Information Archives

What You May Want to Know Before Buying a PTLevel

Posted on May 10, 2023August 1, 2024 by parem_admin

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying a PTLevel

Many customers have a few extra questions before purchasing their first PTLevel, and we want to answer those questions! Below are a few frequently-asked questions, what you want to know, before buying a PTLevel.

What You May Want to Know Before Buying – What’s the Range?

What is the range on the PTLevel?

Long Range Wireless PTLevel: The range on the Long Range Wireless PTLevel can be up to 1km! Factors such as grade (is the transmitter installed below grade?), obstructions (are there any large cement or metal obstructions between the Receiver and Transmitter?), line of sight (are there trees and hills in the way?) can lower the range.

Concerned? If our device doesn’t work for your scenario, we have a 30 day money-back guarantee (minus the cost of shipping). Before buying a PTLevel, review the distance between the tank and where you will plug in the Receiver to determine if there are any major obstacles.

WiFi Wired PTLevel: The Wired WiFi PTLevel requires a strong WiFi signal (70%+) at your tank.

Once your device is setup, you’ll be able to check the WiFi signal right from your dashboard.

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying – Will It Work in My Tank?

What kind of tanks can I measure with the PTLevel?

Some customers have the question, “will this work for my tank?” before buying. The Long Range Wireless PTLevel and the WiFi Wired PTLevel are both designed for a multitude of tank sizes and kinds. Basically, they will measure any liquid that has a consistent density and is between the depth of 1.5” and 18′. Note: The standard length of tubing is 13′, so if you need additional tubing make sure to order that when you check out!

The most common tanks are rain water harvesting systems, cisterns, wells, dug wells, ponds, tanks, chemical tanks, septics, sumps, reverse osmosis tanks, fertilizer tanks, peroxide tanks, and reservoirs. Before buying a PTLevel, if you intend to install it in a spetic tank we recommend you review the septic tank installation here and reach out to us with any questions.

The Pressure Chamber is made out of chemical resistant materials and is potable-water safe. The pressure tubing used is 5/32″OD ether based polyurethane and is also chemical resistant and potable water safe.

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying – Wireless or WiFi?

Which device is right for me?

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying – Maintenance

How often do I need to do maintenance?

Many customers want to know how much maintenance they will need to be doing before buying a PTLevel. Once every three months or seasonally we suggest that you pull the tubing and weight out of the tank. Let it drain for a second or two and give it a quick inspection. If you have a clear tube, check to see if there is any water or moisture in it. If there is, please see this article: Low or 0% Readings . Then just simply drop the weight back into the tank.

If you have the Wireless PTLevel, just be sure to press on the “Connect” button on the transmitter to get the latest reading. Calibrate if desired.

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying – All About Support

What happens if I have a problem?

We’re only a click away! For real, put in a Support Ticket here if you need help. We also have lots of Support Articles to help guide you through set up, troubleshooting, etc! If you put in a ticket, our team will get back to you within about 24-48 hours and is made up of Technicians, Sales, and Developers right here in Ontario, Canada. We want to make it right!

What You May Want to Know Before Buying – The WebApp

You have a WebApp, not an App, what does that mean for me?

First, let’s start with explaining what an App is. A Mobile App runs on your actual device (such as your phone). Although there are many benefits to a Mobile App such as not requiring internet, there are many limits especially to to the PTLevel. Since the PTLevel updates its level data via the cloud, internet will always be required to view PTLevel data when you are not within your WIFI connection.

A WebApp requires internet access to work. A WebApp is also adaptive to any environment (such as tablet, phone, computer, android, iPhone, etc!) This allows the PTLevel WebApp to work on any device you have now or in the future without new downloads, updates, etc.

Without downloading anything, the WebApp is available instantly when you set up your PTLevel. To login to your WebApp visit ptdevices.com. Before buying a PTLevel, people often want to know if their device is compatible with the PTLevel, and we can asnwer “yes” everytime!

Just like a Mobile App, a WebApp shortcut can be added to your phone/tablet home screen and will look and feel just like a Mobile App. To setup a shortcut, check out this article.

What Customers Want to Know Before Buying – Warranty

What is the warranty?

We have a great warranty on everything we manufacture. Customers want to know if we stand behind our product before they purchase and if they can get ahold of us if something isn’t right with their PTLevel. We stand behind our craftmanship which is why we offer a 2 year warranty against any manufactured defect and a 30 day full refund (minus shipping costs) if the device doesn’t work for your scenario. Read all about it here!

What You May Want to Know Before Buying – I Have More Questions

You didn’t answer my question…

No worries, we have lots more information to help you! Visit our Support Page here and search the articles for what you are looking for. For example, search “Alexa” to see all of the articles related to our Amazon Alexa integration or “Low Reading” to find our troubleshooting information!

So what do customers want to know before buying a PTLevel? A lot of things that we would be happy to answer! Please reach out to us so we can answer your questions!

And yes you can order a new pressure chamber if you dropped it into your tank and can’t get it out… And yes you can order new tubing if you cut it with the lawn mower by accident… If you need new parts, send us a support ticket!

5 tips for getting the most accurate readings from a PTLevel

Posted on April 26, 2023December 2, 2024 by parem_admin

5 tips for getting the most accurate readings from a PTLevel

Long Range Wireless PTLevel monitors are an essential tool for monitoring water levels in wells, cisterns, tanks, and septics. PTLevel’s are useful for monitoring water levels in cisterns (and other liquid levels) remotely by saving time and preventing running out of water. Here are 5 tips to get the most out of your Long Range Wireless PTLevel:

First, it is important to understand how the PTLevel works. PTLevel’s measure the liquid’s pressure at the bottom of a tank and compares it to the atmospheric pressure. The pressure chamber is installed at the bottom of the tank and is connected by air tubing to the transmitter. The transmitter then sends this pressure data wirelessly to the receiver which displays it via the app or browser.

