Watchman Oil Level Detector issue

AndyD_OHD

Hi All,

I wondered whether anyone could offer any advice?

We moved into our place 6 years ago and use Oil heating. It has all been well and good until a day or so ago when the Watchman that is installed has started to throw a wobbler, and the display cycles from 7 to 0 omitting 5 and 2 repeatedly and the red light has a panic attack and is flashing incessantly. Does anyone have any idea what is going on?


Cheers
Andy

Mayflower10cat

Just possibly the sensor needs a new battery? (They call them 'Power tubes')
Actually, thinking back to when we had the heavy snow this winter, our Watchman flashed like mad, simply because the transmitter atop the tank wasn't able to send a signal through the blanket of snow - is the device in the tank clear of rubbish/leaves/greenery so the signal gets through to the sensor inside????

alyth

When I had my heating installed last year I was given a watchman - I'd never trust the thing! Mine never worked properly when it was installed, in the end I just disconnected it and I look in the tank/keep a diary note of when I received my last delivery.

AndyD_OHD

HI Mayflower,

The sensor is clear of all obstructions.
I've found a site and written to them for any info.
We'll see what happens... oh and looking for a big stick now too, just in case.

lamplighter2

a cheap alternitive is to get a ball !!!! stick a dowel in end put this in the tank when the tank is full the stick will be up high as it get low the stick will drop you could put a small flag on the end of stick to see it more clearly i think you can get the lid which goes on the inspection hatch with the hole in and indicator so it is weathertight.
or were the oil comes out put a sight tube on there the oil fills the sight tube up and drops when getting low just drop a dayglow round ball can get them from fishing shops for carp fishing so you can see the level.

smiler2010

Try disconnecting sender on the tank and making sure terminals are dry, worked for me!

catford

I have a watchman and it is so unreliable that I don't use it now:eek: --I go and look---it's not like you need to check every day;). And as Mayflower says, get a new battery...yours may be the original, and 6yrs outside is a long,long time for a battery.:D

smileybetty

Mine doesn't work well either, we have had a couple of near misses and nearly ran out. I use the technology free method of putting a stick in and seeing where the oil level comes up to! I have only had our new one for around 6 months as I thought our old one was faulty, maybe the new one is too?

vic_sf49

Mine does that about 90% of the time (since new), although with a slight variation. It flashes between the number it's on, to a defective looking number 2. Just as if it's trying to get a good signal but can't. It does it when the weather's too cold / wet / windy / hot etc.

I've found the higher number it cycles between is accurate, but now I have a rough idea of how quickly I use the oil, I switch the Watchman off.

AndyD_OHD

I ordered a replacement battery from someone on ebay. Installed it on the sender, it worked. A few days later we went off on holiday, came back a week later, and the same old error is running. Have tried to contact the ebay seller to ask if they have any suggestions but they are unreachable... or not answering emails anyway.

Sorbukar

There are instructions on how to replace the battery cheaply here - I can't post links yet, but just add http:// to the front cms.da.gp/oil-watchman-power-tube-replace-battery-cells