Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector
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With The Sludge Gun® handheld, portable sludge blanket level detector, easily measure & monitor liquid-solids interface levels in septic tanks, ponds, lagoons and clarifiers. Its sensor, with thumbwheel sensitivity control, detects thick or thin silt, sludge or biosolids blankets, even light flocs. Compact & weatherproof, it helps eliminate unnecessary pumping or dredging, facilitate routine monitoring for regulatory compliance and prevent carryover. Ideal for use from catwalks and boats.
The Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector – Get the Markland Advantage
Easily monitor sludge levels in septic tanks, lagoons, clarifiers.
- Help eliminate unnecessary pumping or dredging.
Know the depth of the settled sludge bed and the overlying cloudy layer.
- Measure sludge levels easily by reading numbered markers on the Sludge Gun® cable.
Ideal for use on catwalks, in clarifiers & tanks, and boats on ponds & lagoons.
- The Sludge Gun® is compact, rugged and weatherproof.
Convenient thumbwheel for sensitivity control of the optical sensor.
- Detect silt, sludge and biosolids in densities ranging from light flocs to the thick blankets of murky lagoons. Also able to detect clear surfaces.
Ensure low maintenance costs
- The Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector has a proven track record of reliability for over forty years.
Get answers when you have questions
- Technical assistance is factory-direct from the designers and manufacturers of this sludge blanket level detection equipment.
The Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector – Get The Markland Advantage
Easily monitor sludge levels in septic tanks, lagoons, clarifiers.
- Help eliminate unnecessary pumping or dredging.
Know the depth of the settled sludge bed and the overlying cloudy layer.
- Measure sludge levels easily by reading numbered markers on the Sludge Gun® cable.
Ideal for use on catwalks, in clarifiers & tanks, and boats on ponds & lagoons.
- The Sludge Gun® is compact, rugged and weatherproof.
Convenient thumbwheel for sensitivity control of the optical sensor.
- Detect silt, sludge and biosolids in densities ranging from light flocs to the thick blankets of murky lagoons. Also able to detect clear surfaces.
Ensure low maintenance costs
- The Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector has a proven track record of reliability for over forty years.
Get answers when you have questions
- Technical assistance is factory-direct from the designers and manufacturers of this sludge blanket level detection equipment.
The Markland Sludge Gun® is used to measure and help monitor liquid-solids interface levels in a variety of applications:
- drinking water and sewage at Municipal treatment plants
- raw influent, effluent and process slurries at Industrial plants
Installations include:
- primary and secondary clarifiers (gravity settlers)
- septic tanks
- dissolved air flotation (DAF) tanks and thickeners (floating bed)
- sedimentation basins
- lagoons
- ponds
Features
- Compact, handheld design is ideal for use on catwalks and boats
- Convenient storage for cable on Sludge Gun® spool
- Rugged and weatherproof
- Uses standard AA batteries, which are easy to replace and last approximately one year
- Spring-loaded trigger prevents accidental drain on batteries
- Convenient thumb wheel makes it easy to adjust the sensitivity of the optical sensor, for detecting thin or thick sludge blankets or even light flocs
- Audible tone varies according to sludge density
- No calibration required
How it Works
Markland’s popular Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector makes everyone an expert at sludge level interface detection.
When the trigger on The Sludge Gun® is depressed, a LED transmits a pulse of infrared light across a gap in the probe. The beam is received by a phototransistor on the other side of the gap. If the gap contains air or clear liquid, nothing happens. However, when suspended solids are encountered in the gap, some beam energy is absorbed and the rear-facing speaker on the back end of the gun emits an audible tone. As the suspended solids concentration increases, both the pitch and volume of the tone increase, which gives the operator a clear indication of the location of the thickest sludge. By holding the trigger and listening to the note, while slowly moving the probe up and down, the operator can observe the depth markers on the cable and establish the location of both the sludge blanket and the overlying unsettled layer or cloud.
A spool on the front of the gun allows convenient storage for the cable. The Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector is easy for an operator to carry from tank to tank. This rugged tool is a valuable addition to any plant.
Markland also offers Fixed Installation Sludge Blanket Level Detectors, which provide single point monitoring or more comprehensive tracking of the liquid-solids interface, and automate sludge removal.
Technical Specifications
| Weight | 2.2 kg (5 lb) |
| Batteries | Six Alkaline AA |
| Battery Life | One Year (Normal Service) |
| Materials | Probe: PVC & Epoxy Cable: PVC or Polyethylene or Silicone (cable can vary based on the outdoor temperatures) Body: PVC & Aluminum |
| Operating Temperature | Minus 20°C (0°F) to 50°C (120°F) |
| Loudspeaker | 3 Watts, Weatherproof Type |
| Printed Circuit Board | Epoxy-Glass, Moisture Sealed, Plug-in Style |
| Sensitivity Control | Trip point can be adjusted from barely cloudy water, right up to the thickest sludge |
| Cable Length | 10 Meters (33 Feet) |
| Cable Markers | Self-adhesive Vinyl (Numbers 1 to 33) Shipped loose for customer installation at either foot or meter readings. |
This animation shows how simple it is to operate Markland’s Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector.
Press the Sludge Gun® trigger and lower the probe. A speaker on the back end of the gun emits an audible tone when the probe enters the sludge. The pitch and volume will vary depending upon the concentration of the suspended solids, so the unsettled portion above the sludge blanket can also be detected. Read the sludge depth from the numbered markers on the cable.
To receive a quote for a Markland Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Level Detector, please complete the form found below.