Stoopid question about water tank dipstick.

[stormalong]

Just use a separate wood stick. Make it long enough that it won't fall down into the tank.

Mine is teak. It won't affect the water. Carve notches at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 full points. Interpolate between them.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by Brioche

A flat dipstick might be better, but in either case you can drill small holes in it at intervals and surface tension will retain water until it evaporates. That way you avoid contaminating the water in the tank, althoughhttps://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif it would be best to sanitize dipstick to avoid problems in the holes.

Yes!

Small holes so the water will stay in them

[Oeanda]

Thanks everybody. Great ideas.

I am reluctant to add anything like paint or heat shrink plastic to the dipstick because of course it will break down eventually.
The stainless stick is just perfect in that regard, other than the fact that it just doesn’t work, ha ha.

To answer Stu Jackson- yeah I have two water tanks. Running out isn’t usually much of an issue and water is pretty plentiful around here anyway. It’s just something I mainly notice when I’m filling the tanks, which is exactly what I was doing while I posted this thread. It’s just kind of annoying to have dipsticks that don’t actually work, dammit.

I usually just go blind, and keep filling till the tanks overflow. Not really a problem.

I’m going to try taking the sander to the side of one of the dipsticks first, to see if roughing it up helps. Drilling holes, hmmm… maybe. But it does sound like a bit of a headache drilling a series of indents or holes in that round stainless.

Failing that, it’s going to be a good ol stick! Tried and true technology is hard to beat. I guess I was just trying to avoid having one more object that I have to keep clean and keep track of, but what the heck.

I’m intrigued by the cork and stick idea but the neck is pretty narrow so there might not be room.