I'm trying to figure out a way to measure the recovery rate of water in my well. The plan is to draw some water, drop a homemade sensor down to a depth of 100-300 feet until it hits the water, then pull it back out, wait a bit, and do it again to measure the water level. I've seen commercial devices that cost over $200, but I want to build my own. I found a water level sensor that has a 16-foot cable, but I need to know if I can successfully extend it with an additional 300 feet of wire. I'm thinking about using 20 gauge wire, but I'm not entirely sure if that would work well. Any advice or insights would be really helpful!
2 Answers
So you're basically lowering a sensor until it touches the water and measuring how much wire you let out? That should totally work! Just keep in mind that adding a lot of wire might increase resistance, but it should still be detectable when the sensor hits the water. Getting the right gauge is important too, so make sure it's suitable for the depth you're working with.
I've dealt with similar issues before. In a previous job, we needed to monitor liquid levels in a tank where visibility was poor, so we opted for IR non-contact level sensors. You seem to have some skills, so exploring something like that could give you better results in the long run. It requires some initial calibration, but once set up, it can provide constant readings without having to check manually each time!
That's definitely something I want to consider for future monitoring! I appreciate the suggestion!
Exactly, just want to register when it hits the water. It's tricky finding info on this setup since most use these sensors for tanks. Thanks for the reassurance!