Testing & Comparing Wireless Tank Monitors for Water Cisterns

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rain water, rain barrel, water level gauge, cistern level gauge, water level indicator, water level monitor, wireless water level monitor, wireless water monitor, tank level indicator, rainwater tank gauge

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14 май 2019

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Комментарии : 335

@JohnSmith-ug5ci 5 лет назад

Why would you pump water up hill at least a hundred feet away to a cistern that needs to be monitored when all you have to do is install an 80 gallon pressurized tank at the well?

@keithvertrees9008 5 лет назад

I’m only 15 mins in but it’s driving me crazy that you aren’t trying it from the 2nd or 3rd floors of the house where you’d have line of sight.

@MaximumChips 5 лет назад

You went with the most expensive fancy bells one? Shocker!

@TheMot616 5 лет назад

Can we get that house moisture wrapped and on to the finish siding ❄️will be back ☃️

@maykevin5 5 лет назад

I don't understand why you don't use your new expensive deep well. Feed that in to a bladder tank with a pressure switch. Use the cistern for emergency or garden

@watermanone7567 5 лет назад

Why are you still screwing around with cisterns??? Hook the well up to a pressure tank in the garage and use a pre-filter and your water softener. Done.

@theluckybeaver 5 лет назад

Why not just have a float switch in the tank so the well keeps it full all the time would be a lot easier on the pump and softener to filter 5 gallons at a time then 1000 all at once

@Desert2GardenLV 5 лет назад

I guarantee they eventually do this but you know Jesse and Alyssa they like to discover things from every angle before jumping right in the deep end.

@gsyguy1 5 лет назад

said it before simple but always works a FLOAT SWITCH ,it really is that simple.Float detects level says its low calls pump pump turn son fills until float switch says FULL ,simple always works" don't complicate the simple"

@pbertlin6194 5 лет назад

FYI, The sensor is a Pressure Transducer that measures in Inches of water column. There should be laser etched markings on the side of it that has the calibration, usually (0-12 ft). Don't rest on bottom it will get contaminated from any silt , leave it 6" or better up from the bottom. They will sometimes install inside a perforated 2" PVC pipe attached to the side of riser.

@roberthamilton9730 5 лет назад

Good to know

@timgarlanger6093 5 лет назад

Are you going to work on your house this summer?

@shanehaws3828 5 лет назад

Jesse you need to not try and ear that radio when your trying to talk into it, its no different then a cb or ham radio when using them, you hold the mic or in your case radio away from your mouth about 6" so you don't sound like you have a mouth full of mash potatoes.

@hansroemerszoonvanderbrikk7626 5 лет назад

I'm old school and I'd preferred a plain old floating sensor connected to a relay switching on and off the pump (and maybe a valve to avoid return). The only limit: it needs a cable. I was in fact wondering why you didn't put any cable conduit alongside the water pipes toward both the well and the tanks.

@northfielder1789 5 лет назад

you should have tried recieveing signals up on the main floor. Wouldn't that be closer to line of sight. Or even the top floor.

@josutton2911 5 лет назад

I may be confused but isn’t line of sight mean they have to visibly see each other? So by you dropping down the hill then with height difference between house and water tank then you are losing line of sight. Only way to have line of sight to top of hill is from the upper floor of your house???

@deanconstantine4866 5 лет назад

What’s going on with siding?

@Betty1Q 5 лет назад

I missed you both. Thank You for your time and update. Hugs!!

@margarettt7675 5 лет назад

I gotta say I've been waiting for news of that baby's arrival :) I know after the birth it might be a little challenging for Alyssa to work on a video, but hoping a work around for that is in the works. I'm sure I'm not the only one anticipating the happy, happy event.

@mirandabruning3953 5 лет назад

My thinking!

@swamprat69er 5 лет назад

What a load of BS to go through! Just plumb a pressure tank into the line from the well pump and plumb the house into the tank. Save the cisterns for irrigation and car washing.

@waynebaird3539 5 лет назад

I am so surprised you have not connected your house to your water well, directly. I have a well and use the water straight from the well and have no problems what-so-ever. And... I never run out of water.

