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Old 11-02-2011, 05:32 PM   #1
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MicroPulse black tank sensor

I am about embark on changing the black tank sensor on my 2007 34' Classic.

Can someone tell me where it is located specifically? How do I know I am not changing the wrong sensor, other than the ODOR?

Thanks.
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Old 11-02-2011, 05:45 PM   #2
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I think your tank layout is the same as mine, even though mine is a 30'. Under the wardrobe floor, through the cutout on the floor for the fresh water line...if you look aft a little you should see the black tank sensor. It'll be a little difficult for you to bend yourself to get at it, but it's better than the gray tank sensor.
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Old 11-02-2011, 06:29 PM   #3
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It threads into a fitting either on the side of the tank against the bottom, or it might be in a fitting along the bottom of the drain pipe between the tank and the dump valve. The cable going to it plugs in like a phone plug. If you can see the cable, maybe you can follow it down to its location. I've never looked for mine, just assumed I would have to drop the pan to get to it. If that sensor is giving you trouble you might try to replugging the cable into it for a better connection before replacing the sensor.
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Old 11-02-2011, 06:38 PM   #4
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Changed fresh water sensor from inside wardrobe and didn't see any other sensors. To calibrate rather than filling tank for full level I got the tank dimensions from Airstream and built a pvc pipe with threaded nipple. The height of the pvc above the sensor is the same as the tank depth. With only several ounces of water You can calibrate the full level versus gallons. These sensors work on head pressure and it is constant over depth regardless of the diameter or overall volume.
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Old 11-02-2011, 06:45 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctdair View Post
Changed fresh water sensor from inside wardrobe and didn't see any other sensors. To calibrate rather than filling tank for full level I got the tank dimensions from Airstream and built a pvc pipe with threaded nipple. The height of the pvc above the sensor is the same as the tank depth. With only several ounces of water You can calibrate the full level versus gallons. These sensors work on head pressure and it is constant over depth regardless of the diameter or overall volume.
Very nifty trick for calibrating. I'm impressed.
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Old 11-02-2011, 08:43 PM   #6
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That is a great solution for calibrating the sensor. Thanks.
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Old 11-03-2011, 03:42 AM   #7
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After I calibrated the sensor that way I mentioned it to Don while on a tour of the factory and he showed me the tubes the factory used to do the same thing.
Head pressure was something we learned in Millwright school.
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Old 11-04-2011, 07:37 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctdair View Post
Changed fresh water sensor from inside wardrobe and didn't see any other sensors. To calibrate rather than filling tank for full level I got the tank dimensions from Airstream and built a pvc pipe with threaded nipple. The height of the pvc above the sensor is the same as the tank depth. With only several ounces of water You can calibrate the full level versus gallons. These sensors work on head pressure and it is constant over depth regardless of the diameter or overall volume.
Hi,

Can you post a picture of that pipe? Dimensions?
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Old 11-04-2011, 09:33 AM   #9
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I'll welcome any shortcut to the calibration procedure....now if they'll just improve the reliability of the sensors themselves....
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Old 11-04-2011, 11:43 AM   #10
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Don't waste your time with this. I've changed and calibrated my black water sensor three times. It still does not work. The grey water and freash water seem to work fine. Just look down the toilet to check the level.
There have been several post about the MicroPulse level gauges. Nobody seems to have any luck with them Try digging through the old post about this.
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Old 11-04-2011, 04:41 PM   #11
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Didn't save the dimensions , guess I should have in case sensor fails again. Airstream was very helpful in sending tank dimensions(Blueprint cad drawing) by email in pdf form. To make the pipe it was just a pvc elbow with the correct heighth pipe glued in one end and the correct adapter for the pipe thread of the sensor glued in the other elbow end. Carry the pipe to the trailer plug in the sensor and calibrate per micro-pulses instructions. It only takes several ounces of water then versus filling complete tank.Guess I should have saved the pipe ,I probally did that but where it is at escapes me at the moment.
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Old 11-04-2011, 04:49 PM   #12
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Over the first year of ownership, and many tries, I think I have discovered something. I believe it takes a considerable amount of time for the sensors to equalize with changes in pressure.

After several attempts to calibrate in rapid successions, I gave up. I began to notice while camping that rapid "dumps" into the gray tank were not readily reflected in the monitor level lights. So this spring I decided to try a calibration again.

In the first step, allow the tanks to be empty for several hours. Then start he process. Perform the "empty" readings. Fill the tanks JUST LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY VERBATIM! That means, Fill them, then drain a little, so you have warning before they are truly full.

LET THEM SIT AT THIAS FULL LEVEL FOR SEVERAL HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then proceed with the "teaching" the monitor the full level. Don't worry, apparently the monitor will stay in calibration mode indefinitely
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Old 11-05-2011, 10:04 AM   #13
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Hi dznf0g, I'm looking forward to trying your new "procedure".....come to think of it, in the past I have noticed brief time lags in the reporting of rapid level changes, (especially when liquid is ADDED to the tanks), so it makes complete sense that the sensors would behave like that in calibration mode, too. I failed to connect those dots.

However, assuming that a satisfactory calibration really takes several hours to achieve, now I'm even MORE disappointed with Caton Products, and Airstream, too. (SEVERAL HOURS?? PLEASE, AIRSTREAM!!??)
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Old 11-06-2011, 07:17 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by fmrcaptevil View Post
Hi dznf0g, I'm looking forward to trying your new "procedure".....come to think of it, in the past I have noticed brief time lags in the reporting of rapid level changes, (especially when liquid is ADDED to the tanks), so it makes complete sense that the sensors would behave like that in calibration mode, too. I failed to connect those dots.

However, assuming that a satisfactory calibration really takes several hours to achieve, now I'm even MORE disappointed with Caton Products, and Airstream, too. (SEVERAL HOURS?? PLEASE, AIRSTREAM!!??)
I don't KNOW that it takes several hours to "settle" in....I just waited that long cause I didn't want to do it again.
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Old 11-07-2011, 08:22 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g
Over the first year of ownership, and many tries, I think I have discovered something. I believe it takes a considerable amount of time for the sensors to equalize with changes in pressure.

After several attempts to calibrate in rapid successions, I gave up. I began to notice while camping that rapid "dumps" into the gray tank were not readily reflected in the monitor level lights. So this spring I decided to try a calibration again.

In the first step, allow the tanks to be empty for several hours. Then start he process. Perform the "empty" readings. Fill the tanks JUST LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY VERBATIM! That means, Fill them, then drain a little, so you have warning before they are truly full.

LET THEM SIT AT THIAS FULL LEVEL FOR SEVERAL HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then proceed with the "teaching" the monitor the full level. Don't worry, apparently the monitor will stay in calibration mode indefinitely
I think mine has been in calibration mode for over two years. Perhaps I'll finally calibrate the monitor again with the tube setup.

Chris
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Old 12-20-2011, 04:15 PM   #16
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Found the tube I made for this procedure. Will post pic and dimensions , but will be Thursday before I have a chance. I made it out of copper ,thought I had used pvc but I must have had the right fitting in copper.
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Old 12-22-2011, 03:54 PM   #17
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http://www.airforums.com/forums/f443...7fb-85787.html

Posted picture of tube and dimensions in above thread.
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