Re: Tank Depth

Hello James,


Paint, exposed metal, all that will rot over time. I have even seen steel corrode although it was sold as stainless. In an application like this ideally you need something that you can build and forget for a few years.

And your objection to making a yearly inspection of your facilities would
be....? ;-)

This looks like a rig for personal use. Yearly inspections are ok but if you find something amiss on every one of these it'll become a hassle. It's always best to design something to last literally forever.

All of the suggestions are good but one of the problems is that all of the drums are plastic, probably something I should have mentioned at the beginning.


Argggh... coulda told us earlier.

.... Forgiven.


.. I have around 25 drums in the system. and would like to monitor each drum individually as well as a whole.


With proportional pressure sensors that is going to become expensive. Unless money is not too important here I'd go with float switches.


I came across these pressure sensors: the MPX2010 and its amplified version the MPX5010 in my rummaging through DigiKey. Has anyone had any experience with them? Do you think they would work in the harsh environment of a backyard in West Central Florida?


Probably not. Also, note that only one of the 5010's is in stock, and they've got just 55 of them (seems you'd need 25 of these plus spares).


What case styles would you suggest? Could I build them in a small potting box and pot them to make them more weather resistant and what sort of potting would I use?


I'd look for something more industrial. Check Honeywell and the local Grainger outlet. Ideally I'd want something where I could drill a hole, cement in a fitting and then screw the sensor in with Teflon tape. IOW a clean plumbing job, no kludges. IIRC the Honeywell 236PC series has that thread but you'd have to check whether it fits, gives you the desired resolution etc.

Whatever you do keep in mind that stuff like this may have to be serviced and repaired. Murphy's law stipulates that there will be a driving rain, gale force winds and some hail when that happens.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
.