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I have a 1992 Beneteau 440 (Moorings 445) with integral FG water tanks and no system to monitor water usage or tank levels. As I am not able to get at the sides of the water tanks, an external meter does not seem like a viable solution for tank monitoring. Someone had mentioned that some charter boats have flow meters inline with the water pump. But I can not locate such a meter.
has anybody seen anything like this or have another idea for this issue?
I've got a water flow meter installed just downstream of the tank selector switches that looks like a normal home water meter plus it has an electrical lead attached to the outside which goes to a digital display on the electrical panel. Unfortunately the meter always reads 0 but the analog one is very accurate and gives me the amount of water consumed. As far as I know this is the standard equipment on Jeanneau and I think I might have a picture of it which also shows the manufacturer.
You could always use an internal tank monitoring system. I think that a flow meter is less useful than being able to see what the actual levels in the tanks would be.
If you have access to the top of your tanks you can install an electric level gage, that consists of a floater that rides on a shaft. Any marine or diesel supplier have them.
You just cut a round opening on your tank, for the instrument, and install it. They even have ones that have the gage right on it, like the ones used for gas tanks on outboards.
Any float-level system will not be linear unless the tank is square-dimensioned (not necessarily square-shaped). This doesn't mean that the float gauge won't be useful, just not gauge-accurate. You will have to employ Kentucky calibration (bastardization of a shooting term, Kentucky windage). What would be useful in this case would be to fill your empty tank with a known quantity of liquid, and mark your gauge's face accordingly.
Any float-level system will not be linear unless the tank is square-dimensioned (not necessarily square-shaped). This doesn't mean that the float gauge won't be useful, just not gauge-accurate. You will have to employ Kentucky calibration (bastardization of a shooting term, Kentucky windage). What would be useful in this case would be to fill your empty tank with a known quantity of liquid, and mark your gauge's face accordingly.
"I know I have 3, all different size. The gages only say full, half etc."
As I understand you, you have three floats installed in a single tank, all sending to one gauge. So, the height of each float is coordinated with the shape of the tank, and the gauge face is marked to indicate the tank proportion for each sender. Innovative.
Thanks for the ideas. As the tanks are integral fiberglass with lids that are not very thick, any form of a float or pressure type gauge may be difficult. Though, the lids will be coming off for a re-seal, so it is a good time to look closely at this.
OW, it seems a simple clicker flow meter would be fine. The Grainger option states: Not for Use with Water Applications. It seems there must be a simple (and cheap?) water flow meter with a total amount passed out there.
Not quite, it doesn't have an metal fittings, just plastic and has a digital lead glued to the front panel to drive the digital display on the breaker panel. But display panel looks the same. If you PM me your e-mail address I can send you the picture of the valve as it is in-situ.
Success! Daniel L. Jerman Co... They actually have a model that is a totalizer (no reset) with a digital LCD resettable display for batch info away from the unit. And, it is 1/2" female threads, nickel plated bronze.
Neptune Water Monitor for your boat's freshwater tank: The first accurate and resettable water usage monitoring system for boat's and motoryacht's freshwater systems. Available in both US Gallons and Cubic Meters (accurate down to 1/20 litre)
This epoxy coated bronze meter is installed on the discharge or pressure side of your boat's freshwater pump complete with swivel couplings with 3/4" NPT ends. Accurate to within 1-1/2%. This meter was tested and approved by the California Dept. of Weights and Measures so you know it is accurate. The contact head register on the meter closes a microswitch every time 1 gallon passes through the meter. The remote resettable LCD register then advances by 1 gallon to indicate the amount of water consumed. Deduct this from your water tank capacity and you will know within 1-1/2% how much water is left, eliminating unnecessary fillups and delays.
This self powered remote register with a 10 year lithium battery is installed in any convenient and easily visible location you chose and connected to the meter with the included low voltage wire. You can put it in the galley, the head, the helm or by your engine access hatch. When you fill up just push the button on the remote and it resets to zero, ready to monitor again. As we know most water hoses run about 3 gallons per minute and much less if the marina is busy.
Filling that water tank can take more than 60 minutes so why do it if you don't have to just to be sure you won't run out. This water meter is accurate within 1-1/2% and is far superior to the various tank level monitors that can be off by 25% or more. Commercial vessels and vessels for hire must be certain they don't run out of freshwater and should have this system.
This accurate, durable and reliable system is priced at $199.95 including UPS shipping to anywhere in the Continental USA, a small price to be certain you won't run out of water on your next cruise or on the hook in your favorite spot.
We can ship your order the same day we receive it via UPS. We accept visa/mastercard/discover and PAYPAL to jonjerman@aol.com. You can fax, e-mail or phone in your order. Feel free to call us toll free 800-654-3733 if you have a question on this or any one of our many water and oil metering products.
There are quite a few water meters available on the market designed for garden hose applications, which are a little fragile for a water system you would rely on for passage making.
Higher quality units are available on Amazon and the like, but the problem I've found is that they are designed for a specific minimum straight run of a larger diameter pipe than we generally use on a boat. Therefore, the would not be very accurate if MacGyvered into a boat system. I suppose in time you could interpolate the readings, though.
Something like this is an easy install and reasonably accurate as to quantity F-3/4-1/2-1/4 E, but not in specific gallons.
US Marine Flexi-Sensor Flexible Water / Waste Sender
Item # : 305098 (Defender)
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