Questions about the Monitor System

[angler]

Our monitors have been betraying us. Black water monitor no longer shows any result. Battery monitor can't be trusted for accuracy. Has anyone else had and solved monitor problems?

 

By the way, what is the lowest you have seen your battery monitor register before power fails?

Thanks.

[herm]

I haven't had any monitor problems yet, but I find it annoying that water pump starts sucking air with 13-19% water remaining in the tank (with the trailer level). I assume tipping the trailer back allows you to pump the tank empty. Not really a problem...just an observation.

 

Usually if the tank monitor fails it's due to "debris" on the sensors; however, since you're also having problems with the other functions on the panel, it may be something else. You should know that the battery level reading is not terribly accurate to being with, and I don't consider the readings meaningful unless I haven't been applying a charge or a load to the battery for a several hours. I believe a completely dead battery will display 11.7 volts, but I've never let the battery run down below about 12.2 (which I'm guessing is around 50% charge).

 

I know this doesn't really answer your questions, but I'm sure others will chime in.

 

Herm

[mountainborn]

After sitting at above 10 K feet elevation for well over 100 days, our black water reading became suspect from time to time. We restored accuracy by waiting till the black tank was nearly full, to empty it, then immediately refilling with rinse water. The factory installed rinse/flush system is probably the best solution.

When we left to travel to the next job in North Dakota, we added a bag of ICE to scrub the inside of the tank, which restored the accuracy by a better cleaning than a simple rinse.

Our volt meter has never been extremely accurate, but it has also never totaly wrong. It's not a precision instrument, but instead is intended to give us a general look at the battery condition. Our solar panels kept the battery voltage in the neighborhood of 13.2 daytime, and at night down to 12.2 .

The fresh water tank sending unit has never read 100%, though we know that it is full because of the overflow. On the bottom end it will start to suck air at about 8%.

I guess that for us, the bottom line is, that we understand that the readings are a best, a rough estimate of our consumption or replenishment.

That gives us a "heads up" to start thinking about a place to dump or to refill.

[dougi]

After talking with Robert, I learned that our tank monitor system does not have any probes in the tank.

 

Tank liquid levels are monitored by a strip of material that is attached to the outside edge of the tank and the difference in temperature based on liquid in the tank is sensed.

 

According to the manufacturer of these See Level II systems, inaccurate readings are the result of electronic interference along the wires going from the monitoring strips to the display. I plan to go buy their headquarters in Weatherford, Texas and get them to trouble shoot my wiring. He assures me that he can fix the problem if I come by and let him do this.

 

I'll let you know how this comes out after I go by and get the system checked out.

 

Doug

[mountainborn]

Very cool ! I am very intrested in the outcome. As well as willing to stop in there for an adjustment !

[tumbleweed]

Hi ya'll !!

In a parked Oliver for over 5 months, we found that the moniters were actually pretty accurate but affected by high outside temps, ie: 100 degrees + and probably was because of expansion in the tanks . Early AM readings were 10-20% less than late afternoon with no use.

Chuck

[tuxtercat]

Our LGP Monitor is showing OPN, what does that mean?  Is the LP monitor suppose to work?

[STEVEnBETTY]

Our LGP Monitor is showing OPN, what does that mean? Is the LP monitor suppose to work?

No, it's not hooked up.

[tuxtercat]

Thank you