Checking holding tank fluid levels

[JerArdra]

This idea was in the September 2008 issue of MOTORHOME.  For tanks which you cannot see thru the tank's wall (that is if you can even see the holding tanks in your MH) a carpenters stud finder can tell you the fluid level.  You can than compare it with what your gauge shows so you have some idea of the gauges accuracy.  I suppose if you were trying to decide whether to stay another day or two at a nice boondocking site you could go out and verify the fluid levels with the stud finder.

I tried it with my fresh water tank because I can see the water level thru the polyethylene tank wall.  Starting at the top where there is no water press the stud finders button and slowly slide it down. On my tank it showed the exact water level.  I tried it several times.

I could not verify that it works on my "black colored plastic holding tanks" because they are empty.  Maybe one of you folks can try it on those tanks. 

JerryF

 

[carson]

Hi Jerry,

  Wonder if you missed this topic a while ago. Covers the stud finder and more...

See here

carson

 

[Ron]

Left the stud finder at Sam's Camp.  Actually reminded me that in 93 after we got the first Bounder a guy in a campground had suggested using a stud finder if the sensors went south.  Sensors have always worked for us so never tried it and forgot about it.

 

[KodiakRV]

I, too, tried it on our FW tank after reading the previous thread.  It worked fine on the wood stud setting, but not on the metal stud setting. 

 

[John From Detroit]

As it happens I have a stud finder... Tried it on the fresh water tank

DID NOT WORK

It is a metal detector, not a mass detector, even though it says it can find both wooden and metal studs upon it's label (it detects the nails in a wooden stud)

 

[RLSharp]

As it happens I have a stud finder... Tried it on the fresh water tank

DID NOT WORK

It is a metal detector, not a mass detector, even though it says it can find both wooden and metal studs upon it's label (it detects the nails in a wooden stud)

John,

You need more nails in your fresh water tank for the metal detector to work. 

Richard

 

[KodiakRV]

John,
You need more nails in your fresh water tank for the metal detector to work. 
Richard

Or maybe he needs to stop by Ft. Ashby, WV, and fill up using that iron-saturated water that we had to drink when I was a kid there.  Yeesh, it was awful stuff. 

 

[Buttermilk]

Some stud finders are magnetic and work by finding the nails or screws. Others work by sensing the depth. I have one that doesn't need to find nails to detect a solid mass behind a hollow wall.