Water Level Indicator Ideas

[The_Guy]

Hello forum,
I was hoping to see if someone could help me out with an idea to make a water level indicator for my cell. I have seen the one with the clear tube running along the side of the cell. I was hoping for one that could be monitored within the car while driving. For those of you who have already done something like this, could you please share your idea and run me thru the steps or maybe just a drawing on how to do this?

[Painless]

The simplest way is to take two stainless steel bolts, some wire and a low voltage bulb. Put the first bolt through the base of the reservoir, connect this to a positive voltage source. Put the second bolt through the side of the reservoir at your minimum water level and run a wire from it to one terminal of the bulb inside your vehicle. Run the other bulb terminal to the negative of your voltage source.

When the reservoir drops below the level, the bulb will go out.

[The_Guy]

Thx, that sounds really good. So this will be monitered with a light. That is great. By chance, would you know what kind of low voltage bulb I would need? will one like a 12 volt work? or does it have to be like in the 2 volt or something like that. thx for your time.

[Painless]

I don't think it would matter, to be honest, but if you're planning to run it off of the vehicles battery then you need to make sure it's a 12v battery.

[Roland Jacques]

would / could the voltage from the electrodes interfere with the light going off?

[Painless]

I don't think so, as it works on the premise that once the water level is under the top bolt then the light will go off.

[velorossa22]

Have you guys been losing alot of electrolyte? Mine looks the same for weeks but my bubbler seems to use quite a bit of water...
I got a LED light (12v) that uses 20mA. So it wouldn't take much to run that light. You could even mount it in the passenger compartment so you could tell when it goes out without even opening the hood.

[Roland Jacques]

I don't think so, as it works on the premise that once the water level is under the top bolt then the light will go off.

I'm thinking the top bolt would have to be connected to the light. Because if the bottom bolt was to the light. if the level dropped below the top bolt that was supplying the 12 volts, the bottom bolt would just short through the electrolyte to the positive electrode.

Another possible problem is the circuit might not break enough. the moist environment might provide enough conductivity to keep a small light going.

I like the idea please let me no if it works

Wait, Actually, wouldn't the reservoir just turn into another electrolyser? Voltage and amperage from bolt A to bolt B though electrolyte = HHO. Right?

[Painless]

With this idea, I'm thinking mainly of a dry cell design where the reservoir is separate. In a wet cell, you could probably just use one bolt at the desired warning level and run that to one bulb terminal, then run the other bulb terminal to ground. The electricity already flowing through the water in a wet cell would do the trick for you.

You're correct, there would be some small HHO production, but with the huge distance between the voltage sources in the water it would be absolutely minimal.

Russ.

[junglefuel]

I use a led light and they work real well.
Stainless bolt at your low level mark wired to the neg side of the led and power to the pos side of the led, when the water drops below the level the light will fliker and then go out. A simple test put the neg wire off the led in your bubler and touch the pos side to pos on the battery and it should light up.

[The_Guy]

Thx for the feedback and support. I will try this out on my wet cell. If this works as describe I plan on installing 3 different color LEDs to better help monitor the water level. I will use Green to indicate full. This will aid when filling up the unit. Since I made my unit out of CPVC schedule 80 and plan to seal it up. The yellow will indicate a medium water level and red will basically tell me to fill up. I will try this out this up coming 3 day weekend and post my experience and results. Thx Guys!

[Roland Jacques]

Any update on this idea? keep us posted