@Eskears2 5 лет назад

I really love watching your content but I’m a plumber and I am extremely confused why you don’t just set up s pitiless adaptor and dig a trench into the house and get a standard well tank also the softener is designed to kinda be hands freee and run and regen on its own if you would get a standard well tank this whole system seem extremely over complicated I would keep the tanks up the hill as reserve for when the electric is out but should be valved off in the house so you can fill or use water from them with the flip of a valve and a turning the power off to the pump

@DevinHeaps 5 лет назад

All I heard was: "...spent $120 for this chunk of fiberglass. Now watch me destroy it... and no, there is no possible way scrap lumber could work here..."

@fredericrike5974 5 лет назад

A plastic kitchen cutting board bolted onto the down face of the "cheap" cover with SS or galvanized nuts and bolts. Think several commenters may have a thought re cold weather ops, as I have had winter probs even here in Texas with electronically controlled devices. Best of luck Alyssa!

@chadilac9 5 лет назад

What a tease on that last system and filing the tanks! Pretty cool summary though, heading the right direction on your choice

@tandrerafferty 5 лет назад

Glad to see you back. Missed seeing you two. Was a bit worried because there had been such a quiet period from you, but realised with everything you have going on with the house & baby on the way, we'd hear from you when you were darn good & ready. ❤

@salimufari 5 лет назад

Is it possible when you paired the 3rd setup that it paired to the previous sensor? Since they are the same brand.

@baldoldbear 5 лет назад

should the in water sensor sit on the the bottom of the tank and what are you using for drinking water as you have added salt to your tank so you cant drink it or use it for cooking deadly for newborns too (remember you cant drink salt water) also over time it will coat the inside of the tank

@Mrkaffecod 5 лет назад

When will you start working on the house again?

@super_slo 5 лет назад

Interesting you decided not to mount the transmitter over the wire port since you seemed to have a good enough signal. Maybe I'm missing the point, but it looked like it was possibly designed to nest above the split rubber bung and reduce/eliminate the need to caulk around the cable ...

@hutcherson77 5 лет назад

Glad y’all went with the pressure sensor. I’m a geotechnical engineer, and we use these types of sensors to measure changes in groundwater. They are very reliable, and like you mentioned, very easy to setup. Love the setup you have, and love your videos.

@NEProject 5 лет назад

FYI, Smart Life Weekly is using your picture in an ad, just in case you didn't know.

@flyinggyros9745 5 лет назад

It’s good to see you back again. Although I’m on the grid and have no need for this stuff I find it very interesting and I’m learning something from your efforts. You keep teaching and I’ll keep learning. Thanks. Alan

@paulpentecost9860 5 лет назад

With the last system you tested do you need to keep the sensor above the water outlet? As sitting on the bottom would the receiver ever read empty?

@DavidKirwanirl 5 лет назад

Guys I hope you get cladding or some sort of protection up before that osb just rots ;/

@joeschmoe4030 5 лет назад

Running out of water.....with a well on site.....seriously

@atomiczombie22 5 лет назад

I've been waiting for a new video. Yay! Can't wait for the bambino to arrive! Much love to you both and God bless.

@gordonwilloughby8793 5 лет назад

I expect that the signal would be stronger upstairs in the house but you may need it to work from the basement so you can tell if the tank is full while you are filling it when you are in the garage. i wonder if the snow will build up on the top of the tank beside the antenna and block the signal in the winter.

@vandwellingBrandon 5 лет назад

Missed u both

@Pauljohn696969 5 лет назад

When I was growing up, we had a cottage with a well basically the same as yours and a purification system almost the same as yours. Our system had a pressure tank which the well pump filled and pressurized and it automatically came on when the water was low and repeated the cycle. We didn't have any cisterns so why do you need them? It seems to me those made sense before you had the well but now they' appear to be simply redundant.

@MichaelDawson03 5 лет назад

I think the plan is to move to that, right now they are using a temporary set up, until they get the permanent plumbing set up.

@super_slo 5 лет назад

Curious if the complex display with the spear shaped sensor is getting confused by having 2 sensors in close proximity ... ?

@mgfarmer1 5 лет назад

HELLO FROM OREGON; GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK!

@Desert2GardenLV 5 лет назад

Can you get a 90ft cable on that smartwater and put that in the well?

@BobHolowenko 5 лет назад

Hey, you can extend the range on those units with the external antennas. I think those are 433Mhz units and a 433mhz external antenna on both sides should help

@LetsrideJ 5 лет назад

is there a reason for a measurement then fill setup, Rather than just putting a float valve on the cistern and just it fill/maintain that level of the float?

