aloofloofah
168166
513
11
Non-contact liquid level sensor
More #toolgifs at https://reddit.com/r/toolgifs
Jul 18, 2025 10:41 PM
aloofloofah
168166
513
11
More #toolgifs at https://reddit.com/r/toolgifs
scatterscott
I put one on my beer glass. When the alarm goes off my partner knows it's time for another beer and they prince off to fetch one with a new frosty flagon
Bmgm4u
Okay, now do a propane tank.
JohnSmithterms
Likely either a "Ultrasonic Level Sensor" or a "Capacitive Level Sensor" . based on the shape I would expect this is a Capacitive model similar to a "DFROBOT SEN0368".
Eniff
Looks to be a capacitive sensor https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2109.html
Jordan7831
This one is the toolgifs model. Even says so in the label!
MediocreExtremist
thank you for answering my question
JohnSmithterms
I live to serve the toolgif gods.
MediocreExtremist
I'm happy for you that you found your purpose in life
JohnSmithterms
OliverClothesoff70
Not certain, but to me that sucker looks optical. Like it's fixated on the response of light reflecting off of water in particular.
kitchendaddy
It worked on the opaque container. How could it be optical?
OliverClothesoff70
Panasonic’s optical EZ-10 sensor detects water through opaque container walls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blBvFtZwBSA
kitchendaddy
Interesting! Thanks!
Chronomechanist
Not sure what kind of sensor it is, but just for clarification, the opaque container is the only one we can't be sure it's actually detecting water.
It's brought closer to the container from not touching to touching, but we can't say for sure that it's detecting water, only that it's detecting the container.
If it was slid down the opaque container as in the other examples, that would be different, but it's not.
57rescraft9
Put one on every beer bottle in my fridge.
FetaForMoses
Could you demonstrate what it does?
thespaceghetto
It would be used to open a valve to an overflow tank or similar. Also could work as an alarm
ChewyTheWookie
It blows up a bathroom when you flush a toilet
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bTVjZXB2am1pdm1ndmV5ZDgzNjU3ZHFiOW9mM3VwNmRtbWw0emFiZCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/m95XhRI5s4AIJg5D5N/200w.webp
TheobromineAddict
Here is a demonstration I found online: /gallery/7ggTy4c
SarcasticComment
Krossis
One use could be that if it detects water, it can turn off the water flow
cuttysark
very clever
petonious
OH and a darlington amplifier.
DidItForScience
Is that what it's usually used for? Rubbing the side of a water bottle for fun?
barbarian818
God forbid I should have a hobby
JimFromMarketing
Have you no imagination
DidItForScience
You're the one who can't find fun with a sensor and the side of a water bottle!
MoreOfABrewerReally
I use a few of them to monitor the liquid level in my hydroponic system.
DidItForScience
Cool, what are you growing? I got a single Dogwalker cannabis strain in a pot of soil with hand watering going right now. Used to grow professionally a while back though. And had a nice veggie garden going too.
MissingGravitas
The holding tanks on sailboats (because in many places you can't dump toilet waste within x miles of shore) are often just opaque enough to make it hard to tell the level, and even when they do have sensors they aren't particularly trustworthy. I'm tempted to pick one of these up to see how well it works.
Raeilgunne
we used similar, much smaller cap sensors to measure chemical levels at work. The real magic was the liquid flow meters that used the Coriolis effect on two half-mm-thin pipes to calculate exactly how much liquid flowed through.
cousteau
I found two.
petonious
Whaaat. An open end of an NPN sensor. MAGIC I say Magic. Burn the witch.
themobileappisbroken
Found two of them.
cousteau
Me too. One was easy; found it before opening the post.
azimir
It's an XKC-Y28 Water Level non-contact sensor. They look like they work through non-metalic containers to provide a binary on/off signal if liquid (water only?) is on the other side of the container wall: https://www.amazon.com/KAKASEA-XKC-Y28-Sensing-Contact-Detection/dp/B0D56ZLSTC?th=1
pandajack
Do they make them for metal containers?
pandajack
Ok I see from link you can use a plastic pipe added to a metal container. But would like one for metal containers.
azimir
Dunno if there's a metal one option. I haven't even used one of these, but metal is a real bitch for EM-based solutions. Flat metal objects make Gaussian surfaces, which make the waves bend around the outside of the object (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27s_law). This means that the radio/EM transmitter in the little sensor won't penetrate the metal and won't work effectively. It's related to how Faraday Cages work to make internally EM-isolated volumes (blocks radio waves).
ChicanoBatman
Thanks. Living in Mexico, we all have water tanks that have to be filled. There are in water meters but this seems cleaner. Wonder that the thickness threshold of material is?
azimir
According to their website (https://www.xkc-sensor.com/detail/1408.html) : "XKC-Y28-NO/NC/RS485 sensor is suitable for non-metallic pipes (pipe outer diameter D≥ 11MM)" -- Now, whether it can *actually* do 11mm is always up to testing one. The companies who make these devices are often a bit greedy in their claims about how well they work in the real world, so I assume it's more like 5mm and still give it a try before assuming it works in my use case.
robotobo
OD isn't the wall thickness. The outer diameter spec is so that the sensor matches the curve of the container reasonably well.
IhopeyougetstageIIIcoloncancer
r/toolgifs text right in the first frame on the label
InnerBushman
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1MnMzdng2cXYxdXNlajdybnlyamNocWhyajhwbXNpc3Z6dG5jYThudyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/Zsxh9Cbq7VCy4/200w.webp
IhopeyougetstageIIIcoloncancer
You want spoilers? It's ALSO on the text on the side of the actuator in the second example about 7 seconds in.
InnerBushman
Totallycasual
I need one of these for my dehumidifier overflow tank!
ManholeStellarReconveneSubstanceOlympicsReunion
I just set mine up so it drains into my basement sump. But then my basement is a total disaster.
Totallycasual
Ouch, maybe extend the hose so it goes outside the basement?
ManholeStellarReconveneSubstanceOlympicsReunion
Oh, that's not part of the disaster part. My basement is 100+ year old concrete that was poorly poured, has shattered in multiple places AND people have broken through it in multiple places, and the walls bowed in a couple of places, etc. The original sump wasn't installed in the lowest part of the basement so I had to install a new one. Plus the rafters are 2"-5" lower than my height. So it's just horrible. It is nice and full of spiders though.
Totallycasual
Oh dear :(
RxFukitall
You could also use a float to trigger an alarm
Totallycasual
Yeah for sure, it's a 20L tank though, usually i just empty it once a week and it only ever gets 70% full, it would just be nice to have a simple backup like this as a failsafe.
PotatoPirateTheThird
once a week? we have to empty our 7.5L every 8 hours
Totallycasual
I live in a little off-grid cabin on my own lol