Waste Water Gauge/Sender unit (1 Viewer)

Baker69

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Hi there,

Another 'Newby' question folks! :Blush:

When we recently bought our Swift Royale the vendor told us the Waste Water Gauge wasn't showing any reading because it was empty. This turned out to be not the case as when we got it home and it had some waste water in the tank the gauge was still showing empty.

Getting underneath the MH I quickly noticed that one of the 2 wires to the Sender unit had come off. Putting it back on I thought I had instantly solved the problem but on checking the gauge again the Level immediately went to Full.

Has anyone had any similar problems? I've read that a very dirty Sender unit will give a false or 'stuck' reading, I haven't removed the Sender yet to check this theory out, I was thinking that as it went straight to 'full' that it might be faulty as it is like it is being earthed?

Any suggestions anyone? :helptitanic:
 

Spacerunner

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Make sure both the external connections are clean and dry.
Then you will have to clean off the internal sensors. If you have a large inspection port in your waste tank it is an easy job.

Unscrew the inspection cap,you will find that the thread stands quite proud of the tank bottom so its not a wet job. Fit a garden spray/jet fitting to a hose and turn it to the jet setting. Give a relly good jetting round the inside of the tank and then open the normal drain valve to empty the water. Repeat several times. I had to do this in france where, conveniently there was a water supply on the pitch, twenty minutes later all was well and as a bonus the waste tank lost its smell ::bigsmile:

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DESCO

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Hi
These sensor units are not very reliable, but if you drop the tank you will find that the block that the wires go to is dirty and shorting across. This is on top of the tank. I once cleaned one got it working and covered in silicon fish tank sealer with no further trouble.

Or you could just empty every time you fill up or leave a site nothing further needing to be done.


Dave:thumb::thumb:
 
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Baker69

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The large Red plastic cap is easy to get to so I might try hosing the inside as Spacerunner has suggested.

The Sender unit also seems easy to get to so it may be easier just to remove that and clean it up? Or is there a specific reason why these shouldn't be removed?

As Deco says it is easy to empty it every time you fill up! how I see it though is that if the MH has a feature or item fitted I want it to work.
 
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pappajohn

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Hi there,

Another 'Newby' question folks! :Blush:

When we recently bought our Swift Royale the vendor told us the Waste Water Gauge wasn't showing any reading because it was empty. This turned out to be not the case as when we got it home and it had some waste water in the tank the gauge was still showing empty.

confirms my thoughts on your other thread re..control panel/battery.

sounds like the vender was a real Arthur Daily and used every trick in the book to make a sale:Angry:.

PS....the gauges are never accurate anyway....if you start with a full fresh tank and an empty grey waste tank you cant go far wrong.
the grey will usually be slightly larger capacity than the fresh so you run out of fresh water....the grey is almost full and time to empty.

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Spacerunner

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the grey will usually be slightly larger capacity than the fresh so you run out of fresh water....the grey is almost full and time to empty.

In my short motorhoming experience I've always found the opposite to be true!

The difference being made up with what you drink and transfer to the toilet cassette!:Blush:
 
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pappajohn

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the grey will usually be slightly larger capacity than the fresh so you run out of fresh water....the grey is almost full and time to empty.

In my short motorhoming experience I've always found the opposite to be true!

The difference being made up with what you drink and transfer to the toilet cassette!:Blush:

our kontiki definately has a bigger waste tank....:thumb:

never had a completely full grey tank even after using all 80 ltrs of fresh water and partially refilling, maybe 10 ltrs used for tea/coffee over a long weekend, and the rest down the sink and i never transfer water to the toilet flush tank...the full 20ltr flush tank will see the two of us for 4/5 days at a time.
 
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Baker69

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Hi
These sensor units are not very reliable, but if you drop the tank you will find that the block that the wires go to is dirty and shorting across. This is on top of the tank. I once cleaned one got it working and covered in silicon fish tank sealer with no further trouble.


The Sender Unit is fitted into the side of the Tank on this one and is fairly easily to access so I don't think it is necessary to remove the Tank. Whether it can be removed in-situ complete with all the rods I don't know? The aperture doesn't seem very big.

I might try flushing the Tank out first, I'm a bit worried though that once the Sender Unit is removed whether re-fitting it with the Rods facing the right way might be a problem?

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Baker69

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confirms my thoughts on your other thread re..control panel/battery.

sounds like the vender was a real Arthur Daily and used every trick in the book to make a sale:Angry:.

I think you may be right, but there was absolutely no pressure in the sale and they seemed really nice people and very accommodating, however we did sense a lack of mechanical knowledge/understanding of some of the functions of the items in the MH which may have come into the equation as well, this was evident in the answers given to some of the questions we raised concerning various items. Whether this was deliberate or not in order to hide any faults we don't know. We got the impression that for them the Van provided a purely functional need which was possibly why there was what appeared to be a genuine lack of understanding as to how everything worked on the MH. I think they just turned up on a site plugged it into the mains and away you go! :whatthe:

I genuinely believe the battery issue is putely down to them not knowing how it worked. If they have been using battery only mode they have either been drawing off the vehicle battery (or possibly the leisure battery), but not putting any charge back into it as they didn't understand the control panel (as I didn't).

