Filling a gravity water system from a garden hose

[MotoVan]

Greetings!

How do you guys fill your gravity water system from a garden hose? Just stand there and wait until it starts overflowing and then shut off the hose valve? Has anyone figured our a better way?

I will have to fill my water tank with 20 gallons once or twice every week, and I am already dreading the filling process, especially the standing and the waiting part, and all the water spilled all over my driveway. I just spent almost $100 on various hoses and water tank fittings, but I am not happy with what I am building. I need help and ideas!!!

I have a few ideas:

1) Buy a water pressure regulator valve like this one. Set it at 1-2 psi to have it fill my gravity system, and then automatically stop when it is full.

Pros: Cheap and easy.
Cons: I do not know if I can trust this valve to maintain 1-2 psi with a sufficient flow. I am risking wasting $40 and blowing up my water tank.

2) Buy this water leak prevention system. Setup it to shut off the valve once the overflow water leaks onto the sensor.

Pros: Effective and probably reliable.
Cons: The installation will take some thinking and work. It will need to be always powered, else the first time I forget to turn it on the water tank will blow.

3) Buy some automatic shut off valve with a float. It needs to fit through a 1-1/2 NPT opening.

Pros: Should be reliable.
Cons: A unit this small probably does not exist. It will not allow to fill the tank completely full.

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Any other ideas?

[MotoVan]

I think I may have a winner here!

Buy this automatic watering timer.

It can be set for 1-240 minutes, pretty accurately! No more waiting and watching the water hose!

I am also going to add this flow meter. It will help me program the watering timer to a correct time.

I am happy now!

I can still accept advice and ideas. Thanks.

[MotoVan]

Ok, I am on a roll and it is 2am, LOL!

We have a REAL winner:
http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...ling-8231.html

Thank you, Deano for the extremely helpful post! Here is the Amazon link.

[markopolo]

Cool idea. There's a related video here: https://rumble.com/v4evl1-fill-er-up.html that shows it works just like you'd think.

Any toxicity concerns? I don't drink the water in my fresh tank but lots of folks do.

I'm surprised that there isn't a smaller version of a fuel nozzle like device specifically made for filling water jugs or similar items.

On my van's gravity fill there is a distinct change in the sound as the water rises up the filler tube so you know when it is getting close but some type of auto shut off filler would be useful.

[MotoVan]

Thanks!

It's like magic, isn't it?!! I have found an explanation how it works:

How does an auto shut off fuel nozzle work?

[MotoVan]

No toxicity concerns for me. The 20 gallons of water will be passing through this nozzle in a matter of seconds. The materials are aluminum alloy and PVC.

I am not planning on drinking the fresh tank water, but even if I decide to in the future, I will install a water filtering system. It may not get rid of all the toxins, but it might get rid of some. Either way, this is not a concern for me now. I hate standing and waiting, and now my sanity has been restored!

[Deano]

I neglected to mention, the nozzle has a 1" pipe inlet, so you will need a 1" male pipe to a female garden hose adapter. I got mine from the local box store.

[MotoVan]

Originally Posted by Deano

I neglected to mention, the nozzle has a 1" pipe inlet

Not 3/4" NPT? Because this is what the listing seems to say.

I have ordered a 3/4" NPT to garden hose adapter.

[Deano]

You caught me. I sit corrected, the truth is I've had the adapter for a long time, had it for some other reason and didn't pay close enough attention.
Thanks for catching that.

[rvsprinterguy]

Yes, I fill until it starts overflowing. IMHO, this is not a major problem.

[MotoVan]

Originally Posted by rvsprinterguy

Yes, I fill until it starts overflowing. IMHO, this is not a major problem.

Not a problem in Michigan, just an inconvenience. But don't you guys in California get fined for watering you own driveways on unapproved days?

[Rockwood27]

This is my water fill solution. It's a garden hose hand sprayer from the dollar store. The nozzle end has a hose bib thread, which I attached a cut down, meshed wrapped, washing machine hose to.

[MotoVan]

It's good to know that washing machine hoses use the same garden hose threaded fittings.

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by MotoVan

Not a problem in Michigan, just an inconvenience. But don't you guys in California get fined for watering you own driveways on unapproved days?

I never waste very much... the sound of the water entering the tank changes as it approaches full. Before it starts running over, I'm at the hose bib ready to turn if off when it starts overflowing. Given that it's a smallish tank, the time spent monitoring things isn't much trouble.

In our water district there are no approved days for driveway watering.

[Jostalli]

I watch my tank monitor display.

[Peder_y2k]

An auto shut-off fuel nozzle is designed for.............fuel. It will work briefly with water until corrosion takes effect stopping the auto trip mechanism.

[ChicagoTom]

I just listen to it, and when it gets close to filling I can hear it, I then hand crimp the hose, slowing down the flow, like a kid drinking water on a hot summer's day. I'm not sure why we make everything so difficult.

[GeorgeRa]

I had gravity fill in my Bigfoot truck camper and ended up with a major headache after one fill. I left the garden hose inserted in the fill slide-out tray with running water and left. Came back to face the major damage. There was sufficient pressure build-up for the tank to bulge and destroy surrounding wood framing with table mount. Fortunately, the tank didn’t rupture.

Just 0.5PSI pressure will push 2 SF wall with about 150 lbs., enough to bulge or rupture a PE/PP tank.

Currently I have SS freshwater tank with pressure fill and use ¾” 0.5PSI pressure relief valve and a vent to prevent potential damage.

[Deano]

Originally Posted by Peder_y2k

An auto shut-off fuel nozzle is designed for.............fuel. It will work briefly with water until corrosion takes effect stopping the auto trip mechanism.

I blow it out with air if home and shake out as much as possible when not.

[Deano]

Originally Posted by Jostalli

I watch my tank monitor display.

Assuming the gauges work, many don't, or, are not accurate.

Also, won't help with a RT rear inside tank.

To those of you who can hear the change as the tank fills, I envy you.
Besides my diminished hearing, the noise of aircraft, trains and other vehicles, I gave up trying to hear it.