Finding out level of opaque tank
Finding out level of opaque tank
(OP)
We have a 100' water tower. 1/2" to 3/4" steel painted with lead primer and coating.
We have just installed a transducer in the top that senses the water level to a control panel in the plant. I want to find out how accurate it is (or if it is even close).
Does anyone know how we can tell the level of the water in the tank?
I am think thermal sensing but have no clue about that.
thanks
Dan
We have just installed a transducer in the top that senses the water level to a control panel in the plant. I want to find out how accurate it is (or if it is even close).
Does anyone know how we can tell the level of the water in the tank?
I am think thermal sensing but have no clue about that.
thanks
Dan





RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
Greg Lamberson, BS, MBA
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
And by the way, what is a tank doing with lead coating in 2007? Hasn't all that been removed?
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
Greg...we have a flow meter but no idea where the level is right now.
Jed.. There is no side port. Solid steel. We were told the lead paint is encased so it is not a problem.
sephenw22. there is a pressure guage where the well pump piping enters the Treatment plant but from there it goes thru tideflex valves in the tank so we cant measure the hydrostatic pressure.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
Do you have a way of measuring the outflow? If so, as long as you have a flow meter on the inl;et, you could back into that way?????
Greg Lamberson, BS, MBA
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
You could try tapping it and listening for a change in the noise.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
in the past I have inspected steel water tanks via inflatable rubber boat entering through the maintenance hatch. Never tried it in 100 feet high tower though...
Or better yet - open the hatch early morning after wells have filled the tank to the top, stick a measuring stick in and check it like a dip stick.
Alternatively, take a 100 feet long piece of string with a rock tied to the end, drop it in, pull it out and mark the string where it is wet.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
quark/biginch/bimr, I assume you guys/gals are talking about a pressure gauge for the water pressure. We have a water tank but we retrofitted it to use a distribution system with pressure tanks and distrubtion pumps so the only access to the water pressure is under the ground.
cvg, good answer but the transducer is mounted to the hatch so if i did your trick the transducer readings may change.
Thanks for the answers, but I may wait till we drain the tank in the fall, and calculate the level from the well meter of the water going in to be sure of an accurate answer.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
If you block the the distribution system off from your pump station, the pumps will then be reading the static water level of the tank.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
Follow the other recommendations to just measure the static head pressure.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
Just be sure to add a valve near the transducer to purge any air that might accumulate in the line. The air bubble will give false readings.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
That also reminds me, I can bypass the new Water plant and get a pressure gauge reading off the old well head.
That being said,
The pressure gauge is those cheap needle gauge, will that be able to tell me within a few feet of the height of water in the tank?
cr1973, why do you say the flow meters are useless?
Considering the tank holds 67,000 US gal, I would think a meter that reads X.XXm3 should be fairly accurate.
semo, the transducer that we use is installed at the top and shoots down to the water level.
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com
RE: Finding out level of opaque tank
If this is an elevated tank, you'll see them sometimes with float-type gauges, more often with pressure gauges. If it's a standpipe, you'll see them with float-type gauges, but not often full-height.
I would try to tap one of the connections or the tank itself and add a pressure gauge. You can get larger, more accurate gauges, and get them calibrated in feet of head rather than pressure.