Water Tank Sight Tube (1 Viewer)

[Dave and Ginny]

When your off the grid water can be sometimes pretty crucial and my water tank gauge is kinda ok, seems to show about half a tank upwards...but not what I'd call very accurate and I generally find myself lifting seat cushions to get to tank and have a look inside.

Which made me wonder if I could fit a site tube . On my Hymer there is a drain plug (I think they are about 1/4 inch). I was thinking about getting a second one...drilling a hole through it and configuring a pipe through it coming around underneath and then into some clear tubing fitted up the inside of the gas locker.

The pipework running underside could also incorporate a drain tap to save having to go into the tank to pull the plug!

I know, too much spare time on my hands, get a life etc

Any other 'nut cases' out there done anything similar or have one that's fitted as standard?

 

[scotjimland]

No reason why not.. sound idea.. common on many types of tanks..

I have no need as I can check the level by lifting a hatch on the floor.. but I may follow you progress and copy ..

 

[Dave and Ginny]

Have managed to fabricate a water tank sight tube today mostly using Speedfit 15mm plumbing bits and pieces from Screwfix. It was pretty straightforward in the end once I managed to couple up the drain outlet from the water tank to the first length of 15mm pipe. Then a right angle turn into another 15mm length of pipe to a equal 'T' piece so that I could incorporate a drain tap. From the outgoing side of the 't' piece I used a 15mm to 10mm reducing piece to accommodate the clear 10mm plastic hose that would form the sight tube. I used some cable duct to support the plastic tube.

Some hose clips still to go on the tank outlet, apart from that seems to be leak proof and works well.

The tank is 12" deep therefore the movement of water up and down the tube is also 12" from full to empty. I've calibrated and made some markers at empty, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full (all 3" apart) and used a little plastic bead as a float, although not really necessary as can see water level quite easy.

The drain tap is a bonus and I won't need to pull the plug anymore to drain the tank!

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[scotjimland]

Nice job..

just a thought.. it will need to be drained if camping in winter when it's freezing.. so perhaps needs an isolation valve.. but you probably thought of that..

and you may get algae growth in the sight tube..

 

[Dave and Ginny]

Nice job..

just a thought.. it will need to be drained if camping in winter when it's freezing.. so perhaps needs an isolation valve.. but you probably thought of that..

and you may get algae growth in the sight tube..

Mmmm isolation valve, thats a point...plug back in the tank will do I think

 

[The Nomad]

On a previous MH I solved this problem in a slightly different way.....which might be a possible for you depending on location of water tank.
On our old MH the water level gauge was frankly useless. But as it happened the tank itself was tight up against the wall of the dinette seat Base. I very carefully cut out a neat vertical strip of the plywood dinette seat wall and then lined the raw edges with flexible plastic wood effect strip (the type used in kitchen and bathroom diy). Then just marked little lines on the actual tank to correspond to 20/40/60 etc litres of actually filled water. From the on all we did was simply look through the "arrow slit" to see the actual water level against the scale marks.
Cost was abut a quid for colour matched cover strip and the modification worked a treat.
Might be worth seeing if it's an option on your MH?

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