Filling water tank "alert" ??

[MikeP]

OK, for about the millionth time, I forgot I had the hose running to the water tank and it ran for probably 2 hours after the tank was full.

Anybody have a good idea of some sort of audible alert that could be incorporated into filling the tank? For that matter, how do those gas station nozzles do the automatic shut off? Do they make that sort of nozzle for a water hose?

I have a tank gauge near the lower helm station but it doesn't really help when I'm in some other part of the boat while the tank's filling. Maybe something audible could be tied into the gauge?

 

[doc g]

why not get one of those water hose attachments that meters out just so many gallons then shuts the hose off. They use them in sprinkler systems/irrigation systems. Set it for 250 gals or whatever and forget it . This assumes u know what you need to fill it...... Pat

 

[Angela]

My tanks take a long time to fill - about an hour as I recall or it seems. I set the timer on the oven to go off beeping. I set it about every 20 minutes, because I don't know how full the tanks are, or aren't, to start with, and if not full, then I reset for another 20 minutes. That's the only way I have found that I can remember to turn off the water.

I do the same thing when I have beers or champagne in the freezer for a quick chill.

 

[bobk]

There is a whistle you can install into the vent lines for fuel fills. It might work for water. But it wont sound for long. NSF approved?

Bobk

 

[Milacron]

My first thought on using a typical auto shutoff gasoline or diesel dispensing nozzle for water is there is no way it would work. But then looking into how they actually work, I don't see why one of those wouldn't work for water as well. Obviously a thread adapter would have to be made but that's not big deal.

And yet in Googling the nozzles I never ever see a reference to using one for dispensing water, so I suspect there is something about water that doesn't trigger the venturi effect quite right. Maybe water flows so much stronger pressure, maybe too much splashing....or maybe as simple as concerns over internal parts rusting.

Anyway, this interests me as well, so checking into it further......... if any chance at all it will work for water I'll buy one, make an adapter thread on the lathe and get back with the real world results.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-pump-full-tank.htm

Below is an example from many years ago where I adapted a gas nozzle to use with typical plastic gas can for filling lawnmower or whatever. But it isn't an auto shutoff type so I'd need to buy that type for this experiment.

 

[Milacron]

Breaking news...already one of my machinist forum members spots the below ! I called 'em up....and they believe it will work in auto shutoff mode for filling a yacht tank just fine. The only catch is there is some restriction on flow.... 3 gallons a minute. From what I can gather, typical marina or home wide open water flow rates are more like 4 to 5 GPM.

So, it will take a little longer to fill your tank but since you don't have to be concerned with overflow, perhaps doesn't matter. Will probably get some curious looks from others at the marina seeing a "gas" nozzle connected to a water hose.

http://www.hydro-test.com/ecommerce/230-350-cylinder-water-filling-nozzle.html

 

[tellico]

I use the metered flow setup on my boat anytime I am connected to dock water. $9 at Home Depot. I rarely connect to the dock,but when I do, I figure if something bad happens aboard and we don't see it, maybe won't sink the boat before shutting down. At least I can sleep or not run back to the boat every few minutes. Same should work for a fill up too.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-4-75-in-Flowmeter-Water-Timer-101/100023185

 

[Milacron]

I use the metered flow setup on my boat anytime I am connected to dock water. $9 at Home Depot. I rarely connect to the dock,but when I do, I figure if something bad happens aboard and we don't see it, maybe won't sink the boat before shutting down. At least I can sleep or not run back to the boat every few minutes. Same should work for a fill up too.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-4-75-in-Flowmeter-Water-Timer-101/100023185

Does it really measure the gallons dispensed somehow or is it really just a timer that estimates gallons based on typical flow rates ?

 

[MikeP]

If I fill using full marina pressure, the aft tank will fill/overflow while the forward tank is maybe 1/3 full because the equalizer hose is rather small. So it takes at least an hour to fill the tanks (287 gallons) because I have to turn the faucet to deliver probably 1/3 of its capacity so the two tanks fill at about the same rate.

 

[tellico]

Mine is not same as HD, not sure of make. It is metered by gallon, not just a timer. I can't answer re HD one specifically.

 

[thoward]

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/ocean...e=&network=g&gclid=CLXn8vGjl8YCFcgXHwodlWsA8g
WM just for you...lol Not sure what the Hatt vent hose size is.

 

[Milacron]

Further investigation reveals one could save a little money over the Hydro-Test nozzle by buying a standard 3/4 NPT model somewhere in the $55 range and buying appropriate garden hose to 3/4 NPT female brass adapter for $6 and nylon 3/4 NPT male to male nipple for $1 at McMaster Carr.

But the Hydro Test unit appears better quality and we know absolutely that one will work with water....so probably not worth saving 20 bucks or so to cobble one together with the parts I just mentioned.

