This £8 Level is More Accurate Than a Laser! 

As an Apprentice Carpenter back in the early 1980s, another youngster and I laid out the entire floor in an office building on Madison Avenue and 48th Street in NYC for a stripped-to- bare remodel. Nothing but concrete floor, steel beams and sprayed Q deck overhead for the length of a city block.. Couple of tips: Try to work from one master point as much as possible. We put a mark in the center of the building and then carried that mark far and near. Otherwise, the tiniest bit of error in marking and working from a new mark can creep in. All we had was plastic hose, no fancy end bits. Keep you finger over the top and when you first go to mark a new spot, use your finger on the top of the hose like a damper to quickly settle the wild oscillations of the water. Otherwise the water acts like a pendulum swinging above and below the level point until it settles. Finger on..let it move..finger off. You don't mark until the water is still with no cap.(finger). Make sure both guys are calling the level to the top of the meniscus curve of the water. It is easier and faster for the person at the master point to move the tube up and down, then call "Mark it" to the person at the unmarked end. Unmarked end: Hold it still, assist with damping initial big oscillations caused by moving and getting in position, then let the guy at the master point dial it in.

I am really pleased to see so many people love the water level. It feels retro and reliable and it never lets you down. Just like my wife.

The water level can do things that even laser levels cannot. Laser levels require line of sight. This can find the same height on opposite sides of a wall or even in different rooms.

Bombproof simple technology. It occurred to me while watching your laser level vid that if you own a water level you could use it to check the accuracy of your laser level.

Used one for years. I would say it is a good idea to attach each end to a stick to keep at eye level. Put some food colouring in the water (a golf tee is a good alternative) for visibility over a distance . Use your thumb over the vial to settle the level quickly.

Be mindful of wind blowing across one end of the water filled tube, it will render the level inaccurate. Other than that the water level, used correctly is very accurate, used one for over 45 years. Cheers from Michael. Australia.

As a first year apprentice electrician in 1972 one of my jobs of the day was to re-brew tea to put in the water levels, last job of the day was to hose them out ready for the next day, still used them (with tea) until I retired a year or so ago, you still will not find a better method of levelling tray etc. around a building (IMHO)

I've got one just like that, I use it all the time. I added a bit of food colouring in to the water to make it easy to see and clipped both ends to a thin board, it's ideal for levelling out patios and paths, rain or shine it's always spot on.

Roger I can still recall the youngsters (now skilled and time served craftsmen no doubt) laughing at me when I pulled out my water level back in 1988 to check the levels on a new site ! I had the last laugh mind !!!!!

For enhanced accuracy don't forget to put premium water in it. I recommend mafell level fluid. It's the most level of all.

I fitted suspended ceilings, years ago. Water level was my go to tool. We never had them fancy chambers on the ends, but we used food colouring so we could see the level. Especially if you are on your own. Great video, as all of yours

great bit of old school kit , can transfer a level in a building from one room to another through an opening

Got to love the water level :) It looks like some of the brickwork needs re-pointing too! Great tip about the temperature Roger, I've never thought about that. I like to add some food dye to the water too and it makes it easier to read the level.

This is the first video where there was mention of variable density due to temperature. I learned the same thing a while back. I also tried adding some colored windshield washer fluid to improve visibility, but determined that it was not uniformly mixed with the water and thus one end had a different density. I flushed the mixture into a container, remixed it and put it back in the tube and then the two legs aligned properly.

I well remember using these levels as an apprentice joiner in the 80’s. People shouting “up, up, down a bit”. They didnt have the intelligence to work out that up on the other end is the same as down on their end when levelling and transferring a mark,( even after I told them they wouldnt believe it).

Not a tradie myself, nor likely to need a level for anything, but this was concise and informative and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

Nice one Roger. When I was an apprentice maintenance engineer, many years ago, we were installing a large production machine and used a water level to level the machine up. Good point about avoiding any diferential in water temperature.

