How to read tank monitor

[Burgboy]

Apologies, I'm sure this has been asked before but I just can't find the topic. I've just purchased a 1999 La Palma. Can anyone tell me how to read this KIB monitor? Is my grey full or empty? Is my black 3/4 full or 1/4 full? Thanks much

[tomevansfl]

Gray is full, black is 2/3 full. Fresh is 2/3 full. Batteries are fully charged. LPG is 1/3 full.
 

However, these monitors are known to be inaccurate. 

[CLIFF918]

Looks like your Grey is full

Black (Holding) is 2/3

As a rule of thumb these are not all that accurate. My black tank usually reads full even after dumping and flushing and after a day or so will read empty just depends on how much sludge is covering the sensor.

[Martinvz]

The replies are what we all expect. The sensors are typically inaccurate and at best the full is the most exposed and somewhat reliable. That said hold the button for a few seconds and the full light may go out Indicating that the tank is not yet full.

Best is to remember when you last dumped and how much the tanks are used. For the black tank use a lot of water and regularly flush the tank.

[Jim McFarland]

so I have always been told (cause there are 3 sensors on the side of the tanks) that if the sensors are working correctly  when you go over the 1/3 or 2/3 full sensors that it will register the next highest level.. so being said your full light could come on and yet the tank if only slightly more full that 2/3 full.  I'm really thinking above have a sea level installed.  I hear really good things about their usage.

Jim 2009 Monaco Knight DFT

[cbr046]

Think of it this way:  Green is good, Red is bad.

That said, my black tank said 3/4 full but I didn't use it that much in the last trip.  So I dumped the tank and it still read 1/4 full.  Yup, sensors are wonky.  There is a liquid cleaner for the tanks but if I have the time I'll fill, dump & repeat a time or two. 

- bob

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, cbr046 said:

Think of it this way:  Green is good, Red is bad.

That said, my black tank said 3/4 full but I didn't use it that much in the last trip.  So I dumped the tank and it still read 1/4 full.  Yup, sensors are wonky.  There is a liquid cleaner for the tanks but if I have the time I'll fill, dump & repeat a time or two. 

- bob

I have tried several cleaners and also different “additives” to the tank.  The problem is conductivity.  There is no way, even with a back flush to get the buildup of the septic fluid and dissolved toilet tissue and solid matter off the wall.  When you dump and back flush, the wall is.a little cleaner.  But once you start to drive or use the black tank, then there is a wicking effect and you have a path up to the next sensor (think bolt or stud).  Then it makes the circuit.  This is a common problem in chemical and process engineering when you have sensors at various heights.  The sanitary treatment plans solve it by putting 600 VDC on the probes….so any foreign matter burns or arcs off.   For our application, a capacitance system that reads the mass or the level works fine.  BUT, even then, you need to periodically clean the tanks.  SeeLevel has specific instructions on how to clean.

[Ivan K]

X2 on Seelevel system. One day, when you get tired of the inaccurate readings, look into it. It can display everything on your current outdated panel with a digital display in percentages including voltage and LPG. It just works.

[tomevansfl]

I’ve been RVing since 2006 and the best treatment I’ve found for cleaning the black tank sensors is Unique tank treatment and Unique tank sensor cleaner. 

[Chuck B 2004 Windsor]

When is the last time you calibrated your tank monitoring system?

[cbr046]

7 minutes ago, Chuck B 2004 Windsor said:

When is the last time you calibrated your tank monitoring system?

From the LP Tank chapter - "The display panel comes factory calibrated for accuracy and should not need to be readjusted."

How would one re-calibrate the panel? 

- bob

[Chuck B 2004 Windsor]

You do not recalibrate the panel, you recalibrate the tank.

[Ivan K]

4 minutes ago, cbr046 said:

From the LP Tank chapter - "The display panel comes factory calibrated for accuracy and should not need to be readjusted."

How would one re-calibrate the panel? 

- bob

On my old system, there were pots at the back of the panel. I dumped measured buckets of water in each tank and adjusted the pots. The dials were so incredibly sensitive, I could see how vibrations would mess with it. After all that work I noticed how variations of house voltage further effect the readings. Just a bad choice of pots and apparent lack of voltage regulation. Before I dumped the whole system, I resorted to using a stud finder to find the actual levels when on a long boondocking stay and it really worked. That's a history now. SeeLevel only uses 2 wires for all the holding tanks combined, as a benefit I used the remaining 4 wires for an other improvement. 

[Guest Ray Davis]

1 hour ago, Ivan K said:

I resorted to using a stud finder to find the actual levels when on a long boondocking stay and it really worked. 

That is so clever, I'm very impressed.