storage SS tank - level guage?

[wkies]

I recently bought a 230 gallon SS tank. It is used both as a storage tank and head tank (one in the same). When installing the tank I also put in a sight tube. Not sure why but when the valves are open and sap is flowing into the evaporator, the sight tube doesn't work. Does anyone use other methods to gauge the level and amount of sap left in the tank?

[802maple]

Once your evaporator is full and the float is engaged your sap level will come back and be accurate

[wkies]

The evaporator is full (boiled this morning).

[vtmaplemaker]

the sight tube needs to be vented at the top, and as the evap is drawing sap, it will read low due to the pull on it...

[NH Maplemaker]

wKie, does your evaporator have a float box? As 802 said after the float stop the flow of sap, site gage will fill up. It must have that restriction to work. But you must have a float or the pan would over flow! What em I thinking? JimL.

[northwoods_forestry]

I've got the same set up as you. As you noted it does read low when flowing into the evaporator so if I need an accurate measure of what's left in the tank, I shut the flow off for a minute or so and can get a pretty good read on the sight tube (though the level will bounce up and down when you shut off the flow).

[wkies]

Besides a site tube, are there other ways to know the sap level in the tank without climbing a ladder and looking in?

I do have a float box and the tube is open at the top. Not sure what is going on.

[michiganfarmer2]

my sight tube is plastic tubing. I had it draped in the head tank, and because it was in the sap, the level of sap in the tub wouldn't equalize. A friend pointed that out to me. After I got the end of the tubing out of the sap and up in the air, the level equalize very nice, no matterr if the float is calling for sap or not

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can put a ball in the tank and a string on a pulley or eye to let the string slide thru and put a ball or weight on the other end of the string and as the level drops in the tank the ball on the outside of the tank will move up and as the tank is filled it will move down and you can put a scale of gallons behind the ball or weight.

[Brent]

Is the sight tube on the same bulkhead fitting as the feed line to the evaporator ??

The sight tube on our canner is on the same fitting as the draw off and every time we open to fill a bottle, the level in the tube runs down and inch or more, then back up when the draw is closed.

[peckfarm]

You can put a ball in the tank and a string on a pulley or eye to let the string slide thru ...

Excellent! Will be done.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

This works well if you have an outside tank too, just use a pulley at the tank and one inside the sugarhouse. Key would be to have plenty of weight on each end to make sure they go up and down properly.