Water Meter?

[Dockhead]

I guess my situation is a lot like that of others. My water gauge works fine -- so long as the boat is on an even keel. But on a long offshore passage with the boat on a heel, it's useless. My boat has two interlinked water tanks of about 500 liters each, and any time I have half capacity or less of water on board, the gauge shows empty on a stb tack and full on port.


It is EXACTLY in this situation -- long offshore passage -- where I, lacking a watermaker, need most to attentively manage water consumption.


So I'm thinking I need a remote reading water meter, so that I can just measure the cumulative liters of consumption since last top off. Logical, right? But I can't find an appropriate device. There are lots of cheap flow meters which can be used with Arduino etc., but I don't feel like that kind of tinkering. I just want the meter (up to 16l/m) and a simple remote panel.


Any tips?

[Mike OReilly]

I installed a flow meter a few seasons ago. Works great so far.

This is the one I installed: Savant Electronics Inc. .It comes with the ability to mount the display remotely. But I think there are many out there that have this kind of setup.

[Pete7]

Some other options, one of which was fitted to a Moody 44 and worked well for the past 2 years according to the owner.

https://www.topargee.com.au/shop-all-topargee

[Dockhead]

Hot tip! Thanks, Mike. And how does it work in real life use? Accuracy?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Hot tip! Thanks, Mike. And how does it work in real life use? Accuracy?

I haven't calibrated it to a high degree, but from general usage it seems fairly accurate. I have no other water gauge on my tank, so I use it as the primary means to know when it's time to refill. So far, it seems accurate to that level.

As an added bonus, using this meter has shown me how much water we use on a daily basis. It's how I know we use 2 gallons/day for the two of us when off the dock, and closer to 4 when on the dock.

[rslifkin]

What about adding more sensors? 4 total wired in series/parallel should work with a standard gauge (assuming resistive sensors) and will give you the average value across the 4. If they're well placed, that should solve the heeling problem.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

What about adding more sensors? 4 total wired in series/parallel should work with a standard gauge (assuming resistive sensors) and will give you the average value across the 4. If they're well placed, that should solve the heeling problem.

I'm not sure that would work even with 4 sensors. Maybe with some elaborate calibration.


Surely just measuring the water flow is much easier and much more accurate.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I'm not sure that would work even with 4 sensors. Maybe with some elaborate calibration.


Surely just measuring the water flow is much easier and much more accurate.

By just measuring water flow and not tank volume, you will miss seeing tank leakage, if present. Visually checking your bilges and/or cycle counters on your bilge pumps will reveal tank leaks.

How about check valves to keep the two tanks isolated from each other? A separate gage for each tank? And an inexpensive, reasonably accurate water meter?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

By just measuring water flow and not tank volume, you will miss seeing tank leakage, if present. Visually checking your bilges and/or cycle counters on your bilge pumps will reveal tank leaks.



How about check valves to keep the two tanks isolated from each other? A separate gage for each tank? And an inexpensive, reasonably accurate water meter?

Are tank leaks really a worry that needs to be accounted for?

[BillKny]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Are tank leaks really a worry that needs to be accounted for?

Not at all... until it happens...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

By just measuring water flow and not tank volume, you will miss seeing tank leakage, if present. Visually checking your bilges and/or cycle counters on your bilge pumps will reveal tank leaks.

How about check valves to keep the two tanks isolated from each other? A separate gage for each tank? And an inexpensive, reasonably accurate water meter?

Well, I can check for tank leakage (never had in 30 years) any time the boat is on an even keel.


Two gauges and isolate the tanks would give a lot more info than I get now, but still a lot of faff for poor quality info.


I think the water meter is the right solution for this problem.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, I can check for tank leakage (never had in 30 years) any time the boat is on an even keel.


Two gauges and isolate the tanks would give a lot more info than I get now, but still a lot of faff for poor quality info.


I think the water meter is the right solution for this problem.

The bummer about tank leakage is that it is non-existent for the first 30 years... and then ... your bilge pump works to dump all your freshwater overboard.. at the worst possible time...



What are your tanks made of (or lined with?)


For long passages I have bottled water as emergency iron rations..

JUST IN CASE...

Hope you never have an issue...

[valhalla360]

I assume this a concern for longer offshore passages.

A simple solution would be once a day to turn downwind for a minute, let the boat level out, check the levels and the back on course.

Not nearly as fun as a new gadget though.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I assume this a concern for longer offshore passages.

A simple solution would be once a day to turn downwind for a minute, let the boat level out, check the levels and the back on course.

Not nearly as fun as a new gadget though.

Well, that's basically what I have been doing these past 12 years, but it's a faff, and I can't do it when I'm racing, nor is it practical in rough sea conditions.

[more]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, that's basically what I have been doing these past 12 years, but it's a faff, and I can't do it when I'm racing, nor is it practical in rough sea conditions.

for you best option you can program stop valve or automatic switchover after xxx liter flow

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2053...3107657d0bokRE