New project - installing a Garnet SeeLevel tank monitor

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Bummer !  Am I right, the problem is likely grime on the inside tank wall?  Also I read somewhere about an adjustment pot that could corrode and could give the same symptom. Don't know if there's any truth to that one.

One last idea -- move the existing sensor on inch or two one way or the other at the same height.
 
Director said:
Bummer !  Am I right, the problem is likely grime on the inside tank wall? 
Most likely.

Also I read somewhere about an adjustment pot that could corrode and could give the same symptom. Don't know if there's any truth to that one.
Hadn't heard that one but I attached a picture of the adjustment pot on the monitor circuit board, you could try adjusting it one way or the other.

One last idea -- move the existing sensor on inch or two one way or the other at the same height.
If you are going to go to that trouble, you might as well install the Garnet system - the sensors are very difficult to remove. 
 

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There apparently used to be individual adjustment pots - there are solder pads and spaces for pots.  Looks like the manufacturer saved 75 cents by substituting a fixed value resistor for a pot.  It would be fairly simple operation to pull the resistor and solder in a pot.
 
Alfa38User said:
..... but you can likely reuse the wiring and save running a new cable, is that not so John???

Yep, no problem at all. That's what I did on my install as well. The wires that work the Winne system work the SeeLevel system just fine.  A huge time saver. 
 
I'm running out of excuses..
- Solar:  Done
- Halon & AFFF extinguishers:  Done
- Full HD upgrade +TV's:  Done
- Upgrade MSW to PSW Inverter: Done
- LED's:  Done
- LEDZILLA:  Done
- SeeLevel: 2013
 
SCVJeff said:
I'm running out of excuses..
- Solar:  Done
- Halon & AFFF extinguishers:  Done
- Full HD upgrade +TV's:  Done
- Upgrade MSW to PSW Inverter: Done
- LED's:  Done
- LEDZILLA:  Done
- SeeLevel: 2013

I'm with you Jeff. It seems that when the list gets smaller, all of a sudden there are a few more on it.
Good Luck
 
RV.. 4ea. 100W panels

Oh, and the baby: When the Magnum was installed, I ripped out all the primary DC in the rear and replaced it with really sexy 4/0. Bought a 12ton crimper and made it all pretty lookin' :)
 
I am still not giving up.

I have learned that the "Mirus" tank level monitoring system by Touchsensor is basically the same as the Garnet system. Both use something akin to capacitance causing a current change over a pre-determined resistance. Both use sensors that are stuck on the outside of the tank. In other words, no tank penetration.

To test the system on our coach, all you need to do is put your hand on or hovering over a sensor and with a helper watching the panel, you can watch each light come on as the hand is put over the different levels.
That leads us to what is likely causing the problem if lights are on and the tank is empty. Plain and simple grime on the inside of the tank. It has to be pretty thick. In my case, I can't get a wand with high pressure spray to clean those spots. By the way, my lights are on the grey tank which is unusual. Black tanks have obvious stuff that can cling on the sides. Also, The black tank is usually kept closed, but many of us leave the grey tank open while parked in a camp ground. Wrong - that lets the tank dry and really leave soap scum or whatever on the tank wall. So it seems both tanks should be kept closed unless you are draining.

A tech I spoke with says he usually puts something like "Pure Power", which is an enzyme type cleaner. you leave it in a tank full of fresh water for a couple days. It eats the grime off the walls of the tank.
Okay, it's worse than you can imagine -- he says add four packs of dry yeast and add warm water to fill the tank. Let this sit for c a couple weeks. He says it smells so bad, he parks a rig with the yeast in it, as far out on the back lot as possible. He says this method does not fail. You can use these cures in both grey and black tanks.

One last thing, the folks at Touchsensor use a special two sided pad that conducts electricity. You can get those by calling them. You have to use a sharp putty knife to remove the sensors, or use the Oreo method if the stick on tape is really cured. The Oreo method is twisting the sensor, just like you do to separate the cookie. Then clean the sensors back with your fingers. It's a bitch, but you can roll up the sticky stuff. Then armed with a new pad, stick one side of the sensor and slide it around on the tank surface, AT THE SAME HEIGHT, until you get the correct reading.

I'm using the degreaser in the tank first, but will have to be home to use the enzyme methods. Still in an RV camp and are using the tanks. But keeping them closed to make sure the tank walls keep getting wet.