 

[Milacron]

Here's one even cheaper. Has to be made in China at that price though....might be suspect long term..

http://www.agrisupply.com/automatic-shut-off-fuel-nozzle/p/86583/

 

[rsmith]

If you used dock water you wouldn't have this problem. Anyway since "thems fighting words" on the forum I'll just relate my tank fill method. When we bought the boat I found that nearly every slip up I ended up in was stern to. That required dragging the hose up the side of the boat finding the deck plate key then worrying about kicking the fill plate in the drink. Wasn't long before I got tired of kinked hoses and coiling and uncoiling. So I plumbed a copper line from the cold pressure line inside the ER to the feed from the tank to the FW pump. I put a ball valve in the line and for the last 30 some years have filled the tank that way. When water. Comes out the overflow it's full. Takes 40 min for 275 gal. Like Ang says set a timer. On your phone IPad what ever.

 

[Milacron]

If you used dock water you wouldn't have this problem. Anyway since "thems fighting words" on the forum I'll just relate my tank fill method. When we bought the boat I found that nearly every slip up I ended up in was stern to. That required dragging the hose up the side of the boat finding the deck plate key then worrying about kicking the fill plate in the drink. Wasn't long before I got tired of kinked hoses and coiling and uncoiling. So I plumbed a copper line from the cold pressure line inside the ER to the feed from the tank to the FW pump. I put a ball valve in the line and for the last 30 some years have filled the tank that way. When water. Comes out the overflow it's full. Takes 40 min for 275 gal. Like Ang says set a timer. On your phone IPad what ever.

But the beauty of the autoshutoff nozzle is you place it in your fresh water opening, pull the trigger and forget it. You could come back hours later and there wouldn't be excess wasted water flowing overboard anywhere. Heck, you could come back a week later except for some concern over rainwater runoff getting in there.

But getting to your mention of direct dockwater... I could do that as well as the boat has connections for that purpose but I presume the "fightin words" revolve around the concern of a fitting breaking somewhere inside the boat and dock water pouring until the boat sank if you weren't aware of it happening.

IMHO, the Holy Grail for that issue would be what I would term a "water circuit breaker".... which does exist in the form of the patented "Floodsafe" auto shutoff connector by Watts Regulator Co. (Google for video to see this in action) The potential catch is these are meant for isolated breaks, like a sink or washing machine and may be too sensitive for an entire yacht. I spoke with the service department at Watts Regulator and he tells me it will shut down the water flow at somewhere between 2.8 and 3.5 GPM. Once it shuts down it can be reset but it's a bit of a PITA to do so...have to remove it and reset a spring I think, then reinstall.

What do you guys think...if one of these was connected between main water in and the garden hose, would just taking a shower while SWMBO is washing the dishes trigger the auto shutoff on the "Floodsafe" for the entire boat ? Seems like it might not if you set the water flow/pressure at the dock a little lower than full blast.....I might buy one and experiment with it.

 

[saltshaker]

If you used dock water you wouldn't have this problem. Anyway since "thems fighting words" on the forum I'll just relate my tank fill method. When we bought the boat I found that nearly every slip up I ended up in was stern to. That required dragging the hose up the side of the boat finding the deck plate key then worrying about kicking the fill plate in the drink. Wasn't long before I got tired of kinked hoses and coiling and uncoiling. So I plumbed a copper line from the cold pressure line inside the ER to the feed from the tank to the FW pump. I put a ball valve in the line and for the last 30 some years have filled the tank that way. When water. Comes out the overflow it's full. Takes 40 min for 275 gal. Like Ang says set a timer. On your phone IPad what ever.

For years I've been saying I'm going to do this. Guess it always falls down the list of things to get done.

 

[saltshaker]

If I fill using full marina pressure, the aft tank will fill/overflow while the forward tank is maybe 1/3 full because the equalizer hose is rather small. So it takes at least an hour to fill the tanks (287 gallons) because I have to turn the faucet to deliver probably 1/3 of its capacity so the two tanks fill at about the same rate.

Using to high flow rate is a bad idea. The water needs to flow at a rate less than the overflow can discharge. If you fill too fast you'll see the water tank swell. Plenty have created leaks or burst a seam in the tank by filling too fast.

 

[JLR]

I too have added the valve in the ER to fill the tank from dockside water. Of course it does not solve the overfill issue but it sure is better than dragging a water hose to the fill. Not to hijack the thread but I was thinking of starting a topic on boat truisms. My first one is as follows. When dragging a water hose on a dock, if there is a cleat anywhere within 100 feet of the hose, it will snag on that cleat.

 

[holtcl]

Mike-

This is no worry. This happens to me all the time. Typically, someone walking down the docks notices the water coming out of my overflows and just turns it off.

I just call it my "Bay Desalination Project".

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[rsmith]

Mike-

This is no worry. This happens to me all the time. Typically, someone walking down the docks notices the water coming out of my overflows and just turns it off.

I just call it my "Bay Desalination Project".

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

That ain't nothin back in the day we used to put a wedge in the fuel nossle and Shut it off when fuel started running down the gunwale.