In this article, you will learn how to make a water level for use in your DIY projects and of course when levelling a mobile home, deck or shed.
This type of level has been in use for thousands of years and is still preferred to a modern laser level in some circumstances.
Materials you will need:
Table of Contents
- A length of plastic or nylon tubing.
- A water container.
- Food dye.
- Water around 1 gallon.
- A small magnet or hook.
Tools You Will Need:
- A sharp pair of scissors.
- A Sharp knife.
Things to Consider Before you Start.
The scope of your project will determine the size of the materials.
For instance if you intend to build a sun deck 95 feet away from your back porch, but at the same level you will need around 110 feet of tubing.
A straight line between each end of the tube is ideal but if you need to go around obstacles then make the necessary adjustments for length.
How to Build The Water Level or How To Make A Water Level.
Take the water container usually a plastic gallon bottle available at most stores and raise it up around 4 feet from the ground level.
Open up the plastic tubing and lay it out as straight as possible on the ground. One end next to the water container.
Take the sharp knife and make a hole in the top of the water bottle. Usually an “X” shaped cut in the plastic top will allow the pipe to pass through and at the same time grip onto the tubing to keep it secure.
Insert the tubing through the top and into the water and down to the bottom of the container. If it is a one-gallon Publix container as in the illustration above push the pipe into the handle and through to the base of the bottle. This will help to keep the pipe under the water.
OK so now you have everything in place.
Must Read: How To Use A Water Level On Home Projects – Full Instructions
The next task is to fill the tube with water.
In order to do this take the end furthest from the water and place it into your mouth. Start to suck on the pipe until the water starts to run through the tubing. This is commonly called siphoning.
Whilst running the liquid through the pipe watch the leading edge of the water to check for air bubbles.
Any bubbles should be run out of the tubing before use by lowering the end of the tube below the level of water in the bottle, the fluid will make its way to the end of the tube carrying the air bubbles along with it.
You should now have a tube full of water with a bottle at one end and an open tube at the other. Walk back to the water container and compare the level of water in the tubing to the level in the bottle, they should be equal and at the same height.
So now you know how to make a water level that you can use for all of your levelling projects. The level of fluid at both ends of the tubing will always be equal.
“Water finds its own level.”