Water Level Principles & Accuracy
Basic Principles of Water Levels
All water levels utilize the basic principle that water seeks it's own level. There are two main forces at play here: gravity, which is pulling the water down, and atmospheric pressure which is pushing the water down. Since these forces are acting on both ends of the tubing and/or reservoir equally they will provide level points.
Accuracy of All Water Levels
In theory water levels are as accurate as the eye can measure. In reality there are issues that can affect the accuracy: the size of the tubing and the viscosity of the water are two major issues. If the tubing is too small then the water will be essentially constricted and the two forces at play will not be as effective. The viscosity of the water is how well the water flows through the tubing (absence of friction), if the water is "sticking" to the inside of the tubing then the accuracy will suffer. Like raindrops of a window, if the water sticks it will not flow as well. The additive we sell is a wetting agent which helps this problem.
Accuracy of Reservoir Water Levels
Although reservoir water levels utilize the same principle as all water levels there is a distinct twist. The key to reservoir water levels is the ratio of the surface area of the reservoir to the inner diameter of the tubing. If this ratio is large enough then the flow of water in and out of the reservoir as the tubing is raised or lowered is essentially nil. This is because the water surface area of the reservoir can absorb the changes without affecting the level of the water. This seems counter intuitive but the math shows changes of thousands of an inch - too little to be seen by the human eye.
Accuracy of the WatrLevel
Although the WatrLevel is a reservoir style water level there is one added twist: the WatrLevel has a Vertical Measuring Staff. This Measuring Staff is what sets the WatrLevel apart from other water levels. However, like all tools it must be used correctly. One possible error involves the vertical alignment of the Measuring Staff. If it is not vertical errors can occur. In reality as long as you keep the Measuring Staff near vertical these errors are minimal.
