I've had my new Hunter 290 for about 8 weeks and when I check the head holding tank the meter always reads zero. While we have not heavely used the head, it still has had some use, and I am concerned as to how full it is. Question 1 is there a way to manually check the tank? Question 2, How would I check the holding tank meter to see if it is working. Either way I am going to have the holding tank pumped out this weekend. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
- Status
A measuring stick...
...is what I use, since I don't have a meter on my H34. I wipe the stick after use with a sani-wipe, and leave it in the tank compartment. Low-tech, low-cost, never breaks down or fails to give an accurate report.
...is what I use, since I don't have a meter on my H34. I wipe the stick after use with a sani-wipe, and leave it in the tank compartment. Low-tech, low-cost, never breaks down or fails to give an accurate report.
Try this
Turn a flashlight upside down and stand it on end so the light shines in. Presto! You'll see instantly how full the tank is.
Turn a flashlight upside down and stand it on end so the light shines in. Presto! You'll see instantly how full the tank is.
Flush it...
When you go to the pump out try filling the tank with the flushing hose then check the gauge when you KNOW the tank is full. Our (Wema) gauge sticks a bit sometimes but tapping on the face of it frees the needle to swing. Also there could be something horrible plugging up the sending unit (best not to think about that...) Flushing out the tank will help with that and it's a good idea anyway...
When you go to the pump out try filling the tank with the flushing hose then check the gauge when you KNOW the tank is full. Our (Wema) gauge sticks a bit sometimes but tapping on the face of it frees the needle to swing. Also there could be something horrible plugging up the sending unit (best not to think about that...) Flushing out the tank will help with that and it's a good idea anyway...
Follow Bill's suggestion, and use
some detergent...Dawn dishwashing liquid is just fine. You might want to leave the water in the tank while you go sailing and tack a lot to agitate the detergent solution. Then rinse pretty thoroughly after you pump that out. If the gauge still doesn't work, I'd say it's prob'ly kaput.
some detergent...Dawn dishwashing liquid is just fine. You might want to leave the water in the tank while you go sailing and tack a lot to agitate the detergent solution. Then rinse pretty thoroughly after you pump that out. If the gauge still doesn't work, I'd say it's prob'ly kaput.
Sight
On mine you can see outline of level by looking at side of tank. Needs a bit before guage works. Hunter had wired mine in reverse, so full was empty!
On mine you can see outline of level by looking at side of tank. Needs a bit before guage works. Hunter had wired mine in reverse, so full was empty!
My H290
My gauge has not work at all. Dealer has replaced the sending unit(float) once. The design is bad. You have to remove the wood bulkhead (four screws) and use the flash light. It is a tight area in there. You have to take the cushions out. Again it is a bad design. Just like getting to the zipper on the sail cover.
My gauge has not work at all. Dealer has replaced the sending unit(float) once. The design is bad. You have to remove the wood bulkhead (four screws) and use the flash light. It is a tight area in there. You have to take the cushions out. Again it is a bad design. Just like getting to the zipper on the sail cover.
Accugage has been praised
I've been doing research on tank guages, and if you need a new one, the accugage they sell here on the HOW has been praised by everyone who has tried it, its $140 but you can use it to monitor all your tanks, I'm thinking about getting one.
I've been doing research on tank guages, and if you need a new one, the accugage they sell here on the HOW has been praised by everyone who has tried it, its $140 but you can use it to monitor all your tanks, I'm thinking about getting one.
And here's a secret...
...hold off buying it for a week. You didn't hear it from me, but you may see a good sale coming down the pike... watch your email.
...hold off buying it for a week. You didn't hear it from me, but you may see a good sale coming down the pike... watch your email.
Phil, this is better than Macy's!
Phil: This is great, pre-announcing a sale. I thought that Macy's is the only one that did that.
Phil: This is great, pre-announcing a sale. I thought that Macy's is the only one that did that.
It's not a pre-announcement
It's a rumor. And you didn't hear it from me. Just watch your email.
It's a rumor. And you didn't hear it from me. Just watch your email.
Thank you
Just want to Thank you for the praise about the AcuGage. We are very proud of our gauges. Also aren't Rumors great. Dennis Ferriello Snake River Electronics Dennis@snake-river.org
Just want to Thank you for the praise about the AcuGage. We are very proud of our gauges. Also aren't Rumors great. Dennis Ferriello Snake River Electronics Dennis@snake-river.org
290 Holding tank level
Kenneth, We also have a new 290 (three months). We found several interesting things about our holding tank. First, our gauge does not register at all until the tank is about half full. The entire gauge (empty to full) seems to read the upper half of the tank accurately. We also found that the pumpout tube only extended half way into the tank. For awhile we thought the tank was empty when we pumped out (gauge read empty), but not so. The tube was replaced two weeks ago and we finally got a good pumpout. The only way we know to absolutely check the tank level is to remove the panel at the back of the rear stateroom (ok that is a bit of an exageration), lets call it the little place where we flip a coin to see who gets the back. Take the cushions out and the middle section of wood removes fairly easy (no tools needed). Then you can see both the waste and fuel tanks and verify levels. Regarding checking the accuracy of the gauge. I would fill it until it registers, then measure the fill from there with buckets and a funnel. The tank is supposed to be 20 gallons, so you should be able to get an accurate reading of what your gauge really means, if it works at all. For us the important number is not how much it holds, but how much is actually left. We have found that we can get about three to four days of full time onboard living out of our tank before we need to find a marina with a pump. We just finished our first 9 day adventure on the boat. That was only a day and a half before they found the short discharge line. Good luck
Kenneth, We also have a new 290 (three months). We found several interesting things about our holding tank. First, our gauge does not register at all until the tank is about half full. The entire gauge (empty to full) seems to read the upper half of the tank accurately. We also found that the pumpout tube only extended half way into the tank. For awhile we thought the tank was empty when we pumped out (gauge read empty), but not so. The tube was replaced two weeks ago and we finally got a good pumpout. The only way we know to absolutely check the tank level is to remove the panel at the back of the rear stateroom (ok that is a bit of an exageration), lets call it the little place where we flip a coin to see who gets the back. Take the cushions out and the middle section of wood removes fairly easy (no tools needed). Then you can see both the waste and fuel tanks and verify levels. Regarding checking the accuracy of the gauge. I would fill it until it registers, then measure the fill from there with buckets and a funnel. The tank is supposed to be 20 gallons, so you should be able to get an accurate reading of what your gauge really means, if it works at all. For us the important number is not how much it holds, but how much is actually left. We have found that we can get about three to four days of full time onboard living out of our tank before we need to find a marina with a pump. We just finished our first 9 day adventure on the boat. That was only a day and a half before they found the short discharge line. Good luck
- Status