ACCURATE TANK SOUNDINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN EASIER. Before Tank Tender, you had to rely on an old-fashioned dip stick, site glass or electric float gauge to check the level of your boat's fuel, water or holding tank. Not anymore. Tank Tender provides extremely accurate readings for up to ten tanks. Without electricity. Without leaving the bridge. Without a doubt. Tank Tender operates on air pressure. Select the tank, then pump a small amount of air through tubing to the bottom of the tank. When the air pressure in the tube equals the liquid pressure at the bottom of the tank, the gauge displays this pressure in inches of liquid. Tank Tender's Features include: It's convenient. Monitors the levels in all tanks with just one instrument. It's easy to use. You can select a tank to measure and get an accurate measurement from the bridge in two or three seconds. It's simple to install. The average 4-tank system takes about an hour per tank. And there's nothing to wire. It's surprisingly inexpensive.Tank Tender costs much less than other industrial systems offering similar accuracy and reliability. This is the back of the 10-tank instrument. Look simple? It is. That's because the Tank Tender was designed for maximum reliability and accuracy and ZERO maintenance. Tank Tender's components have proven reliability in medical and dental applications. Only precision valves, pumps and easy-to-install push-in connections are used. Tank Tender gauges are available in scales of 30" or 60" and are calibrated for inches of water and inches of diesel fuel (other scales are available, including Metric). As you can see by the photo, installation is a simple procedure. All you do is drill a small hole (5/32") in the top of the tank. Then tap with a 10x32 thread and screw the "o" ring sealed "banjo" fitting onto the tank top. The 1/8" nylon tubing is specially extruded to extend straight to the bottom of the tank. A typical 4-tank installation may read the contents of one fuel, one holding and two water tanks. There is no chance whatsoever of contamination because the tubing going to the tanks carries only air. Specifications, Features and Advantages Specifications: Panel height is 6", width is 4", and depth behind is 2 7/8" Panel cut-out is 3 1/16" wide by 5" high Gauge is 2 ½" with removable plastic cover Std. gauge scales 30" water and 35" diesel or 60" water and 70" diesel; metric equalents of 30 + 60"; 160/180" Weight is 1 pound 2 ounces Features: One instrument measures up to ten water, diesel and holding tanks. Completely self-contained pneumatic operation (non-electric). Very simple installation that requires only one 5/32" hole in each tank top over deepest port. Easily embossed calibration cards to convert inch readings to gallons. Corrosion resistant materials such as brass and stainless steel. Medical grade components with long-term reliability. Mounting hardware supplied with system. STD Gauge Scales: 30" water/35" Diesel 60" water/70" Diesel 160" water/180" Diesel Metric Gauge Scale: 800 mm water/900 mm Diesel 1500 mm water/1700 mm Diesel Advantages: Checks all liquid levels from one location. Accurate liquid level readings to ¼". Eliminates removal of seats, floor boards, etc., to check liquid levels. Safe, pneumatic reliability. Other Applications Measurement of water cisterns for homes and ranch/farm applications; we carry 25 foot and 160" water gauges. RV Tank Measurement Questions and Answers 1) How does it work? The tank tender operates on air pressure. It pumps a small amount of air through tubing to the bottom of the tank. The excess air pressure bleeds off until the air pressure in the tube equals the liquid pressure in inches of depth, to be interpreted in gallons of fuel or water (water weighs 8.35 pounds to the gallon and diesel weighs 7.18 pounds to the gallon). 2) Is it easy to install? Yes. Installation is simple and requires no special tools. The tank penetration fitting requires only one small hole (5/32") tapped to a 10 x 32 thread. Usually less than a five minute job. 3) What is the accuracy? The Tank Tender is accurate +/- 1% at mid scale on a proper installation. This is 3 to 4 times the accuracy of conventional electric gauges. 4) Is it reliable? Yes. Since the system operates on air pressure (pneumatic), its reliability far surpasses that of most conventional electric gauges. 5) Can I mix fluid readings on the same unit? Yes. A typical installation reads both water and diesel tanks. Since the tubing from the tank contains only air and never removes any fluid from a tank, it is safe to mix the type tanks measured on a single system. 6) Can I monitor a holding tank? Yes. We have recently added the OPTION of a "purge" valve toggle switch for holding tank applications. This allows the air to bypass the gauge to clear a holding tank TPF tube, if clogged, then a reading to be taken. 7) What can I do if it is difficult to reach the tank? The Tank Tender system offers maximum flexibility for installations. The installation instructions include tips that can help on tough installations, or you may consult the manufacturer for additional assistance. 8) How far away can the tank be from the unit? Up to 1,000 feet, further if necessary. Each system comes with 30' of nylon tubing per tank, in a continuous roll. TANK TENDER INSTALLATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE READ BEFORE INSTALLATION: INSTRUMENT PANEL LOCATION: Locate the Tank Tender instrument panel out of the weather, wherever readings are convenient, and it is easy to actuate the air pump, but not below the level of the top of the tanks to be measured. When establishing the panel location, consider the necessity of running 1/8" nylon tubing from the back of the instrument panel to the tank to be measured. Bulkhead cutout for the instrument panel should be 3-1/16" wide by 5" high. Screws and washers are provided for panel mounting. If possible, some room should be left adjacent to the instrument panel for tank calibration cards. TUBING: 1/8" OD nylon tubing should be run between the instrument panel and the tank to be measured. CAUTION! Tubing should not be pinched or kinked, or run in locations where it may come to harm. Keep tubing above the level of the tank to be measured so that in the event of a tube being cut, siphon action will not be possible. Insert nylon tubing from each tank into the brass "Legris" connectors on the back side of the instrument valves. Push in firmly and test with a light pull on the tubing. (See illustration on back of page.) IMPORTANT: Constant exposure at temperatures of 180° F will embrittle tubing. INSTALLATION OF TANK PENETRATION FITTING (TPF): The TPF has "o" ring seals for plastic or metal tanks. Select a location on the top of the tank, which is over the deepest part of the tank. Measure the depth to the bottom of the tank and cut the 1/8" nylon tubing to clear the bottom of the tank by 1". The preferred place to install the TPF is in a fitting plate or fitting plug. The TPF should not be installed directly into tank tops that are too thin. A minimum of four complete threads is preferred. Should a fitting plate or plug not be available and the tank top is thin, the TPF should be installed through a 3/16" hole with a stainless steel flat washer, lock washer and 10-32 nut inside the tank. This can only be done if the tank has an inspection plate to permit access. In every case, the TPF should be installed tight enough to compress the O-ring on the outside tank surface. The installation must be done in a manner that will prevent metal shavings from collecting in the tank while drilling and tapping. The shavings can cause internal corrosion of metal tanks and clog the fuel line (bees wax on the drill is helpful). After the TPF is installed, the tank should be pressure checked for leakage at the test pressure indicated on the tank label. ALTERNATE INSTALLATION OF TANK PENETRATION FITTING: If top entry of TPF is not possible, TPF can be installed into tank side, approximately 1" above tank bottom. In this case there would be no tube inside the tank as the TPF fitting is now located at the depth that the nylon tube would reach if installed from the tank top. Be sure the TPF hole is drilled and tapped precisely so that there is an air tight connection between the tank and fitting, as there should always be. Run the flexible nylon tubing (outside the tank) straight up the outside of the tank (attach to tank side, do not have tubing run to unit lying flat) and continue on to unit. Operate as normal. OPTIONAL: Purge Valve operation for holding (waste) tank - Flip toggle to "purge" prior to reading a holding tank; air will bypass gauge and purge TPF tube, if clogged; then flip back to "read" for tank level reading. Do not pump beyond gauge capacity, or gauge damage may result. OPERATION CHECKOUT: Select the tank to be tested and very slowly pump (only 1-2 strokes are necessary). Gauge needle should rise slightly above the level of the fluid in the tank, then settle back to the level of the fluid. If the needle pegs over the red line there is probably a kink or blockage in the tubing between the instrument and tank. If the needle goes up, then slowly back to zero, the tank is empty or there is a leak between the instrument panel and the TPF. (See "Tank Tender System Checkout Procedure for Pressure Leaks.") Occasionally, after filling a tank, the additional head from the fill pipe will force liquid up into the TPF causing an unusually high reading. Should this be the case, pump very slowly to force liquid out of the TPF and thus obtain an accurate reading. CAUTION: If a head of fluid exists above the top of the tank (i.e., in the deck fill pipe) the gauge needle will charge up. Should you observe this, release the push button and use enough water or fuel to empty the fill pipe before testing again. Do not operate with deck fill pipe full. TANK CALIBRATION - Boats and RV's are constructed of a wide variety of tank shapes and sizes. For simple shapes, the following methods of calibration seem to work: 1) Measure the width and length of the tank in 1" levels and calculate the number of cubic inches for each inch of height. There are 231 cubic inches in a gallon. Therefore, the number of cubic inches divided by 231 will give you gallons per inch of the tank height. 2) A tank can also be calibrated by filling it with a metered flow hose or with a 2 or 5 gallon container and reading the Tank Tender each time 2 or 5 gallons are poured into the tank. Pump Procedure Pump VERY slowly, usually only 1-2 strokes are necessary. Do not pump with deck fill pipe full. Do not pump against kinked or closed tubing between instrument and tank, or blocked TPF tube. WARRANTY: Hart Systems, Inc. expressly warrants its products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship. The sole remedy for breach of this, or any other warranty, shall be the repair or replacement of the defective product or part limited to a period of one year from the date of shipment. Prompt notification is required. This warranty does NOT cover damages or defects caused by negligence, the consumer or middleman, nor does it cover any damage caused in shipping. Items returned for warranty work must be shipped prepaid and insured. NO OTHER WARRANTIES, express or implied, are given beyond these specifically contained in this document. Hart Systems, Inc. shall not, under any circumstances, be liable for special or consequential damages such as, but not limited to, damage or loss of other property or equipment, loss of profits or capital, personal injury, or claims of customers of the purchaser. The remedies of the purchaser set forth herein are exclusive and the liability of the seller shall in no event exceed the cost of the product. WARNING: Do not use with gasoline. Fire and explosion hazard! Drilling holes in tanks containing gasoline or other flammable liquids can cause sparks and or heat sufficient to cause ignition of tank vapors. TANK PENETRATION FITTING EXTENDER (Consists of a 30" length of straight nylon tube, with a stainless steel stiffening wire inside and a brass barb on one end to fit into the end of the tank penetration fitting tube.) $6.00/EA TANK PENETRATION FITTING STIFFENING WIRE (30") $5.00/EA 1/8" OD NYLON TUBING (per foot) $.28/FT 1/8" UNION (Nylon Tubing Splicer) $14.00/EA 10/32 TAP $14.00/EA TANK PENETRATION FITTING (5/32 hole with 10/32 tap) (30"tube) $38.78/EA VALVE ADD KIT (Add additional tanks to existing unit.) $63.28/EA NOTE: Each System comes with 30' of nylon tubing per tank (continous roll), one tank penetration fitting per tank (30"), and the unit set up for the correct number of tanks. Each system ordered with a 60" gauge scale will also include one tank penetration fitting extender per tank (30").