It's something we'll never know, but it's a bit niggling to come across these problems, especially when there is a cost implication in putting them right! :Angry:
 
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scotjimland

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From my experience, grey / black waste tank level indicators are a waste of time and not worth the effort of cleaning, they work for a couple of days then go awol ..

You know when they are full either from experience or when the black splashes yer bum.. and when the grey floods the shower :roflmto:

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pappajohn

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the grey will usually be slightly larger capacity than the fresh so you run out of fresh water....the grey is almost full and time to empty.

In my short motorhoming experience I've always found the opposite to be true!

Does not seem to be the case with our Burstner.

Spacerunner has a Chausson (eurovan)
Hilldweller has a Burstner (eurovan)
i have a kontiki!!! (british van)

europeans are probably different to UK models:RollEyes: in more areas than this one:Doh:
 
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Baker69

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I've noticed the Fresh Water Gauge on the MH isn't very accurate either, it doesn't seem to work smoothly, but in stepped levels, so it is obviously a probe type as per the Grey Waste Tank. The last time out we thought we had plenty of fresh water left and all of sudden the gauge was on empty. Ideally they need to have a float type unit in the tank to give an accurate reading like in a car fuel tank.

I'm not too bothered if I can't get it working, as you say it is not rocket science to tell whether it is full or not! :roflmto:
 
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hilldweller

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Spacerunner has a Chausson (eurovan)
Hilldweller has a Burstner (eurovan)
i have a kontiki!!! (british van)

europeans are probably different to UK models:RollEyes: in more areas than this one:Doh:

They are and when you win the lottery you'll be able to buy a proper van.

None of this stupid turn the habitation off when running here. If I want to watch telly while my chauffeur conducts me across Europe I can, well apart from the fact that I see the back of the telly from the bed.

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Redvers-MOTs

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we just fixed one of these on the very same motorhome the water tank works one way from left to right and the waste works in the opposite directon you press the waste and it goes to full (blue) and as you fill the waste it goes back to empty and when it says empty thats what you need to do, Hope this Helps :thumb:
 
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pappajohn

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They are and when you win the lottery you'll be able to buy a proper van.

None of this stupid turn the habitation off when running here. If I want to watch telly while my chauffeur conducts me across Europe I can, well apart from the fact that I see the back of the telly from the bed.

you mean one with a smaller waste tank than the fresh tank......no thanks.:Eeek:

if i want a footbath in the shower tray i'll put the plug in:ROFLMAO:

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Spacerunner

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My previous 'van was a very British AutoSleeper.
Freshwater tank was 95 litres, waste water tank 80 litres. Coincidently the 15 litres difference is exactly the same as the capacity of the Thetford cassette. :Tongue1: ::bigsmile:
 
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Redvers-MOTs

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Yeah, sounds like the same switch/gauge arrangement as ours. What was wrong with your Sender Unit, was it gunged up?


the Unit had been twisted around in the tank so that the flout could not hang down, it was as simple as that, as it fills up with waste it lifts the float upwards.:thumb:



MOTs all Size from the smallest camper vans to double axle RVs tested.:thumb:
 
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Baker69

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the Unit had been twisted around in the tank so that the flout could not hang down, it was as simple as that, as it fills up with waste it lifts the float upwards.:thumb:

Must check it out to see if it's a similar problem. I suspect mine is either gunged up or faulty though.

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neilmac

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our kontiki definately has a bigger waste tank....:thumb:

never had a completely full grey tank even after using all 80 ltrs of fresh water and partially refilling, maybe 10 ltrs used for tea/coffee over a long weekend, and the rest down the sink and i never transfer water to the toilet flush tank...the full 20ltr flush tank will see the two of us for 4/5 days at a time.

Reckon you must have special equipment on that Kontiki :winky:, our Bel-Air has the same brochure spec of 100ltrs fresh and 72ltrs waste.

Our waste gauge is pretty useless too, best just empty whenever possible as already suggested :thumb:

Neil
 
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pappajohn

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Reckon you must have special equipment on that Kontiki :winky:, our Bel-Air has the same brochure spec of 100ltrs fresh and 72ltrs waste.

Our waste gauge is pretty useless too, best just empty whenever possible as already suggested :thumb:

Neil

i see im gonna have to check this out when i have half an hour.

fill fresh and pump the lot into the grey.......that'll give me new charger something to work on...:thumb:

strange how we've never managed to fill the grey if theres a 28ltr difference.
 
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davidjones

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Hi
These sensor units are not very reliable, but if you drop the tank you will find that the block that the wires go to is dirty and shorting across. This is on top of the tank. I once cleaned one got it working and covered in silicon fish tank sealer with no further trouble.

Or you could just empty every time you fill up or leave a site nothing further needing to be done.


Dave:thumb::thumb:

Mmmm this may be one reason why I have battery drain when nothing much would appear to be using current. My gauge has always shown full. I tried the ice cube regime to no avail.
 
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