@smakarl0 5 лет назад

I guess that I missed it. What is the complete water system which you settled into? diagram?

@richardhjones5576 5 лет назад

at some point will you have a system that detects low water level and just fills the cistern at a certain low level? Like the toilet does. Poor example I know but you get the drift.

@larryfromlincolncountywa3989 5 лет назад

Well done, guys!! Several decent, albeit low-range, rain-barrel monitors and one dynamite full-function unit. The option to have the high-end monitor turn the pump on and off and the excellent range and design sure look promising to me (were I to ever need one). Enjoyable and informative!!

@thomaseisen304 5 лет назад

Isn't there a kit for sale that extend the antenna so you can place the reader inside with the antenna outside of the house??? I mean that must be a common issue for many people to get a propper signal when it's used inside. Also if the antenna is higher mounted on the house the hill is not in the way .

@larryparish5984 5 лет назад

Glad to see you're back, been missing you both on here. Alyssa, I have something for you. 2 INGREDIENT PIZZA DOUGH Makes a 12" round or regular size baking sheet. 3 cups / self-rising flour 2 cups / plain Greek yogurt After mixing flour and yogurt place in a floured bowl, cover with a dish towel & place in a warm place to rise for 15-20 min. (While mixing,if dough is to sticky add a little extra flour a little at a time). Pretty sure you know the rest 🍕🍕🍕. It's really good as it is but I like adding a little garlic powder to the flour. You can also roll up some string cheese in the edge of the dough. I know Jesse will probably want to try this soon. Glad you're back.

@pistolpete8887 5 лет назад

I was just wondering is there is a device you can use, that will automatically fill you tank instead of you doing it manually.

@evankooiman1988 5 лет назад

Maybe you’ve given the answer before, but why are you still using the cisterns now that you have the well dug? Seems like an unnecessary step.

@d.lagumbi9230 5 лет назад

Because they rely on gravity to get water pressure, otherwise they'd need to use the inline well pump. Also I think they might be worried about running out of h2o during low water periods.

@noway543 5 лет назад

Gravity feed the house so in case of power failure they still have water and do not require connecting the well pump on the generator.

@oldtimefarmboy617 5 лет назад

To prevent the well pump motor from burning out from constantly cycling on and off every time you open faucet and the pressure drops, you either need a pressure/storage tank to handle filling up a glass or pan with water so when the well pump comes on it can pump several gallons of water. Using large cisterns on top of the hill is actually the ideal setup since they can handle hundreds of gallons of water before the well pump comes on and then it can pump for hundreds of gallons of water before shutting of and staying off until needed again. That is also one rason why cities use those large water towers to maintain pressure on their system. A system like what they have set up can last for decades before needing the well motor or pump serviced. My parents installed their system in 1973 and replaced the pump and motor for the first time in 2018. 45 years.

@whatdowedonow4343 5 лет назад

Not sure Jesse's reason why but, I know that the biggest draw back of running a well system with a pressure tank and pump is that it takes quite a bit of energy, however if you have that combined with a gravity fed cistern your pressure is inherent and you can fill the tanks with a much smaller pump. Just a guess.

@flick22601 5 лет назад

Evan, you're totally correct. They love to make things more complicated by over analyzing everything. Millions of houses in this country and throughout the world use submersible pumps with pressure tanks without any problems. Power goes out; start up your generator or drink some beer and wine until it comes back on. I live in the country and my system has been working continuously for over 14 years.

@Tomcroese 5 лет назад

A good test, and a lot of mony to test all this! Thanks. Fun to see you run up and down the hill....

@arthurme1911 5 лет назад

Good to see u w back again I missed seeing you 1vor 2 a week

@jaccurtis5789 5 лет назад

At 11:30, switches 1,3,4,6 out of 8 is 2x tank depth + 4 in binary.(10110100)

@catzbear66 5 лет назад

Good to see you back on you tube, where have you been????

@ap6553 5 лет назад

Wondering if anything is new on the baby front?????

@cteneyck 5 лет назад

The problem is the receiver is down hill from the sensor. the sensor likely has a built in antenna that radiates the signal up and out. picture a reverse cone. 73 de N5CJT

@ducmagic 5 лет назад

You should use a small pipe and little larger size pipe. Then you use a floating ball to pushing the small pipe up and down to measure the water. You painted red and green good or bad low water or high water.