Long Range Wireless PTLevel History

Plotted on graph maximum once per hour, percentage on the left updates as frequently as the level updates.

Second, put in the right dimensions and calibrate. To ensure the most accurate readings from your PTLevel monitor, it is vital to enter the correct dimensions of your well or cistern into the monitor. The depth is the most important setting to ensure is accurate. This will ensure that the monitor can accurately calculate the percentage of the liquid. Calibration is also essential to ensure that the monitor is measuring the pressure correctly. Calibration should be done after installation, and at least once a year. It is best to calibrate your PTLevel when your tank is 100%. Your tank must be at least 25% full to calibrate. Having an accurate calibration is key to getting accurate data from your cistern or well.

Third, do quarterly maintenance. Maintenance on the PTLevel is incredibly simple; just lift the pressure chamber out of the liquid and let it drain. Then carefully lower the pressure chamber back in the liquid to create a new air pocket. Press the button on the transmitter and you’re all set. Quarterly maintenance is essential to keep your PTLevel monitor giving the most accurate readings from your cistern, well, or tank.

Fourth, prevent damage to the pressure tubing (commonly caused by kids, pets, lawn mowers). Damage to the pressure tubing can cause inaccurate readings from your cistern or tank. Even a small hole in the air tubing will cause low or zero pressure readings. If you have damaged your tubing or pressure chamber, reach out to our support team at support.paremtech.com.

Weather-Resistant PTLevel Liquid Level Monitor

And finally, change your batteries every 2 years. PTLevel monitors rely on batteries to function, and these batteries do not need to be changed often, only about once every 2 years. Your ptdevices.com account will indicate when your batteries are low, but it’s always good to have a new set of batteries on hand (4xAA).

Following the tips outlined above will ensure that you get the most accurate readings from your PTLevel monitor, which will help you make informed decisions about your water supply. And as always, we are ready to help if you run into problems. Please visit our support page for more help.

Choosing a Rain Water Collection System

Posted on January 16, 2020March 14, 2024 by parem_admin

Choosing a Rain Water Collection System

Many of our customers harvest rain water to store it for later use, and then use our PTLevel devices to monitor their Rain Water Collection Systems. The PTLevel and Rain Water Harvesting make a great pair! However, selecting the right rain water collection system can be tricky.

The Basics:

Rain Water Harvesting
Rain Water Collection
Rain Water Catchment
Roof Water Collection
and Rooftop Water Collection – they all mean the same thing. It’s the idea of collecting rain water run-off from a structure and then storing it for later use.

Recently, rain water harvesting has had some controversy in some areas of the world. In fact, in some cities it is illegal to collect and store rainwater. In many other areas of the world there are strict rules about collection. Make sure to research the rules and regulations for your area before choosing a rain water collection system. But if Rain Water Harvesting is right for you, keep reading! And if you think the PTLevel is right for you and your water monitoring needs, find our more here.

Benefits of Rain Water Harvesting

-rain is free

-rain water is generally clean (purification is needed before drinking it)

-use your harvested rain water anytime (still follow your city rules on water restrictions, if any)

-rainwater is actually better for your plants and landscape because it does not have chlorine or other chemicals in it

-collecting rain water can help improve your water run-off and storm-water runoff problems

-rain water collection systems are easy to maintain

-typically rain water harvesting systems can be easily retrofitted to existing homes and structures with no significant investments needed

-stored rain water can be a back-up source of water for emergencies

-rain water harvesting can reduce the need for imported water from other communities

-you’ve probably heard of food-miles, well rain water collection reduces your water-miles. (reduced water trucking or even water piped to your residence)

-using rain water to replace your municipal water usage can reduce your water bill and save you money

-and more

Different Rain Water Harvesting Methods

Rain Barrels

By far the most common method, the general idea is that you install a rain barrel at a downspout to collect rain. This is an incredibly easy way to test to see if rain water harvesting is right for you. Rain barrels can be an up-cycled barrel you already have laying around or a readily-available barrel purchased from your local hardware store. Barrels are typically small and don’t take up a large footprint. However, rain barrel systems are small and usually max out at 50-100 gallons as well as can easily overflow causing runoff issues.

“Dry” System

Called a dry system because the downspout will “dry” between collections when the water empties into the larger tank, it is similar to a rain collection system, just bigger. This system is ideal if you need more than 50-100 gallons of water storage, or if you live in weather areas when rain is infrequent but comes in with large weather events that bring in a lot of water at once. This is again a low-cost and low-maintenance system. Locate the large water storage tank close to the structure where water is collected (such as your house).

“Wet” System

This is a more complex and costly system; however, if setup properly, can offer an increased water storage capacity as well as storage away from buildings. With this type of system you can also collect rain water from multiple gutters. To set up this system, start by choosing a location for your water storage tank away from your house, but ensuring it is located in an area that your gutters are higher than the tank inlet. Next you can plan, design, and then build your underground pipe system (all of your pipes and valves must be water-tight). Make sure to consult a professional to design this system efficiently and safely.

The good news is that the PTLevel Wireless or Wired can be used with any of these systems! The PTLevel can accurately monitor your Rain Water Collection Systems with how much water you have stored, as well as track water history for up to 2 years with the premium features. The Wired WiFi PTLevel can easily be installed in tanks within WIFI range and that have access to a power outlet, and the Long Range PTLevel can be installed up to 1km from your WiFI signal!

We would be happy to answer any questions you have about installing a PTLevel and monitoring your Rain Harvesting Collection Systems – contact us today! Please check out additional information about cisterns and tank management here.