Alladin Tank Calibration

[Dennis Belfils]

I can't seem to get my tanks calibrated. The original owner also had problems. Tried to calibrate being empty & by tank height as per the manual we have, but still not right. Anyone done this or have ideas?

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

I am also interested in the answer as our black tank reads 13 gals when empty.  One knowledgeable Monterey owner suggests that the sensor may be gunked up.  Anyone have tactics for clearing the gunk?

[Jim Edwards]

I replaced my sensors and have noticed that some sensors tend to drift. I am not sure that they are as temperature compensated as they should/could be. As for cleaning, a good black tank additive I am told would work. At least in my coach they were not that difficult to remove. When I purchased the coach they had problems, so I ended up replacing water and black tanks. One reading full (raw value of 1400+) and the other empty (raw value 0). I ended up changing the water sensor again due to a significant amount of drift. but all 3 are reasonably stable now.

I had purchased replacements directly from the manufacturer of my sensor (catcon). Allied rec at the time wanted 4X the price. 

http://www.shop.catconproducts.com/MicroPulse-Level-Sensor-part-500-10050-07-500-10050-07.htm

Note: I am not sure exactly which coaches use the catcon sensors.

I have looked at "more accurate" sensors using a different measuring mechanism but they were cost prohibitive. I can generally calibrate them to be fairly accurate but  I am happy if I am in within +/-5% over time. 

Larry, If when the tank is empty,  the empty reading is 13% (assuming the sensor is OK)  then the raw value needs to match the empty value. I have mailed the trouble shooting guide that has the calibration procedure. (Starts on page 18). I have also included tank capacities and measurements that also come in handy but you will need to work the numbers for your coach. The files are too large to attach here.

Hope this helps.
 

[Dennis Belfils]

I keep re-reading the calibration instructions & must still be doing something wrong. Emptied all 3 tanks & entered the Raw value at the bottom of the screen & get the tanks to read 0, but they don't change as the tanks fill. Tried the full cal & measurement & get readings way too high. Can't imagine all the sensors are bad. Any thoughts?

[Jim Edwards]

What are the raw values for tank empty and full or partially full, empty and full values and tank volume?

The way the system thinks is pretty straight forward. It creates a raw number based on the fluid pressure exerted on the sensor. At empty my raw numbers are at the 25 to 50 range. As the volume of fluid increases, pressure increases and the raw number increases. The full number should read in the hundreds. All the calculations do is estimate the full tank raw number so you don't actually fill the tank and read it. The system in not smart enough to tell you that any particular value doesn't make sense.

In effect it looks at the raw empty number and calls that 0% and takes the full value and calls it 100%. It then takes the tank size value , applies the percentage to give you the gallons in each tank.I have attached a tank capacities and dimension chart that shows a bit of the math. They do a little subtraction to provide a little margin for error so that things don't over flow. I also reduced the black and grey volumes on mine to give me a little more space. From personal experience it is quite messy when the grey tank overflows. And I have found it doesn't matter what the level sensor indicates if you don't watch it! 

Let me know how you make out.

[Dennis Belfils]

Raw values are F1023, G1023, B179, & don't appear to change no matter what the level is.

[Jim Edwards]

To confirm these are the RAW values. If so I would check the connectors to the sensors, But I would suspect that the sensors need to be changed, for the f and g anyway. The numbers are not reasonable.

Black number seems to be reasonable but odd that it does not change. Perhaps it is plugged up or the tank is full of sludge. As for checking the sensors, I can only tell you where my sensors are. In the storage bay by the water tank I have a panel that gets me to the water tank sensor. The black and gray required removal of the front plate to the water panel.

Something you can try is swapping the black and gray tank wires to see if the value moves from one tank to the other. For that matter as a second test you can swap the sensors as well and see if the gray tank numbers change when adding water to the gray tank. Be sure that you mark which wire goes to which tank and that the tanks are empty prior to removing the sensors. I would not swap the sensors with the F tank. The sensors contact the tank contents directly.  The wires connect to the sensors via telephone jack. I replaced the connectors when I changed the sensors. What for another $10.00?

If you wish; Send me an e mail with your phone number. My e mail can be found in the BAC members index. Sometimes it is easier to talk on these things.   

[Dennis Belfils]

Thanx Jim, I will try to access & remove the sensors, perhaps they are foiled. Happen to know how much they cost?

[Jim Edwards]

If they are Catcon sensors which I think they would be.
The manufacturer site is:

http://www.shop.catconproducts.com/MicroPulse-Level-Sensor-part-500-10050-07-500-10050-07.htm

and I would expect that they would have them in stock.

or NW RV supply;

http://www.nwrvsupply.com/product/16622728.html

You might price check Beaver Coach Sales as well but I think you will need to call them. 800 382 2597

[Joel Ashley]

My black tank sensor was fouled bad enough that most methods commonly used to clear it would not work.  BCS replaced it last fall for $57.50 and an hour's labor.  Their part no. is 500-10050-07.  Unfortunately the sensors are on the street side of the tanks and behind a panel.  It helps to know what you are doing to get at them;  since I was there for several fixes, as usual I just let them tackle it - it would've taken me a lot longer than that for sure to figure my way through the job, determine the right part, get it, put it all back together and recalibrate.  The single Catcon sensor at the tank bottom works, simply put, by reacting to the weight pressure of liquid above it, and sending a given amount of micro-electric current accordingly to the Aladdin.  As long as it doesn't get plugged, it should work fine.  Keeping it clear is a matter of good maintenance practices.

At least I had an idea what had gone wrong and what the fix would have to be on mine.  I'd let relatives stay overnight in the rig one spring here by the house, temporarily dewinterizing it for them.  I didn't think to properly flush the black tank afterward with the built-in spray rinse.  Solids must have dried over the ensuing very long period of time before we again used the coach, effectively plugging the sensor such that it couldn't be freed even after its removal by BCS, so they just put a new one in.  Black tank lesson 1:  always use the flush rinse system thoroughly when dumping (I'd expect your model coach to have, like mine, a two-nozzle setup);  2: don't hook up to a campsite dump and leave the black valve open the whole time you're camped there;  3: don't leave the tank without liquid in it to keep solids from drying on the sensor or around the valve.  There are plenty of other do's and don'ts, and techniques of course, but for your sensor's sake, tend to at least these.

-Joel