Replies

1. 
   fredsmart48 | Sep 07, 2003 04:42am | #1

   Every thing you want to know about water levels

   http://forums.taunton.com/n/main.asp?ctx=advsearch&webtag=tp-breaktime

2. 
   MarkRoderick | Sep 07, 2003 06:39pm | #2

   I can only tell you that a water level is a wonderful thing.

3. 
   Steinmetz | Sep 09, 2003 03:11am | #3

   Kirk, Before laser levels, water levels ruled to lay out bench marks as well as  to carry level lines around corners or obstructions.

   If you intend to put pencil marks on finished walls, place masking tape in the areas you'll mark.

   The water level is a two man/two woman or man/wife job. Carry a small bottle of water with you to adjust the water level in the glass tubes. Most pros fill the hose with water and hang both ends up for several hours to dissipate air bubbles.

   When ready, each guy/gal holds up the vial or sight glass with it's water line even with your pencil mark. If you maintain your end at the mark, tell your bud to mark a small horrozontal line on the tape.

   I f you snap a chalk line from point to points in the area needed, you'll have a bench mark.

   To locate any thing paralell to this line, just measure and mark any new lines the same distance above or below the bench mark. Stein.

   
   

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   Edited 9/8/2003 8:21:35 PM ET by steinmetz

1. 
   ks446 | Sep 09, 2003 05:17am | #4

   Thank you for your help. I have just purchased the Zicron water level from Lee Valley.

   Kirk

4. 
   DennisS | Sep 09, 2003 06:54am | #5

   Hi -

   Since you've already bought one, this is a little late to save you some money. None the less ....

   A water level is neither expensive or a two person instrument. Just go to your neighborhood hardware store, one that sells clear plastic tubing. Buy enough 1/2" or 5/8" diam. tubing to stretch at least 1/2 the distance between the two farthest points you need to level up or relate.

   Get a clear (preferably clear) 1 gal. plastic jug of one kind or another. You need to find a piece of threaded pipe, something like the brass nipples used to attach lighting fixtures to the ceiling box - they usually will fit 1/2" inside diameter clear vinyl tubing if you clamp the tubing tightly with a hose clamp.

   Pierce a hole in the side of the gallon jug near the bottom. This is where the threaded nipple goes. It's kinduva chore (but a challenge - like building a ship in a bottle) but you have to thread a washer and nut on the ends of the nipple, both inside and outside in order to clamp onto the side of the jug and make a water tight seal.

   Once the nipple is secured to the jug, slip the tubing over the outside end, hose clamp securely (maybe using a little sealant for good measure.

   Start filling the jug with water, leaving the tubing lying on the ground lower than the outlet to the tubing so the water drains out and flushes all, or most of the air from the tubing. Once the air is pretty much gone, hold the end of the tubing above the top of the jug and fill the jug about 3/4 full.

   Place the jug on a stand of suitable height so the water levels, both in the tube and the jug (wich should be equal, by the way) are at a convenient height above the floor or whatever. Hold the tubing up to the side of the jug and move it up or down, as need be, to get the two levels precisely aligned. When the levels are exactly the same, no air in the tubing and the top of the jug is open, mark the water level on the tubing like with a Sharpie or something.

   Now anywhere you go with that tubing, all you have to do is move it up or down until the water reaches your mark and you're level with the reference plane, the top of the water in the jug. This will be the same so long as 1)you don't move the jug to a different elevation and 2) the quantity of water in the jug remains constant.

   You could dispense with the jug by merely making a pole on a stand onto which you could secure one end of the tubing. I also made a little wooden block with a thumb screw clamp affair so I could adjust the water level mark on the tubing, and also bought some clear plexiglas tubing for the "vial" end of my flexible tubing.

   I've used garden hose in the past which works well because its greater rigidity and larger diameter makes the water stabalize faster than smaller diameter, more flexible plastic stuff.

   Water levels are fun and as accurate as ones eyesight is to read the top of the water in the tube!

   ...........

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

1. 
   trialnut | Sep 09, 2003 02:45pm | #6

   I made my water level pretty much the same way by using an old 1gal pretzel jug and 100' of clear tubing. I put a valve on the end of the tubing so I could move it around without the need to keep the end above the jug all the time. When using be sure to loosen the lid on the jug and open the valve so air pressure doesn't alter your reading. There is no need to mark the tubing as the water will seek it's level no matter how much you move the tubing up or down. I also dumped a bottle of blue food coloring in the water to make it easier to see. When using it to lay out drain pipe or leach fields I tape the last 3' of tubing to a yardstick to make it easy to tell how much drop I have in the pipe. Once you start using a water level you will find them to be quick and easy for one person to use, and they can't be knocked out of kilder like a laser level or transit. Also much cheaper.The Professional Termite