Brilliant. Yes, I used a bucket and a clear tube to build a cedar deck and for marking lines for floating storage units.

When I was at college for the carpentry practical lessons etc we had to level all the way around the workshop and come back to the start, think I was 2mm out over around 50m, they are highly accurate. Don't forget to purge all of the air bubbles out first other wise you will get a false reading as the air compresses like in your cars brakes. You can use water levels for excavation work by using an empty container like a 20L water/jerry can. Fill this with water and then attach a clear hose like Rodger used, to the container. The other end gets attached to a long stake like a 2x2 or 3x2 timber etc with increments on it, could be 50mm or 100mm increments and your final depth you want to be at. So as you excavate you lower your staff down into the hole you are digging and the water will start to fill the tube up and rise up the staff to match the level in the container. I think you may need to adjust the water in the container and adjust the amount to a predetermined datum marked on the side. I saw a swimming pool builder use one when he was installing a fiberglass pool and he explained it. A cheap way if you haven't got a laser level and a string line would get in the way for a machine digging etc. If you want to make your water levels easier to read you can add food colourent/dye to the water. The same stuff your mum or missus probably has in the cupboard for adding to cake icing to change its colour. I had to explain a water level to a civil engineer friend of mine recently when he was building himself a deck at home and had no idea what one was! It is one of my favorite tools also Cheers for the video Roger

Making sure the water temperature is the same throughout is a good tip. Haven't see any other content producers mention that.

👍Water levels are generally forgotten hidden gems in this world of technology They are foolproof bombproof & extremely accurate with the added bonus they are cheap as chips Thanks for showing everyone this little gem Great stuff Keep the videos coming there first class 👍

Love it!, round corners too - thanks for sharing

Legendary guidance! Simple and to that point

I've used a water level a few times, once as the only means of leveling available, and it allways worked perfectly. But i have never thought about the problem with one section in the sun and one in the shade. Thank you for this important info.!

I love great tips and that has got to be the one for the week

years ago on site one bloke was always asking "got any pop?" so he'd have a swig. up a scaff. lost water from the level..nearest 3 stories down.."got any pop?" the level worked well with a nice red cherryade colour! Happy Daze..

That was really cool! You learn something every day!

Brilliant for my garden fencing project (drilled concrete posts)!

I'm a brickie(retired)I used water levels in Germany a few years ago,like you say,they are brilliant. I think you missed out how they are used,I'm not complaining,I think your vids are great,but a practical demo would help those who don't know how they work.Keep 'em coming Roger.

I've had one for years, great little addition to my tools

I got accused of living in the dark ages when I suggested there may be inaccuracies with modern equipment and sometimes the old school way is more accurate and fool proof.

My dad used a clear length of pipe with bits of tape on it for many years. So greatfull for him showing me this done double gates this way for many years

Gawd that’s me back to GCSE physics at school. Right, to the shed! Thanks for sharing. Brilliant!

I learnt the best way to fill a water level without getting bubbles in it from a worker in a remote Nepali village: siphon the water in from a raised bucket.

Been using one for 20+ years recently spent £16 on flebay for an alarm for one end makes a single handed operation so easy

The old tricks hang around for a reason. Thanks very much.

Used one when building my extension, was 100% accurate and reliable.

You know what I bought one a long time ago never used it but have just the job for it as it’s on a hill with piles of dirt that a laser wouldn’t be able to get past! Thanks for reminding me I have it great video

When you reposition the hose the bends and twist will cause the holding volume to change. Double check after positioning

Good effort for a confident video advice 👍🏼

Great thanks Roger... 👍

I was doing some work on a shop and the guys had a laser to fit the suspended ceiling trims, anyway a couple of days later something looked not quite right and was bugging me to see weather or not the dado rail or the floor was out of level, so went to my van and got the trusty water level out and was surprised to find that the ceiling was going down hill slightly which over the course of a 10m run any shelving that was put up looked pissed.

