Piper black water tank gauge

Thank you. And fitting that I should have just opened a beer as I read your reply!

Hi Robin,

My Black tank is 18 inches deep. Piper 49M Built 2017.

Stuart 

Hi everyone, thank you all for the help. Unfortunately when I tried to remove the sensor it was very firmly jammed - I was able to extract nearly all of it but the very bottom stuck hard. I spoke to a fellow at MCS who was very helpful except that he said I just had to pull hard and accept it might break, which it did. So I had about 3 cm of the bottom stuck with nothing to hold on to. I had to break it apart bit by bit, and eventually drilled a hole, inserted a screw and attached a wire so that the thing didn't fall into the tank. I then had to drill all around it until eventually I was able to free it. So, a new sensor. And they no longer deliver to France because of the red tape. Luckily I am going to the UK in a few weeks.
Anyway, can anyone tell me the depth of a Piper 49M black water tank please?

cheers

Ours was behaving similarly recently, which turned out to be a blocked overflow causing a build up of pressure in the tank, caused by critters we think.
Try loosening the locking nut around the top of the sensor tube in the top of the tank and raising it. If you experience a malodorous exhalation from the tank then that's part one of problem solved.
To sort it, in brief - loosen the top of the black tank access point on the deck, stand well back and aim a high pressure jet of water down the overflow outlet. It's a good sign if it meets initial resistance, and a better one if it suddenly breaks through.
Also, well worth persevering with getting on the Piper Owners site .... 
Good luck

If it's an MSC gauge like ours some have a schraeder? type valve connexion which can  be used to repressurise it; and if an MSC make I rang the number on the gauge and Michael ?? ( he was on holiday on a canal trip when I rang!) talked me through how to rectify the problem, although I didn't complete the task.
I have done our fuel tank and that is reasonably accurate, think the black tank was too challenging as under the bed in spare bedroom and arthritis and contotions weren't good ...

Peter

I have no idea what type of gauge is fitted but to state the obvious the problem is quite possibly gunge related since clearly the gauge is responding to a degree. One tip might be to dose the tank with a handful of dishwasher tablets and rock the boat. It might just release whatever is jamming the float, or clean the sensors subject to gauge type.

I understand reticence around Facebook, fortunately my wife is very happy using it so I channel all my questions through her! Really do recommend reconsidering though, you will get lots of Piper specific answers to problems from people that have already solved the problem.

Cheers Stuart 

Thanks Stuart. I have been avoiding joining Facebook for years! I'm ok with getting hands dirty - I repaired the poo pump last year - but avoiding doing it until I know what I have to do. 
I would have posted on piperboats.org but for some reason that site doesn't like me. I joined last year and had no problems but then it said I failed the security check. After a lot of faffing around with the moderator I was able to rejoin but now it is rejecting my password and won't let me reset it. Still waiting on the moderator to get back to me about it but no hurry on my part.
cheers

Robin, suggest you ask the Piper Barge Owners on Facebook. I suspect the answer will be that you have to get your hands dirty and clean the sensor but I haven’t had this problem yet myself thankfully.

Hi everyone. The black water tank level indicator in our Piper 49M is totally inaccurate. It shows very low level then suddenly will show it is full and flashing a warning. After only 1/2 an hour pumpout it shows empty again. Anybody know how to fix this please? 
thank you!