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19-01-2017, 06:54
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdEh Marine
No short cuts on boats . I find they will always come back and bite you in the bum just when you are at your most vulnerable.
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Quote of the day!!
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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22-01-2017, 13:47
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Tank level sensors

I could not get the 1.5" PVC street elbow loose, even with a big pipe wrench. Decided to pull the top plate, which went pretty smooth - good news is the water tank is pretty clean, no algae or other crud :-). When I got home I tried again to remove the elbow, but this time it broke. There's quite a bit of calcification in the fitting, so the elbow is "glued" in. Above is a picture of what it looks like.
Going to soak it in CLR to get rid of the calcification inside the fittings, figure a way to remove the broken stub of the PVC elbow, and then take it to be sand/shot blasted and see if I can get a 3rd small fitting install for the inlet for the water maker.
Any ideas how to remove that broken PVC?
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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22-01-2017, 13:49
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Btw, the tank below the 1.5" inlet lower right is perfect for the Wema sensor I bought, right above the flat deepest part of the tank :-)
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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22-01-2017, 17:20
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Turns out CLR and vinegar are not suitable for cleaning calcium scale off aluminum. Any suggestions on a safe way to get ride of the calcification?
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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22-01-2017, 17:40
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 174
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Re: Tank level sensors
If the pvc pipe is not glued in place and screws in to threads you can take a hack saw and cut a slot down the length being careful not to cut into the metal threads in the plate. Then take a slot screw drive or chisel to collapse the plastic and keep working at it.
If it is glued in place with something like 5200 a little heat may help soften the glue. If this is the case it may take awhile to get all of it out.
Just so you know many installation such as this, people thought 5200 will seal anything and worry about it later if they have to or the next owner would have to figure out.
Glad you found place for the sending unit the total depth of tank.
Good luck.
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23-01-2017, 17:19
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Turns out that the threads are too badly corroded to save, so I'm getting a new plate fabricated, pretty much exact same dimensions, but with one extra 1/2" NPT fitting welded in - that way I have somewhere to plumb in the water maker product line. Should have the new plate on Wednesday.
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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23-01-2017, 17:44
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#22
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 174
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Re: Tank level sensors
Glad this turned into a happy ending. When the new plate with new sender is installed post picture.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
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26-01-2017, 14:10
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Got the new plate today, all shiny! Going to install this weekend, and replace the deck-fill hose at the same time as the old one is nasty and has multiple joins in it.
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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29-01-2017, 10:37
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Did a test fit of the new plate yesterday, with the pickup and level sensor installed. The level sensor is now over the flat part of the tank, fits perfectly. I made a new pickup tube out of PVC, that goes just a little deeper than the old one. Used that to drain the remaining water from the tank, and it left about 1/2" of water in the tank when it started sucking air.
Before I finally install it I need to replace the rubber gasket, which was in worse shape than I realized. And I also want to replace the old cruddy fill hose while I'm at it...
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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29-01-2017, 10:42
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#25
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 174
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Re: Tank level sensors
Your doing a stellar job so far don't land short and not replace gaskets and hoses.
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19-08-2018, 08:30
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#26
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Vero Beach, FL
Boat: Krogen, Cutter 38
Posts: 52
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Re: Tank level sensors
Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidhoy
Attachment 139971
I could not get the 1.5" PVC street elbow loose, even with a big pipe wrench. Decided to pull the top plate, which went pretty smooth - good news is the water tank is pretty clean, no algae or other crud :-). When I got home I tried again to remove the elbow, but this time it broke. There's quite a bit of calcification in the fitting, so the elbow is "glued" in. Above is a picture of what it looks like.
Going to soak it in CLR to get rid of the calcification inside the fittings, figure a way to remove the broken stub of the PVC elbow, and then take it to be sand/shot blasted and see if I can get a 3rd small fitting install for the inlet for the water maker.
Any ideas how to remove that broken PVC?
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I know you solved your problem by replacement. For anyone else with broken PVC fitting NOT IN A FUEL TANK:
The easiest way to remove the broken plastic fitting would have been to burn/melt it with a propane torch.
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20-08-2018, 06:23
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#27
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richfind
I know you solved your problem by replacement. For anyone else with broken PVC fitting NOT IN A FUEL TANK:
The easiest way to remove the broken plastic fitting would have been to burn/melt it with a propane torch.
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Now why didn't I think of that?!? ;-)
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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20-08-2018, 06:27
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#28
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Tank level sensors
Just realized that I never posted a picture of the final completed installation, as someone had requested. Well, it may be a bit late, but here you go, a before and after...
__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
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20-08-2018, 07:11
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#29
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 174
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Re: Tank level sensors
Another project completed. Looks great!
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