@RockyMountainHiThere 5 лет назад

Even though I probably won't ever be in the market for most of the things you do comparison videos on, I do enjoy them. I'm really looking forward to when ever the radiant floor system gets "installed". Not because I'm considering it, it's just my curiosity.

@timon0x31 5 лет назад

Right now the transmitter is sending it’s signal in all directions. If you add a yagi antenna on a pole aimed toward the house you should get a much stronger signal. Just make sure you get the right one for the device with at least 9db of gain.

@shewme71 5 лет назад

Miss you guys. Your vids are a high light of my day. Thank you.

@RVthereyetmemaw 5 лет назад

Can’t wait for the follow up, to see how it works! Seems like the best one, how is that garden coming along? Miss your videos. Catch you on the next one.

@Bluuplanet 5 лет назад

Any of the ones that have a screw-in walkie talkie type antenna can have a coax put in between the sensor and the antenna so you could put the antenna anywhere for good reception.

@SMKreitzer1968 5 лет назад

Great summary. Hope you three are doing well!

@mrebholz 5 лет назад

Shayne Kreitzer 4

@franktaccetta784 5 лет назад

Great video! You really put in the effort to make this comprehensive. Sometimes cheap is good enough, but not in this case. Thanks so much for the info. I’m sure many viewers will find it very informative!

@Mrcovert 5 лет назад

Do you just buy them all on amazon then return what you don’t want to keep ?

@michaelanthonyburkeyared1429 5 лет назад

Your house is tall just run a hose up a board to get high as the top of your water level mark it at full and low or just a float with a micro switch to a light 12 volts !

@moretimethanmoney8611 5 лет назад

Float switch in cistern connected to well pump.

@trongod2000 5 лет назад

Think it will be interesting to revisit this operation next winter when it gets cold and if it gets buried in snow.

@robertherzog2087 5 лет назад

You said these were line of site, so are you in line with the transmitter at the bottom of the hill? Maybe trying the receiver on the top floor of the house will make a difference.

@joesharp5602 5 лет назад

Looks like the upgrade to the expensive unit (beginning at 30 minutes) could also be used to turn on your well pump when your systern is low. I would also, since you had extra cable above the systern, extend the cable via pvc pipe and fittings in order to get the transmitter as high as possible even though the receiver shows strong signal. You talk about this in your video so I believe we are in agreement with those ideas. Keep the great videos coming... You and you family are awesome... Joe

@krisbowman1061 5 лет назад

These electronic readers seem to me more of a hassel than practical. Easy fix would be to put a meter on the hydrent when filling to get your gallons into tanks, and 1 at the house inlet to get your usage.

@MelbGurl3162 5 лет назад

Ty for the new video Jesse & Alyssa. Enjoyed it.

@lloyddahlen1141 5 лет назад

Thanks for the info and thanks again for sharing it with us, your get 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one question what of exteriors are going have and when are you going to start? Very curious to see it installed ,thanks again 👍

@RH-xr8ms 5 лет назад

Hey Kids,, Thanks for the new video !!!!!!! I've been checking my mail 19 times every day for a new video from you. Keep it up !! Love you kids.

@starfireevony8796 5 лет назад

Oh i was worried because there were no uploads. Glad to see a video, all the best guys

@rayneethling7809 5 лет назад

Yea me too ! Phew !

@barrywinters1142 5 лет назад

Been so long since last posting, I was really worried about you guys. Thanks for the update.

@Subgunman 5 лет назад

Just wondering, are you filling the tanks with softened water? I am filling my emergency reserve tank ( 1500 liters )with straight hard water. When needed in the summer months when there is little or no pressure from the city service my pressure pump will kick in and supply the house with water which will run through the softener. Using the last system you could set it to fill the tanks when they reach a certain level and never worry about running out. Been working over 12 years on my home slowly. Next project is solar/wind power to get off the grid. Good luck with your home projects! In the end its well worth it!

@milagrohndz65 5 лет назад

Aaww I was hoping that baby came already but I’m happy to see another video 😊. When is baby due ??

