Saturday, April 28, 2012

Water Tank View Port

Here's a simple solution to a problem that has annoyed me for a while.

The Problem
Once your water tank gets less than 1/3 full, you can't tell exactly how much water is left. 

The typical display for water level in your fresh water tank has three indicators: Full, 2/3 full and 1/3 full.  they correspond to three sensors inside the water tank. The indicator lights turn on when the sensors are under water, because the water completes a circuit to the display light.  The "Empty" level light is always on, whether the level is just under 1/3 or anything less, so it is actually meaningless.

The main console showing fluid levels for fresh water, grey water and black water. 
This is a problem if you are not going to be able to refill soon, and you need to make that remaining 1/3 tank (or 1/4 or 1/8) last for a while.

A Simple Solution To The Problem

I bought a 60 mm. wire grommet at the local hardware store.  This is the plastic ring that lines the holes in furniture through which various wires can pass, e.g. for your monitor and computer.


I used a hole saw attachment for my drill, smaller than the grommet itself because the grommet needs to be a very snug fit.  You want a tight fit to hold fast, and never come loose. 

Next I drilled a hole in the compartment for the water tank, below the dinette seat. 





Here you see the hole. I have traced an outline of the grommet to show how much more I need to cut.




Next I reamed out the hole with a rotary tool until the hole was just big enough for the grommet.




I pressed the grommet into the hole.




Now I can peer into the water tank without having to remove the dinette seat, and I can see the water level for myself when I need to know exactly how much water is left. 




The grommet comes with a cover.



Some views of the finished project.





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Greetings to Gypsy Boho, Author of the blogs The Gypsy Boho Freedom Express and  The Adventures of a Shih Tzu .  She is recently retired and embarked on a safari to find Annalee. Good luck!

3 comments:

momi yaya said...

What a great idea. I wish my water tank was under my bench seat but it is not. I always have trouble with my sensor lights but have learned to live with that.

Kevin Read said...

That is a great idea. We are often taking off the cushions and lid of the dinette set to see what our water level is. We may just have to make this modification as well. Thanks!

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Dean Jarvey said...

Thanks for the reminder to vote, sometimes I vote twice in a day, once from behind the firewall at work and once behind the firewall at home!