Brilliant things, I learned about them at college in the 60s, bubbles are really the only thing that can throw them out. I am pretty sure temperature won't make any difference, it just make the warmer water expand but will still run level.

very helpful Cant thank you enough, am going to do a foundation stump and pad tomorrow, but my senior engineer has a water level that he bought for 2000 dollars !! I wonder if it has additional features !!

Thanks for the reminder about water levels skillbuilder, i've seen them used in the past, but have never thought of using them myself. Even on bright days I can't always see my laser line on interior walls and using them outside over any sort of distance is pretty much a waste of time, as it's near impossible to see the line. The next time I do a decking, or similar job outside, I will invest in some nice wide bore hose and a couple of vials. Top tip as always. Keep up the great work buddy 👍

You learn something everyday. Thank you

Theyre great for setting out ponds and awesome for working out the steps on fencing jobs

Wonderful tips as always Roger. 👍 This is the best tool. It costs about £0.5 or less, in India

Always great to see your videos I remember using water levels as an apprentice electrician Also hammer and rawl plug tool

Great tip about the water temperature- I had that issue once. Also maybe add food colouring to the water- makes it easier to see.

Great tips! Easy, cheap and accurate, what more do you want?! Many thanks !

Great video Roger! Yip, I got myself one of those, had it for years now. (My trusty old friend)...........the water level that is! Cheers.

Still use it framing today...setting windows from one area to another area, you can mark the water line then pick it up with the laser again, for a perfect line around a house.

I might buy one of these and post it to the guys who did concrete and built my summer house for 6k. I think they might need one.

I built my house using a water level. Got the wall plate to within 2mm!

Hadn't considered temperature effect, nice one thank you.

I have used a transparent hosepipe many times. Never got any vials on the ends but just put a marker line on either end with a black pen and carefully fill water to that line. The great thing about using a hosepipe is that because of the larger diameter you don't get air bubbles stuck in the hose very easily.

Great bit of kit water levels are so true aswell

Do you know where one can get UV light resistant transparent hose which will not become cloudy and therefore not being able to read the level of water any longer? You mentioned that one can actually use a garden hose, which will obviate the UV Light fading problem, and at the end you use to viles or pieces of clear pvc tubing. However, how do I make sure that there are no air bubbles in the rubber hose portion of the water level? Muchas Gracias, Señor!

great tip!!

Used one for yrs I love them

Standard levelling equipment here in Thailand for all tiling walls and floors. The tube is only 10mm though, no vials. Hardest job is filling it up without bubbles,then hanging it up somewhere withoutlosing the water. Spirit levels are far too technical so they dont use them

I've not heard if this but will use it in future, to cut our hedges height correctly.

Good tip cheers

Just was wondering.. as anyone ever seen a water level tool not establishing a horizontal plain of reference as what is claimed..? Thanks 👍

Roger, how do you set up an intravenous morphine drip please?

Great video

My dad built pole barns and used a clear tube and a can with a nipple on it. Poured the water in the can to trickle into the can where he had the other end tacked up to a pole.

I studied surveying during my days in construction as a QS.I was taught the most basic ways to find levels.This was the 80,s and laser was just starting.But I also had to learn to use very basic timber triangular set ups to use trig to get a height etc.You go to any cathedral with modern tech and it will only confirm that everthing is cock on level and true.Levelling is very simple but thesedays its all speed and gps and no pencil needed.You dont need fancy stuff to set levels or falls .Just trig and yes water in this case.That water level will never get it wrong.A old spirit level basically.

I've been useing one for over 10years. Sighting a line down a 100ft garden no problem .won't do a vertical though lol .great videos guys

This is a great tip, all the old schoolers bang on about water levels. If your a full time builder though, a laser level is the nuts (if it’s accurate).

