Markland Sludge Gun - Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector

Simplify operators' day-to-day tasks

• Handheld detector measures liquid-solids interface levels, making regulatory compliance monitoring and prevention of carryover easier.

Help eliminate unnecessary pumping or dredging

• Know the depth of the settled sludge bed and the overlying cloudy layer.

Quickly determine sludge blanket levels

• Get sludge depth readings from numbered markers on the cable.

Compact, rugged and weatherproof

• Ideal for use on catwalks of clarifiers and tanks or in boats on lagoons.

Thumb-adjustable sensitivity control of optical sensor

• Detect silt, sludge and biosolids in densities ranging from light flocs to thick blankets.

There's a Sludge Gun® Portable Sludge Level Detector to meet your unique needs

• Locate biosolids levels in murky lagoons or detect clear liquid surfaces and very light flocs.

Ensure low maintenance costs

• 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.

• 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

Markland’s popular Portable Sludge Blanket Level Detector – the Sludge Gun® 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 butt of the gun emits an audible tone. As the percentage of solids content 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. Use it in the rain or snow, day or night. 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.

• Weight: 2 Kg (4¼ Lbs.)
• Batteries: Six Alkaline Pencells
• Battery Life: One Year (Normal Service)
• Materials: Probe: PVC & EpoxyCable: Vinyl JacketedGun: 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
• Sensivity 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 30)(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 butt 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.