Monitoring

I had posted many months ago about our putting SeeLevel tank monitors onto Gracie (https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2020/06/getting-stuff-done.html, https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2020/07/advantages-of-seelevel.html). We were not getting very accurate results from our black and grey tanks, so we stopped by the factory in Texas about a year and a half ago (https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2020/12/monday.html). At that time, we felt the black tank sensor was particularly inaccurate, so they replaced that sensor, but also gave us another sensor for the grey tank.

It seemed that the grey tank monitor was less and less accurate -- it would go quickly from empty to 90-95%, but we would know that there was no way we could be that full. Since, when we got to this campground, we thought we were going to be here one week, and since we did not have sewer hookups, we were a little conservative, but not ultra conservative. We know that we can go two-three weeks if we are very conservative -- and we didn't have to do that. Well, then, our stay got extended here another week here (we requested to extend it and our request was granted), and we'd just as soon not have to drive over to the dump station if we don't need to... so it became a little more necessary to have a good idea of how full our grey tank *really* is.

So, we decided to install the new sensor:

Sanding the spot where the new sensor will be installed. The old sensor is just to the left of where Carl's hands are - we *think* the problem is that our grey and black tanks have a plastic weld about 1/4 of the way up the tank from the bottom, and that this confuses the sensor. As a result, what Garnet suggested is that we install sensors just above the weld - and that's what has been done on the black tank. This means that we cannot see any readings (it reads 0%) until the contents of the tank get to the bottom of the sensor, and after that, the readings reflect how much of the upper part of the tank is filled. It isn't ideal (it isn't anywhere near as nice as the way SeeLevel worked on Miss Doozie!), but it helps.

Preparing the wires

Attaching the wires

Readings today (after new sensor has been put into place). If this is correct, with Grey represented as 50%, that's 50% of the top 75% part of the tank, or about 2/3 full at this point (25%+(0.5*75%) = 25%+37.5% = 62.5%).

We think that the new sensor is giving us more accurate readings (it is reflecting how full we *think* the tanks are) -- and we're hoping we'll be able to be conservative enough to wait until we leave next Monday to have to go to the dump station. It isn't horrible to have to close everything up to drive to the dump station, but, even though it is a short distance, essentially we have to close up as if we are driving hundreds of miles - things still need to be secured!