I have spent many hours coming up with this dissertation. Now, I have all the ingredients and my fingers crossed.
 
Jeff, did you find that your DC wiring to the inverter was too small before you upgraded? Just curious because I found out that the wrong size wire was used on my coach and most likely everyone else..  Newmar went cheap and used 2/0 when 4/0 was required. I guess they will cut a corner (or two) where ever they can.

I talked with Magnum because I am going to install a PSW inverter too. I was told that this happens all the time and to change the wire out to make it right.

Was it that hard for you to pull the wires? 4/0 is big and my existing 2/0 goes through the frame rails.
Thanks Jeff
 
Here is a link to Magnum showing DC cable sizing for lengths of cables for inverter/charger. Just go to page 17. http://www.magnumenergy.com/Literature/Manuals/Inverters/64-0007%20Rev%20D%20(MS%20Series)_Web.pdf
 
Well better late than never.....
Terry.. I rewired the entire rear of the coach with 4/0 Super Excellene cable, and removed all the crap from the top of the house batteries. Under the bed there is a utility breezeway that contains the fuse for the batteries, shunt, and junction studs for batteries, inverter, house mains, solar primary (4ga), and external sense. The only thing left on the house batteries are 2ea 4/0 cables in slit wrap (color matched of course), the the temp sensors for the solar and Magnum chargers.

SO....  I finally opened the See Level box that I bought at Quartzsite today and am curious about you'alls installation?

On the fresh tank, as everyone haas pointed out, it's a PiTA to get to the wall with all the plumbing. But the the right side of the access door there is aprox. 3" wide strip of tank that looks like its screaming "stick here"... Why isn't anyone doing that?  I'm also curious where all this foam that's being removed is at. Are you cutting between the tank and the external steel wall to the right of the access panel?  And why?  Mebbe my tank is different?
 
SargeW said:
On the fresh water tank you are better getting the strip as close to the bottom of the tank as possible.  Having a fresh tank read full a little longer is no big deal.  What you really want to know is when it is getting critically close to empty.

Sorry for getting here so late in the discussion, but on a fresh water tank you want the Empty sensor just above the top of the tank outlet, not at the very bottom of the tank.

You want to know when the pump will start sucking air, not when the tank is bone dry.  There is a difference.

I'm on my first trip in a new to me motorhome where the previous owner installed an Acugage tank monitoring system that uses similar capacitive sensors.  I haven't looked at the fresh tank yet, but I'll bet he mounted the sensor strip all the way to the bottom of the tank - it still reads 1/4 full when the pump is sucking air.

Oh, and just FYI - capacitive sensors do NOT work on a metal propane tank.  As soon as I can find the instructions I have to re-wire the propane sensor to use the in-tank float instead of the capacitive strip he put on the tank.
 
I was looking at a picture and wondering that exact thing when you posted. I'm thinking that I want the bottom of the sensor placed on top of what I'm assuming is the draw tube from the tank. I'll check that out tomorrow since I see two pipes there and that makes no sense.
 

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SCVJeff said:
.. But the the right side of the access door there is aprox. 3" wide strip of tank that looks like its screaming "stick here"... Why isn't anyone doing that?  I'm also curious where all this foam that's being removed is at. Are you cutting between the tank and the external steel wall to the right of the access panel?  And why?  Mebbe my tank is different?
Jeff - if you have access to the tank wall no matter where it is, go for it.  My tank has Styrofoam between the tank wall and  the metal panel surrounding the tank.  I did not have to cut any steel to install my sensors.

With all respect to Lou's opinion, I chose to bias my sensor strip to the very bottom of the tank - that's the critical dimension I want to monitor.  Then I used a digital flow meter to measure how much water flowed into the tank when I was filing it and made a reference chart to equate SeeLevel percentage readings to actual gallons remaining.
 
My fresh tank is rounded where the sidewall meets the bottom, so I mounted the SeeLevel sensor biased to the bottom, but starting at the start of the flat wall. That probably puts it pretty close to the outlet level, or just a touch above it. And the SeeLevel instructions make it quite clear that the LP readout connection goes to the tank sending unit.
 
This tank is rounded as well.., but as you can see I have a clear wall with no need to cut any foam away. I'm curious if Marty's was like this and why he needed to cut additional out?
 
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