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Robert T · 03-20-2016, 06:11 PM

04 Endeavor 40 PST. I need to remove all may tank sensors on the gray and holding tank and either clean or replace.

I have been told conflicting methods.

1) Remove the panel in the wet bay above the gravity fill to access the sensors.Remove the sensors , clean and /or replace.
2) Remove the complete white panel in the wet bay to access the sensors.
3) Cut a hole in the white panel in the wet bay to gain access.

I tried adding dish washing soap with some water softener, fill the tank and drive the coach. Also tried tank sensor cleaner. These are only temp fixes.

The sensors are so bad even the completely filled sensors stays on at times.

Has anyone replaced their sensors?:

BFlinn181 · 03-20-2016, 07:00 PM

What type of sensors do you have? Many are just screws through the tank wall that sense a voltage change when they are submerged. Crud gets on the protruding screw and messes up the readings. If you have that type, I'd leave them alone or you might have future leaks around the screws.

The better kind of sensors measure levels from outside the tanks. This is one system:

https://www.tankedge.com/

Sanidumps: Product Review - iSeries Tank Systems Monitor

You'll get bunches of recommendations for cleaning the tanks, sounds like you've tried the best I've found. I'm sure folks will be along suggesting ice, and many other methods. I think the external sensors is the way to go.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 03-20-2016, 07:27 PM

Another popular external tank level sensing system is the SeeLevel II by Garnet Technologies. I installed that system on our former Class C.

Before you replace your system, though, you may want to try what I recommend in this post.

RustyTools · 03-21-2016, 05:27 AM

Method #2 (no pun intended) is the best way to gain complete access to the sensors. Some say removing the panel is difficult, so you may want to cut the panel and then add a hinge (or similar) to make it easier next time. I found I could bend it slowly and work it out in one piece.

The sensors are like little screws/bolts that stick into the tank, and over time collect 'stuff' sticking to them to the point they don't make contact with the contents. Removing them is the only sure way to get them clean again.... for awhile.

I did that many-a-time to the point I got tired of doing it, and then went the 'See-Level' sensor system as some suggest. I still had bad readings and blamed the See-Level mfgr til I cut an access port in the top of the black-tank to actually see what was going-on.

What I found was disgusting, to say the least. Even tho i have been religious about cleaning/wanding/rinsing/dumping/flushed/etc the tanks often, I still managed to collect about an inch of stuff on the tank interior walls over the years. Curiously, it was thicker in places than others, which told me that my past cleaning exercises were only partially successful.

So I got my hand in there and scraped off as much stuff as I could reach, then got the garden hose (thought of a pressure washer, but couldn't get the wand in and around using the access hole) and a sharp spray and got a lot more out.

To my way of thinking, almost any cleaning method isn't a perfect nor permanent fix but is better than nothing. Right now both types of my sensors are working, but I expect to have to do that job again sometime.

Maybe I could invent something like the swimming pool automatic cleaners.

K7JV · 03-21-2016, 07:48 AM

Rusty Tools - How did you close the access hole that you made in your black tank? I've wanted to do that for years! Been looking for a fitting with a cap of some sort that I could install near the top of the PS end wall of the black tank (and maybe the gray, too) to allow spraying the tank out good, like you suggest.

BFlinn181 · 03-21-2016, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K7JV

Rusty Tools - How did you close the access hole that you made in your black tank? I've wanted to do that for years! Been looking for a fitting with a cap of some sort that I could install near the top of the PS end wall of the black tank (and maybe the gray, too) to allow spraying the tank out good, like you suggest.

You might look at kayak hatches. They would do the job for up to an 8" round access to the tank.

RustyTools · 03-21-2016, 10:36 AM

As Bflinn said, I used an access hatch (West Marine, etc). It's a round PVC frame (different sizes) with mounting-screw holes and a screw-in center plate. Cut the hole in the tank-top (or side, if you believe it's really waterproof

) and mount the hatch. I coated the threads on mine with dielectric grease because it kept binding.

I was going to add one for gray while I was at it, but it hasn't been as much of a problem.

Good luck!

DtBt · 03-21-2016, 11:06 AM

Forget the screw in Catcon sensors. For the cost of just the new sensors you can almost get a complete basic Seelevel sensors plus panel. It will be more accurate and last longer than the Catcon. It won't require you to turn on Aladdin to view the tank status. You will have a dedicated panel, generally inside your coach. You will need access to the passenger side on the tanks to install sensors and fish the wire to the panel.

K7JV · 03-21-2016, 09:28 PM

It can also talk to the Aladdin. That way you can have the new SeeLevel panel in the wet bay, and still read the tank values from the Aladdin, wherever you have those monitors. Best of both worlds. Now, we're doing it with the Silverleaf, and it works with the SeeLevel system, as well. SeeLevel is pretty good.