TOP rated by Practical Sailor a couple of years ago. Profile Tank Monitors Dennis Ferriello, owner of the company, posts here...he's also the only person I know who'll answer the phone at 3 pm on a Sunday to help someone who's trying to install a system.

These look just like our SCAD monitors - are they the same?

Mark

[peghall]

Yes, they are. Feriello is the mfr, Scad private labels them. It was the Scad brand that PS tested and rated best a couple of years ago. One of the things that most impressed the PS testers was the incredible customer service...they didn't know that the CS phone number was a direct line to Dennis!