Regarding fresh and waste tank sender failures. I purchased a Hunter 290 last Fall and have verified that both senders are inoperable. I have seen posts recommending an externally mounted sensor system (WindRiver). This method sounds much more reliable, but requires mounting of a new gauge that does not fit in the old gauge location, i.e. square gauge in round hole. Additionally, new wiring is required. Does anybody know of a vendor that can provide either a round gauge system, or an externally mounted sensor(sender) that will work with existing Wema gauge? Does anybody have a success story in replacing gauge system they could share? My panel has precious space available and am not sure about mounting new square gauges and leaving the dead gauges in place. Thanks.
Wema Gauge
- Thread starter mattinva
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These are the gauges you want
Profile Tank Monitors
I think you actually meant "Snake River" which is out of business. Their former sales manager owns the company that makes the Profile gauges. If you re-read the posts recommending guages, you'll see that EVERYone agrees that Dennis Ferriello's customer service is the best on the planet...he'll be glad to help you sort out what will actually work.
In fact, I'll send him a heads up to read this thread...he posts here, so he'll show up shortly.
Profile Tank Monitors
I think you actually meant "Snake River" which is out of business. Their former sales manager owns the company that makes the Profile gauges. If you re-read the posts recommending guages, you'll see that EVERYone agrees that Dennis Ferriello's customer service is the best on the planet...he'll be glad to help you sort out what will actually work.
In fact, I'll send him a heads up to read this thread...he posts here, so he'll show up shortly.
mattinva, Hunter Owner
Maattinva:
Hi. The Hunter 290 probably has the WEMA if the gauges are round. Prior to yours they had the Old Snake River Ultra 8 panel with the external sensors.
The 290 has 2 tanks and a fuel tank, so if WEMA the round gauge. We recommend WEMA with our panel for the Fuel tank. WEMA can't read our sensors but we can read there's. They build a great Fuel sender and we build a great external, best of both worlds.
Get hold of me and we can sort this out. I have all the info and can help you through your switch over. I have helped many do this.
Take care and drop my an email and include your phone number.
Here is an article Ed wrote in the Hunters forum not long ago about his switch.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=816555&highlight=tank monitor
Dennis Ferriello
www.ferriellosales.com
dennis@ferriellosales.com
I have all the wire colors and info to do an install with our unit.
Maattinva:
Hi. The Hunter 290 probably has the WEMA if the gauges are round. Prior to yours they had the Old Snake River Ultra 8 panel with the external sensors.
The 290 has 2 tanks and a fuel tank, so if WEMA the round gauge. We recommend WEMA with our panel for the Fuel tank. WEMA can't read our sensors but we can read there's. They build a great Fuel sender and we build a great external, best of both worlds.
Get hold of me and we can sort this out. I have all the info and can help you through your switch over. I have helped many do this.
Take care and drop my an email and include your phone number.
Here is an article Ed wrote in the Hunters forum not long ago about his switch.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=816555&highlight=tank monitor
Dennis Ferriello
www.ferriellosales.com
dennis@ferriellosales.com
I have all the wire colors and info to do an install with our unit.
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Thank you for the responses. It was nice to see feedback from an installation. Yes, this is the type unit I thought would work nicely. But like the previous installer, I was hoping to avoid cutting a square hole and snaking new wires. The existing fresh water sender is pretty easy to replace, but the other frankly "stinks". Any chance somebody is working on a drop in external sensing replacement that will support the existing Wema gauge? I recognize that the technology is completely different, but possible.
Before you change maker and, as a consequence have to modify your instrument panel and wiring, you need to know that WEMA have introduced a stainless steel version of sensor that is an identical fit to the original plastic one.
I found that the plastic one had developed a crack in the dip tube inside the tank when beating to windward with a partially full tank. I repaired it and when it failed the second time I contacted their agent and they supplied the latest stainless one (at a cost being over 12 years old). I think it was due to the free surface effect of the water sloshing in the unbaffled bow tank.
The stainless sensor looks bombproof and has been a complete success this last three years.
I found that the plastic one had developed a crack in the dip tube inside the tank when beating to windward with a partially full tank. I repaired it and when it failed the second time I contacted their agent and they supplied the latest stainless one (at a cost being over 12 years old). I think it was due to the free surface effect of the water sloshing in the unbaffled bow tank.
The stainless sensor looks bombproof and has been a complete success this last three years.
You wouldn't want a steel sender in a waste tank
Plastic internal senders become clogged with animal fats...urine will eat through a metal sender.
Any chance somebody is working on a drop in external sensing replacement that will support the existing Wema gauge?
Unfortunately not...at least none that I'm aware of...and that's something I'm pretty sure I'd have heard about.
Plan B: Replace the water tank sender with another Wema sender...water doesn't clog up senders. Put one of Dennis' single tank "Mini" gauges on the holding tank. You could prob'ly put that panel up in the head--which is a very good place for it!--with with double sided tape...so you'd only have to drill a small hole for the wires.
Plastic internal senders become clogged with animal fats...urine will eat through a metal sender.
Any chance somebody is working on a drop in external sensing replacement that will support the existing Wema gauge?
Unfortunately not...at least none that I'm aware of...and that's something I'm pretty sure I'd have heard about.
Plan B: Replace the water tank sender with another Wema sender...water doesn't clog up senders. Put one of Dennis' single tank "Mini" gauges on the holding tank. You could prob'ly put that panel up in the head--which is a very good place for it!--with with double sided tape...so you'd only have to drill a small hole for the wires.
Good ideas, the fresh water tank sender replacement is straight forward and Wema replacement inexpensive. The waste tank will likely have to wait until Winter. I am going to give more thought in what would be required to create an external sender for the Wema gauge similar to Dennis's.
Thanks for all the input.
Thanks for all the input.
I find counting strokes on the head to be a very good indicator of how full the holding tank is. At 7 strokes to a gallon and 40 gal capacity you know you are getting close as you approach 280 strokes.
Now if you have an SOP that dictates you always pump the head 7 times no matter what (weekend sailing what I can say) and if you need more than that call the CAPT then you get to go to the head 40 times before pumping out.
Now if you have an SOP that dictates you always pump the head 7 times no matter what (weekend sailing what I can say) and if you need more than that call the CAPT then you get to go to the head 40 times before pumping out.
You never have any guests aboard, do you Bill? Or do you give 'em all clickers that they have to use when they visit the head? Some kind of counter on the pump? How DO you keep track of everyone's "pump count???"
Btw...if you learn how to use dry bowl to do more than just empty the last of the water from the bowl, you could prob'ly increase the strokes per gallon by at least 50%...maybe even 100%...Wow...!!
Btw...if you learn how to use dry bowl to do more than just empty the last of the water from the bowl, you could prob'ly increase the strokes per gallon by at least 50%...maybe even 100%...Wow...!!
Thanks for Wema link. I am going to replace the fresh water sender with new Wema unit. I am going to look into alternatives for the waste tank sensor. It's a tough life for a sender in the waste tank, better off being on the outside looking in.
You can get a thin plastic backgound piece to cover old holes and into this cut out opening for new guages, Also use existng wema wires to snake or pull new wires through. Can buy a multiple wire harness at reilly auto parts.
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