@annamaybeekman5152 5 лет назад

Great to see ole Bugaboo.........Been missing you two. Glad to watch this video and you guys

@davemoss586 5 лет назад

You might get more bars on the monitor if you add an extension cable for the antenna on the tank monitor and move the antenna higher. Like attach the antenna to your vent pipe on top of the tank lid. Just a thought.

@mike111483 5 лет назад

I think that if you trim some trees between the top of the hill and the house you might make it better for the reserver and the sender unit

@lucvandecasteele7696 5 лет назад

that was a huge workout you got that day.

@ljprep6250 5 лет назад

Jesse, 3-6" from mouth to mic is cool. Anything closer distorts the audio, while Frenching gums up the mic. // Once you get the right monitor on there, you can see how many bars the tank monitor shows with each hundred gallons you pump into it, creating your own gauge measure. Flow meters on both the well and outlet line from the cistern should be all you need. www.amazon.com/s?k=water+flow+meter . Another handy gadget is an overflow sensor to show when to shut off the water from the well.

@yeolegeezer2327 5 лет назад

When is that Lil' Whipper Snapper due? (Baby) :-)

@AdrianHiggins83 5 лет назад

With the aquatel model you could use a larger antenna mount it up higher or even run coax down the hill closer to the house

@liamarmstrong1836 5 лет назад

You have a line from your tank to your house. A simple, very accurate, pressure gage would have done the same thing.

@Desert2GardenLV 5 лет назад

They already tried that. The change in pressure is too small for a gauge to read.

@adrianbfree 5 лет назад

Great video. I am glad you chose the contact solution in the end... a more accurate choice. Will you get the add on to control the pumps.

@MikeC19100 5 лет назад

Nice review and the results are a little surprising too. The cheap-O units seem to have more negatives than positives and the top two look to be a better starting point for anyone with a water storage unit that’s situated farther away like yours is. Since you installed the Smart Water unit and if you want to elevate the remote transmitter you may want to consider using a mini-tower stand built from PVC pipe with flanges on both ends to 1) attach it to the tank and 2) mount the transmitter onto. While the tank vent is made from smaller pipe, for rigidity you probably want to use at least a 2 inch stack for your elevated sensor mount. This was a very interesting and informative review and thanks for taking the time to document it.

@JoseOrtiz-im5wu 5 лет назад

Awesome

@Buck1954 5 лет назад

They are getting a signal through the wood structure, but wonder what happens when they install their final exterior siding.

@wb5mct 5 лет назад

Instrument guy here, 25 years in a chemical plant environment. You definitely got the best of the lot. Even the multi-thousand dollar industrial grade ultrasonic and radar units are really hard to make work consistently and accurately. The submersible pressure transducer type is far easier to get working correctly and consistently. That said, I'm a cheapskate and would have gone with running a piece of plastic tubing up the hill and running a bubbler. The tubing drops into the tank just like your transducer and needs to go all the way to the bottom. At the house end you put an air pump to force air into the tubing and put a pressure gauge to measure the air pressure. Air pressure == hydrostatic head (depth of water) and you're done. Get a gauge calibrated in Inches of Water. When you want to know how much is in the tank, give the air pump a couple of strokes and read the gauge!

@sld839295 5 лет назад

Looks like you are getting your exercise for the day. Id go with the cheese cake ❤️

@Jamesroberts98 5 лет назад

the Two with almost identical sensors that you had a problem with the second type(more info one) my guess is the second one paired to the first sensor.

@ss4jarmon 5 лет назад

Glad to see a post. What happened to the well y'all had installed?

@mikeherbert643 5 лет назад

You should go and visit your local water distribution plant and see what technology they use. I know they use high and low level floats switches that are wired to a control panel that gives you accurate readings. Cheers

@bcarbaugh 5 лет назад

Just hook up the well to pressure tank then done 👍🏻

@smalltownwireless 5 лет назад

That would be boring!

@smasica 5 лет назад

I was also thinking, "What's the point of filling cisterns when there's a well within 50 feet of the house?" Why not just hook the well up to the house instead of filling up 1500 gallon cisterns periodically? I've lived with wells off and on my whole life and we never used a cistern as an intermediary. Seems like a whole lot of work for nothing.

@Mister510 5 лет назад

Then they'd lose all the advantages of having a cistern. Like 2000 gallons of water on hand to fight fires and (lots of) water available when the power is out.