Tank Level Sensor Guide

No — and that lock-up is the tell-tale you've got the wrong sensor type on that node. Hook an old analog submersible to a new universal node and it can freeze up the whole thing — no amount of toggling ports or power-cycling gets it to read. Universal nodes need the digital sensor; the original nodes and sensor hubs use the analog one.

Two things to check:

• On the LED sight-glass/display units, set the menu sensor type to "digital" (type 2), not "submersible." A factory reset fixes it: power OFF, hold the Enter button (far right), power ON while still holding Enter through startup until it shows a level, then release.
• The pinout differs between analog and digital connectors, so a salvaged connector wired for one won't work on the other.

Need a digital submersible? Reach out and we'll get you the right one — and if you want to send the old analog one back, I can do a swap and cover shipping both ways.

For ultrasonic it's almost always one of four things:

1. Not level — it got bumped or shifted.
2. Disturbances on top — a releaser dumping or splash when pumping; the ultrasonic doesn't bounce properly.
3. Condensation on the underside from temperature and humidity swings — just wipe it off.
4. Snow or ice on top of the tank — even a thin layer keeps it from reading. That's why some folks see "tank full" below freezing that clears once it warms up.

To confirm the sensor itself is good: clean the underside, point it at a flat, hard object, use Read Tank under device settings, and check the reading roughly matches the distance. Then re-mount it level. Honestly, these four issues are exactly why we migrated to the submersible — easier to set up and far more robust. If you're fighting the ultrasonic, reach out and I'll take care of you on a swap.

We haven't had many problems with the submersible — a few here and there. In general freezing isn't a problem; the handful we've had to swap froze into a solid brick, and that's when a submersible can actually fail. A freeze-up can also throw readings off temporarily — a few bogus readings, or a level that briefly calculates below 0", can happen during a freeze. If the sensor was accurate all season and just started acting up, check whether it lines up with a freeze. If one froze solid and failed, reach out and we'll get you a replacement.

Before waiting on a replacement, two quick checks fix this most of the time:

1. Clean the sensor end. That bottom barrel piece with the vent hole unscrews — it doesn't look like it, but it does. Take it off and lightly clean the pressure sensor inside; hot water works. Push evenly and lightly on the diaphragm with your finger and the reading should move. If it won't budge below its stuck value, that points to the sensor itself. A little cleaning late in the season often gets it accurate again.
2. Check the connector for a loose wire. We've had a few with a loose termination — take the connector apart and confirm everything's tight. (There's a short walkthrough video for this if you need it.)

Also confirm the sensor is plugged into the SNS port — and on sight-glass units, that the LED strip is in the LED port. Still stuck after all that? I'll send a prepaid label, you ship it back, and I'll get a working unit to you.

Use the sensor offset in the menu — it's on the same settings page where you enter your tank height/dimensions and sensor type. The offset is additive: if the sensor reads 2" with no liquid in the tank, set the offset to -2. A sensor sitting below the tank bottom gets a negative offset; above it, positive — so a sensor reading 8" high gets a -8 and then reads correctly.

One limit: the max offset is 10". More than that and offset alone won't fully calibrate it — you can work around it by adjusting the entered tank height, but if it's off by that much, let me know and we'll look at swapping the sensor.

Yes — we sell a 15' extension cable for the submersible transducer (it works for the relay too). If the cable or connector got damaged — one customer's got crushed when snow slid off the roof onto it, so try not to leave it where that can happen — you can usually salvage and re-terminate the connector.

For the original analog sensor the pinout is: Pin 1 red, Pin 2 blank (a shield wire can go here on some), Pin 3 green, Pin 4 yellow. The newer digital sensor uses a different pinout, so confirm which style you have before re-wiring. Beyond repair? We'll get a replacement out to you.