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Fuel Gauges

2K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  SailNet Archive 
#1 ·
Do most of you dip the tank or do you have fuel gauges? I'm thinking of adding 2 gauges, just seems a more civilized way of doing things.
Tom Shannon
 
#2 ·
Hello,

My last boat had a guage. It worked for the first year and a half, then it stopped. I didn't bother to replace it. I use so little diesel that it wasn't worth it. I filled the boat at the end of the year, and then again in the middle of the year.

My current boat has a gauge. It was full when I bought it. I added diesel in May, I will add some more in August, then fill it before haul out in November. I sail a lot, but don't motor that much. The gauge is sort of useless in that I don't need it.

Barry
 
#4 ·
Tom-

Might want to go with something like the Tank Tender. It allows you to monitor several tanks, up to ten IIRC, from a single control panel.
 
#7 ·
I don't motor often enough for my faulty memory to remember what the count was at... so, I prefer to have a fuel gauge... ;)
 
#10 ·
camaraderie said:
Tank Tenders work...standard fuel guages fail.
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Cam, why specifically do you like Tank Tenders? I have two 50 gallon keel tanks, a SS holding tank I'm going to convert to a "polished" day tank (no jokes please, the thing's 40 gallons immediately beneath the engine...I'd be foolish not to use it), a plastic 40 gallon holding tank and two 100 gallon water tanks.

How would one meter measure the contents of all those tanks? (The poop tank I will only use in harbours, naturally...)
 
#11 ·
I like tank tenders on boats with multiple tanks, since you only have to have one panel to monitor the status of all the tanks.

The "sender" unit on them is not electrical, so is quite a bit more reliable than a regular sender unit would be IMHO.

Also, the hole required for their sending unit is very small, which generally means more choices in where to install it and that it is generally easier to seal.

The one caveat is that the tubes can't be bent too sharply or they'll kink and not work properly.
 
#12 ·
Val...the Tender comes equipped with the ability to monitor the levels in up to 4 tanks and 4 thin plastic tubes and fittings are supplied. You pump some air into the tube for the tank you wish to monitor and up pops the inches of fuel/water etc. in that particular tank. The reason I like it is that there is NO working mechanical part on or in the tank to get fouled or go bad or give a false reading. No electricity is involved at all.
 
#13 ·
BTW, a single Tank Tender control panel can monitor up to 10 tanks, though it only comes with the hardware for four tanks. :D
 
#15 ·
Tom-

Are you talking about baffles inside the tank?? That shouldn't be a problem as long as you install the "sender" tube into a clear portion of the tank. The baffles inside most tanks are vertical, not horizontal, so really shouldn't affect the tube.
 
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