monaco holding tank sensors

[oujabob]

does anyone know where to buy the holding tank sensors that screw into the tank. Mega rv parts used to sell them but have discontinued oem parts I guess. should convert to see level, but have aladdin system and see level looks difficult to install and is expensive

[Pusherpilot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oujabob does anyone know where to buy the holding tank sensors that screw into the tank. Mega rv parts used to sell them but have discontinued oem parts I guess. should convert to see level, but have aladdin system and see level looks difficult to install and is expensive

Try here

/CATCON Products | Home

[Our Time]

You can also use these as a direct replacement. www.rvprobes.com/home.html

[Pusherpilot]

After several attempts to contact CatCon to try and order new sensors I called Monaco parts. They want around $140 per unit!!!! My mind slammed shut so fast that the exact number escaped me. I then tried Catcon again and miracle of miracles they answered the phone. I ordered two at a mere fraction of the price quoted by Monaco. I would rather not quote prices here but I could have bought appx 6 of them from Catcon for the price Monaco wanted. They're supposed to be here tomorrow, if anything is wrong with them etc I'll post here.
Ron

[nodine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pusherpilot After several attempts to contact CatCon to try and order new sensors I called Monaco parts. They want around $140 per unit!!!! My mind slammed shut so fast that the exact number escaped me. I then tried Catcon again and miracle of miracles they answered the phone. I ordered two at a mere fraction of the price quoted by Monaco. I would rather not quote prices here but I could have bought appx 6 of them from Catcon for the price Monaco wanted. They're supposed to be here tomorrow, if anything is wrong with them etc I'll post here. Ron

If you are going to take off the panel to replace the sensors you would be much better off to install the SeeLevel system. I installed the SeeLevel system with two displays and love it.

Black tank SeeLevel sensor:



Inside SeeLevel display:


Outside SeeLevel display:


Bob

[Mike Canter]

I believe SeeLevel Systems make a unit that connects to the Aladdin so you still use the original tank quantity system. They are located just SW of Fort Worth, TX

A couple of problems I have noted with the CatCon sensor system. One is never let the black tank dry out before totally flushing the system or you will block the sensor in the bottom of the tank and it will stop reading. You can unscrew these sensors, they should not be screwed in real tight, once out you can soak them in water to help remove the matter that is blocking them. YOU CANNOT USE A PROBE TO CLEAN OUT THE SENSORS. If you look carefully at a new sensor you will see that there is a then membrane covering the pressure sensor. If you stick any sharp object into the sensor to clean it out you will break that membrane and ruin the sensor. Like I said the best thing to do is to soak the sensor and then you the garden hose to carefully wash out the matter. I have to do this about once a year to keep them going. Both my gray and black sensors are hand tight with teflon tape and I can reach up and unscrew them to clean them.

The other thing that is bad about the whole Aladdin tank quantity system is that I don't care how many times you calibrate it the system will still be off. Calibrating a freshly filled tank will result in inaccurate readings. I find it better to wait a couple of days to let the temperature of the water stabilize before I calibrate it. The other problem is that if you calibrate the fresh water tank then fill the gray and black tanks without using the fresh water tank then the level will change on the fresh water tank. They seem to interact upon each other. I finally calibrated my fresh water tank close to empty and my black and gray water tanks at full so when they get to that level of concern then they are most accurate.

[Pusherpilot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Canter I believe SeeLevel Systems make a unit that connects to the Aladdin so you still use the original tank quantity system. They are located just SW of Fort Worth, TX A couple of problems I have noted with the CatCon sensor system. One is never let the black tank dry out before totally flushing the system or you will block the sensor in the bottom of the tank and it will stop reading. You can unscrew these sensors, they should not be screwed in real tight, once out you can soak them in water to help remove the matter that is blocking them. YOU CANNOT USE A PROBE TO CLEAN OUT THE SENSORS. If you look carefully at a new sensor you will see that there is a then membrane covering the pressure sensor. If you stick any sharp object into the sensor to clean it out you will break that membrane and ruin the sensor. Like I said the best thing to do is to soak the sensor and then you the garden hose to carefully wash out the matter. I have to do this about once a year to keep them going. Both my gray and black sensors are hand tight with teflon tape and I can reach up and unscrew them to clean them. The other thing that is bad about the whole Aladdin tank quantity system is that I don't care how many times you calibrate it the system will still be off. Calibrating a freshly filled tank will result in inaccurate readings. I find it better to wait a couple of days to let the temperature of the water stabilize before I calibrate it. The other problem is that if you calibrate the fresh water tank then fill the gray and black tanks without using the fresh water tank then the level will change on the fresh water tank. They seem to interact upon each other. I finally calibrated my fresh water tank close to empty and my black and gray water tanks at full so when they get to that level of concern then they are most accurate.

Mike,
The aladdin system tank sensors are quirky but I never had any real trouble with them till they fail altogether. I recalibrate them when I dump the tanks, how much is in the fresh tank isn't all that important and it seems to stay pretty much the same. I also notice that since the sensors are all on the driver side of the coach I can change the readings by raising one side or the other off level and checking them while rolling down the road produces a wildly fluctuating reading. I really need to know how much is in the gray and black tanks to within 5 gal or so because I don't like to dump much less than a full tank. A side note, back a few years ago the sensor in the fresh tank started to leak thru the electrical connection and corrosion on the contacts indicated it had been going on for a while. When I replaced it I noted that there was RTV in the sensor. Apparently Monaco had tried to stop a leak when it was installed by "sealing" it with RTV! When I asked about that the rather cavalier answer was "that happens". I'd be absolutely thrilled if the sensors we're getting today are better, the one I put in the fresh tank 6 yrs ago is performing flawlessly.
Ron
Ron

[Pusherpilot]

Got the new sensors. They are different from the old ones, they have a plug in the opening with a cross bar in it, presumably to keep junk out of it. Took longer to get the old one out, Monaco had it glued in, than to install the new one. It set up fine, hope it works better than the old ones did.
Ron

[Mike Canter]

See the little clear pressure membrane in the new one....that is why you can't stick anything in there to clean it out.