Fixing the holding tank gauge

[Rich Stidger]

You did good, Ed Caldwell. The WEMA sender with the holes is very prone to plugging and the result is that the float won't move.Now the bad news: You have a choice. You can either repeat this cleaning proceedure on a VERY regular basis (possibly twice or more per season) or you can scrap the entire WEMA system and install a sender and gauge system that has no moving parts.Attached is a link for such a system.After cleaning my WEMA system and even retro-fitting one of their sensors with a water flushing port, I pulled the entire system and installed a Snake River gauge. It is similiar to the one at the link. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.....

 

[Ed Caldwell]

It hasn't been a problem until now

Thanks Rich! As for your recommendation, I had alreay looked at that system after reading other posts. Also, WEMA also has a new sending unit that replaces the one I have, made out of stainless steel.But the problem will have to be much worse for me to consider replacing the gauges. We've had the boat for four years, and this is the first time I've had to pull out the sending unit. Agree that the external sensor would be a better long term solution.

 

[Andy]

Thanks 340 Ed, you coming this way soon?

You seemed to taken care of that so well, would you clean mine too? Our 340 guage for fresh water and waste both seem to have failed. I experimented first with the fresh water guage-it was much easier and cleaner to deal with! But the float was not stuck and manually moving the float didn't seem to affect the gauge. That being the lesson, I did not try to tackle the waste gauge. If my first jobe indicated that a good cleaning was all that it would take, I would be all over the waste tank deal. Any futher suggestions

 

[seadaddler]

Try New

I think I went on the WEMA web site a long time ago and found new ones or try calling hunter for a new replacement.The dealer sent me a new one years ago but I could not change it out it was too tight impossible to change where the holding tank was located.Don't know I think I gave it with the boat on trade.

 

[Ed Caldwell]

Andy, it wasn't hard to do on the 340

Be happy to come take care of it for you if you send me some tickets AND you happen to be located somewhere nice and warm. The WEMA site has a link to their tech support, and they responded quickly to my request for troubleshooting ideas. I replaced the water tank sending unit/gauge combo after we took a lightning strike about 18 months ago. If moving the doughnut float on the sending unit didn't move the gauge (you did have the power on to the gauges when you did that, right?), get a digital voltmeter and ask WEMA for the resistance values to look for. The resistance change in the sending unit is what causes the gauge to deflect. Another thing to try would be to remove the leads from the sending unit, turn on the gauges and momentarily touch the leads together to see if that moves the gauge. As for cleaning the holding tank sending unit, I thought it was a reasonable amount of work assuming I only have to do it once every few years... Now on to the inop diesel tank gauge.Here's the link to the picts in the photo forum if anyone is trying to follow this: