Date:         Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:22:43 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Water level sensor
Comments: To: colorworks@GCI.NET
In-Reply-To:  <204732801BAC43E782116465BF7FAF11@troyb5bff49d63>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 01:29 PM 9/14/2009, Troy wrote:
>Yeap, the one for drinking water. I guess I have been fortunate in
>that mine has always worked. I just like to have that warning when
>there's only 4 gallons or so left.
>
>For others reading this, is there a way to determine if my level
>sensor is bad vs the control panel? I don't want to waste $70 on a
>new level sensor if the problem is the control panel.

Hi Troy,

I'm entirely convinced you have a broken reed switch inside the tube,
caused by bending the tube even a tiny amount in the wrong direction
(you can find the direction easily, it's the one where the switch
comes apart when you push it that way).  The people who built the
board apparently didn't believe in stress relief.

To be certain, though, pull off the lead going to the panel and
measure resistance from the sender lead to ground or the other sender
lead while you move the float up and down.  If you don't get three
distinct resistances, something in the nature of 300K, 600K, 1M, then
the sender is definitely bad.

I used to fix those, may again some day; but this year I don't want
to.  They aren't hard to fix if you can find the reed switches, but
you have to figure out how to glue the thing back together
afterwards.  The tube cuts nicely with a small tubing cutter.  If you
do go inside one, resolder all the components with a bit of slack in
the leads so it won't break again the next time you breathe on it.

Those wands are so terrifically delicate that I definitely recommend
removing them entirely any time you're cleaning the tank or otherwise
working inside is.

For others with a different symptom -- if you get gradually changing
readings after turning the panel on, more than likely you have a drop
or two of water inside the tube (bad seal at the wires).  If you can
open up the seal and inject several changes of 90% ethyl alcohol,
then seal it up again, should cure your trouble.

Yours,
david