Still got mine in the shed. Had it for nigh on 50 years now and never let me down. Young apprentice once thought I was winding him up when I got it out to start running a datum round the job. He was blown away when it was all set out in a matter of minutes. P.S. I have upgraded to a laser since. 😜

THANKS

here in mexico we prefer the ones with bubble on it. there are very smalls to hang small things like a guitar holder but there are large ones to level floor or walls. they never run out of battery. :P

I use this water level to do false ceilings back in the day it never let me down

Using a water level is common practise in both Australia and Germany , when I worked there. I use them all the time , but they are only effective over 5m !!!!! Anything greater it is better to go on to the laser or quickset . For a one house project they are perfect. I level everything , joists ,wall tiles, brickwork ,floor screeds. Now a couple of points SB won't like. Never fill from a tap , always syphon from a bucket you can see the air bubbles run through the tube , when the tube is running clear water put your thumb on the end of the tube and then check . Always level from a central datum NEVER from one point to another , compound errors !

So you dont leave caps on viles when using it ??

Was literally thinking of these this morning as we had some guttering to install over 6m. The crappy red laser wouldn't have shown up, especially in the daylight.

brilliant

I used my water level when searching for the other end of a sewer pipe, it showed me how deep to dig before lengthening the trench in both directions before I found the pipe. Because it can go over humps and down again, unlike a laser level.

Hi Roger, when I was in the shopfitting game, we used these all the time all round the shop taking the Datum from where ever the setter out had decided it was you couldn't afford to be out at all but more often than not we were fitting shops that were still open and the amount of times people would tread on them and you can guess what effect that had on the level and us.

would it work for say 100 miles ?

Use a small bucket on one end and use that as a reference point from which all the others are measured. This eliminates the need for a helper to hold one end in place and hope that it's not moving.

Most people involved in garden pond building have been using this principle for decades because remote gravity fed filters, which are often housed in outbuildings, need to align with the pond water level.

I regularly use a laser level and watching this video, it occurred to me, that you can check the accuracy of a laser with a water level! I'll be doing that soon...

My brother use this method, it's so cheap and yet so good during broad day light and on multiple sides of walls

Never use anything else when building a deck level pool. Excellent tool. Barry Eden Pools

Used them shoplifting when I started out, water level and a chalk line worked well. Although a laser does impress the customers more .

Hahaha...learned about this about 6 months ago in college. If they can build pyramids, the acropolis, world heritage sites using a water level, then I'm all for it over unreliable technology. Old school roger. Can't beat it

George Miles 1 second ago I made one with 2 demi johns and some clear plastic pipe, maybe too thin, takes a long time for them to level

amazing

The water level i highly recommend is the Akwamasta water level, its a 1 man level and its great honestly guys have a look and get it in your tool kit.

As you say - Us Oldies had it sussed years ago. Funny how it's News to some nowadays :-) I bet you 'your Mortgage' that the Chippies will STILL want to turn the danged apparatus around to make sure it reads the same both ways - (They're ALL Bonkers ;-)

I had one in the 70's, it was a job to fill it with water, so I took it up to a flat roof, 60 feet high, then lowered it over the side, and fill it so the air would come out, lovely, until I went to use it, the water bursts out when I opened one end, I then realised that the " head pressure " had expanded the tubing, which meant that it was pressurised. I later had one which was electronic, was it made a high pitch sound when the water was at the same level, so if you did not need to look at it.

2:09 Seconds Huge Spider just above his left elbow ...

Great video. I hear everybody say the anciet greeks and egyptians used water levels, but i cant find examples how.

Where you get those tops?

I buillt my house using a can with clear tubing attached and yardstick attached to other end. Just make sure the wind isn't blowing, it will affect the level.

Garden hose would be better as the larger diameter hose would have less resistance and would give faster converged reading. I like the temperature differential suggestion... hadn't thought of that... :) Thanks!

Heard the Egyptians used a water leveling method to start construction on the Pyramids. A great start but.......After the first Ceremonial Corner Block was in place the High Priest turned to one of the workers and asked - "How many million blocks to go did you say...?" - The Pharaoh added, " Hope you're on budget and to completion date! Day workers note!"