Quote:
Originally Posted by GrizzTravels
We purchased a new to us 2006 Essex last fall and started getting it all checked out to use when i retire this April, discovered the gray and Black tank both read empty all the time. I took it to Coachlight (Newmar dealer) near us and they tell me both tank sensors are bad and will cost $1900 each to replace. Anyone have any suggestions on a cheaper solution. Is there a way to install a simple tank level system that doesn't use the Eplex system.
Thanks for any help
Dave
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Well, googling Eplex says the system needs to be programmed specifically for each tank. Both sensors are bad? Like any computer based system it may have lost it's mind and just need to be reprogrammed. I'd do some serious googling and see if anybody has been down your path...
I don't know, I have never seen a Eplex system but for $3800 I'd spend some time and do some serious research. But googling says that the e-plex sensors screw into the top of the tanks and hang inside the tank. I've never seen a reliable system with in-the-tank sensors in a chemically hostile environment - and that goes back to the 1970s and the 5,000 gallon underground diesel fuel tanks at NASA-JPL. Maybe you can unscrew them and clean them. For $3800 I'd sure try some toothpase and an old toothbrush.
Googling says
"If cleaning does not work, you will need the eplex software to rebuild the "table of values" that will display the gallons in the tank. Not hard to do if you can get the software, trouble is Newmar and Eplex does not want to share the software with us lowly owners. The reason is in the inexperienced hand it can cause more trouble than it fixes."
I did find the eplex programming guide:
https://comnet2.newmarcorp.com/insta...s/EPLEXTSC.pdf
This story might be of interest:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/grey...or-103649.html
and this article may be of interest:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/e-ple...rs-419173.html
Or I'd get a extended care warranty, wait a couple of months then file a claim.
If you decided to abandon the existing system then you might consider the SeeLevel monitor system made by Garnet Instruments. I do not work for the company, I just know of them from doing a lot of reading and researching my options... as I my 1985 vintage (factory) sensor panel is intermittent, my grey tank sensors have totally failed and my fresh tank (and therefore the attached sensors) may need to be replaced.
SeeLevel is a nice stand-alone system that does not involve new holes in the tanks. Note that it won't work on metal tanks but those are rare. In my case I'd be able to "recycle" some of the old wiring, maybe not in your MH. The new display is a little less than 5 by 3.5 inches. I priced out a 3-tank system with the water heater and water pump switches and it was not expensive.
There are a number of models available with different capabilities. Most RVs have one grey tank, some have two. One interesting feature that at least one model has is to show the current temperature when you are not pressing a button to display a level.
The system is sold by several RV parts houses as well as Amazon.
An acquaintance has one and loves it... he made several comments:
First, it involves some physical labor to mount the display panel, the sensors and to run the connecting cables (if you can't reuse existing wires). A little technical background and knowledge helps understand things.
Second don't use one wire on a sensor and a chassis ground, instead you want to use an additional wire in the cable and run both sensor wires back to the display panel. There is next to zero current involved, so an unshielded 1-pair 22 gauge (or even 24 gauge) cable will work just fine for a sensor connection.
Third, it's a good idea to use duct tape or blue painters tape to "mount" the sensors temporarily and allow positioning them during testing and before mounting them permanently with the peel-and-stick adhesive strip.
Fourth, you need to prep the area you are going to mount the sensor on the outside of the tanks before mounting the sending units. He used some sandpaper on a sanding block to get a smoother surface on the vertical strip where the sensor would be mounted on the tank to give the adhesive strip on the sensor a better chance to "grab". He sanded the area smooth, cleaned it with acetone on a clean rag, let the acetone evaporate overnight.
Fifth, tank senders are available in lengths from 6 inches to 16 inches to support a wide variety of tank heights, and you can overlap two sensors to get even more height, or to match a tank whose height is in between two of the available sensor heights. The bottom inch or so of the fresh tank is not worth measuring as the tank outlet is positioned so that you can't use that water anyway. If the sensor is a little shorter than the tank is tall you want to position the fresh sensor at the lower point on the tank and the grey and black sensors at a higher point... as those are the levels that really count.
If your fresh tank is showing 100% even after you've used the first few gallons, so what? It's the last few gallons that are the most important. And the situation is similar with the the grey and black tanks... it the tank still reads 0% after the first few gallons go into the tank, that's OK.
Lastly, it helps to have a power switch in the +12 volt line feeding the display during initial programming as it requires switching the power on with certain buttons held down.
Review:
https://www.rvtechmag.com/tech/7_seelevel.php
Additional reviews:
https://www.loveyourrv.com/rv-tank-l...toring-system/
SeeLevel II Tank Monitor | MotorHome Magazine
Comparison guide (from the manufacturer web site):
https://www.garnetinstruments.com/wp...ison-Chart.pdf
Manufacturer web site:
https://www.garnetinstruments.com/rv-shop/ or at
http://www.rvgauge.com
either one will work.
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