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Old 07-13-2019, 11:15 AM   #1
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Fresh Water Tank Gauge

How accurate / inaccurate is the gauge on the potable fresh water tank ?
Mine reads empty and when I add 6 gallons of water the gauge reafs about 3/4 full
If I add 9 gallons of water to the tank the gauge goes from empty to full
I can understand erroneous readings of the grey or black tank but the fresh water tank is not subject to the same comditions .
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:22 AM   #2
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I fill mine until water comes out of the overflow vent and the gauge reads 2/3 full. Beats me.
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:32 AM   #3
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Mine seems to read the most accurately the first few weeks when i sanitize with 1/2 cup of bleach. I look at the “shadow in the tank” from the outside. When mine says empty, you can bet there’s not much left. That’s when I become Jug Head and go for water. I have two fives so three trips and I’m full again. Do not, I repeat, Do not use a water bandit on the unthreaded brass water spigot in the Mountain Park Campground in Colorado. The camp host does not appreciate it a tall. What is the Algonquin phrase for “It fills by moonlight”?
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:48 AM   #4
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Mine reads well, but up you must take in account it just has the four contacts and anything level wise between them reads only on the lower amount. If accuracy is really needed, like when getting low just before packing up, I just look at the tank and know exactly what is in it.
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Old 07-13-2019, 12:12 PM   #5
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Here's the chart I made of my 28 gallon fresh tank while filling from empty, so the led lit when it hit this capacity. On one of the rare occasions they seemed to be working. This is the pin type sensors.
Full - 22 gal
2/3 - 14 gal
1/3 - 6 gal

Not terribly accurate.

The others where I was concerned with just the full reading

Grey (also 28 gal)
Full - 26 gal
2/3 - 15 gal

Black (30 gal)
Full - 15 of 30!
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Old 10-02-2020, 07:42 PM   #6
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I filled the fresh water tank until water ran out. It reads 1/3.

Does it take time to go to an accurate reading? Could water run out before it is full due to water pressure/air in the water? Or is that likely what I'll see with a full fresh water tank?

After I "filled" it I read I should chlorinate so tomorrow when I empty the tank I'll measure how much is in there.
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Old 10-02-2020, 07:53 PM   #7
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My fresh water sensors also reads 2/3 when full. I know it's full because water is shooting out the fill opening and the hole that allows air to vent.

This started happening about a year ago and I have no idea what the cause. I've never run out of fresh water, so I haven't worried about it that much.
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Old 10-02-2020, 07:59 PM   #8
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This is 1/3. 2/3 sounds more reasonable.
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Old 10-02-2020, 08:08 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobbie54 View Post
This is 1/3. 2/3 sounds more reasonable.

I don't think it has anything to do with the ability to measure accurately. Full shouldn't read 1/3 or 2/3. It should read full. If the sensor is submerged, it should complete a circuit and send a signal to the monitor.
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Old 10-02-2020, 08:26 PM   #10
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The manual says it can be due to low mineral content in the water. But it's unclear how low is low. We don't have hard water but we do have some ions in the water.
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Old 10-02-2020, 08:31 PM   #11
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I think we have different monitors, just to throw another wrench in the tank.
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Old 10-02-2020, 08:38 PM   #12
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Probably. I have the one shown on the videos now. I can't figure out how to fill the hot water tank. The manual says to fill it but doesn't say how. It just says turn on the hot water faucet (and on one video Karl shows checking the pressure relief valve) but not what to do if it isn't full. Does it just fill when I fill the tank? I'm sure I did not put 26 gallons of water in; it did not take me that long.
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Old 10-02-2020, 08:50 PM   #13
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OK- hot water tank seems to be full. Fresh water appears only 1/3 full as the monitor says but when I try to add more it just comes back out.
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Old 10-02-2020, 09:39 PM   #14
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I attach hose to city water inlet and open pressure relief valve ( which causes some to cringe ). Reace showed me. When water is flowing from the PRV, the tank is full ( but not overly full as some might like to point out ).
Same can be done to flush the hot water tank. Remove the anode instead of opening the PRV and run city water.

Make sure the water heater lines are not in bypass mode.
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Old 10-02-2020, 09:39 PM   #15
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When I only want to travel with about 10 gallons in the fresh water tank and the hot water full, I make sure the hot water bypass valves used for winterizing are set for fresh water going into the hot water tank. Then I put a few gallons in the fresh water tank and get down on my aging knees and look at the tank. The translucent plastic will be a little darker at the water fill level and below. Above : lighter. Or if I know the hot water is full like mine is right now, but the fresh tank is empty, I have poured exactly 10 Gallons in the tank. Then I use a felt tip marker on the side of the tank to indicate 10 and 20 gallons. I like to travel with the ten gallons to balance my overall load and to have some water if I need it. My probes have always read what I thought was accurate on our 2013 21 Escape. I do not have foam under the Escape.
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Old 10-02-2020, 09:52 PM   #16
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Some fresh water tanks must be more translucent that others. I've tried and can't see the level.
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Old 10-02-2020, 09:55 PM   #17
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Well, I used a flashlight and could see a difference at about 1/3. but I didn't look at an empty tank first so just assuming that's the water line. So why isn't my tank filling? should i have a faucet open when I fill it? Do I need something that sticks further into the inlet than a hose end? And then the question- how does the hot water tank fill before the freshwater tank is full? Since it is higher? Or maybe they filled it to test it and didn't empty it when they emptied the freshwater?

Someone please walk me through filling the tank with a hose.
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Old 10-02-2020, 10:08 PM   #18
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Hot Water

If Escape filled the tank and you did not run the hot water Till it sputtered and quit or did not pull the anode with a 1 1/16 inch socket, there is still water in the tank because you do not have a low point drain. You may have an airlock so I’d run the pump and open a cold water in the sinks, one at a time. Eventually the pump will prime up quit sputtering. Then as you add water you can put your hand by the overflow hole and feel the air being displaced by the incoming water. Then it will spit some water out. Quit filling for a second and it will settle down and you can put another quart or two in and a steady stream will run out of the overflow . Don’t blast water or wedge the hose end into the fill hole because the overflow is smaller than the hose diameter and you can bulge the tank. So as I always say, Slow down, Easy does it.
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Old 10-02-2020, 10:11 PM   #19
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Assuming yours is the same, there is that small hole near the fresh water fill. It is the vent for the tank and allows air to escape so the water can enter. Opening a faucet would be redundant to that vent.
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Old 10-02-2020, 10:27 PM   #20
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Dave- does the hot water tank automatically fill when you fill the fresh water, if the bypass isn't closed? I did run the hot water side of the faucet until it quit sputtering but didn't try to run it out. (I want it filled.) So if they filled it, then emptied the fresh water tank but did not empty the hot water tank, it would still be full? I'll try what you suggest in the morning.

Glenn- is that a vent I need to open or is it just there?
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