Water levels are elegantly simple tools that can be used with great accuracy. At my hardware store I’ve sold thousands of feet of 3/8-in. tubing to my customers so that they can make their own levels.
But a potential problem with a water level is that water can escape from the tube if the ends are raised or lowered relative to one another. The drawing shows a valve that I use to keep water from escaping from the “working end” of the tube when I set it down.
The heart of the valve is the spigot from a water can. It has a spring-loaded mechanism that opens the nozzle when you push on the button. I attach the spigot to the water level’s tube by way of a PVC adapter affixed to a hose barb with a threaded nipple on one end. Many hardware stores carry individual spigots. If you can’t find an individual spigot, buy a cheap water can and commandeer its spigot.
To use the level, hang the open end at your reference point, and move the working end to the elevation to be determined. Then, push the button on the spigot.
The water will seek its own level, and you can mark the reading. Release the button, and the system is locked up again until you press the button to make another reading.
Dale Whitaker, Moorpark, CA
