URGENT! Help me read this stupid level!

[Snake]

Hello guys,

I'm going to cut to the chase:

I am finally done repairing my septic tank pipes and I am now trying to make sure I get the right grade for it to flow correctly into the tank. Then I can FINALLY bury this godforsaken thing and be done with it.

I've got my friend's level which is two-feet long. He used to be a carpenter, which may or may not be relevant.

Now, I'm not an idiot (so much for cutting to the chase), I know how to read a level. The little bubble tells you which end is higher so you can adjust your work to make it level.

But anyway, I am COMPLETELY CONFUSED here because, no matter which way I place the level, the bubble goes in the opposite direction! How is this possible?

This level has three sections in it. One section in the middle and one section at each end. Each of these sections have two glass tubes. One is florescent yellow and the other is not. As far as research goes, I learned that each bubble has to be in the center to be level (in this case I do not, I want the furthest end to be the high).

But in any case, please tell me what I'm missing here, because this makes absolute no sense to me at all.

Here are two pictures to better illustrate what I am talking about:

In this picture you can see that the bubble is closest to me (I am on the right) and that is not the end that I need the highest point.


In this picture I've turned the level around (NOT upside down, just simply turned it around) and the bubble is on the OTHER side!
EH??

Now, no matter which way the level is pointing, shouldn't the bubble always go towards the highest end?? Is there some sort of gravity defying phenomenon in the trench I've dug leading to the shit tank??

-PLEASE HELP BEFORE I GET SHINGLES AGAIN-

[selmiak]

just let the fluids in the level melt, then try again 8)

[LUniqueDan]

It's an optical illusion. The level you're using received a shock and are now unbalanced. The pix shown me that it has a lots of marks. Levels are very sensible tool that should be used with a lots of care. There's maybe just an half of a millimeter unbalance. That won't show to human eyes but makes a huge difference on the reading.

Edit : You (and your friend) didn't see that at the first place on a perfectly horizontal surface because even unbalanced, the mark are still in the perfect middle of the level.

That level needs to be replaced. Aint no way to fix that properly. You may gently tight the screws but... once it looses it never came back the way it's supposed to.

Sorry and good luck with your tank.

(God my english teacher never told me that one day I'll try to post about levels)

[Snake]

I've been speaking with JimReed and he agrees that the level is trash as well

[LUniqueDan]

If you're really in hurry and
a) Your pipe has long sections of
b) Strong machine-shopped metal that are
c) totally not bended

you can always use the "tip" bubble instead. But it's risky and not recommended. Skeptic tank pipes are the perfect incarnations of Murphy's law. They love to piss people off after they are buried down and the grass finally grow over them. 

[Ponch]

Sounds to me like your level is broken. 

Take a twenty dollar bill and go the hardware store and pick up a new level.

[RetroJay]

Yeah.

I would agree that it sounds like your level is broken. (although I am no builder).

I asked my Father who has done alot of work with levels in the past.
He suggested that to be sure of the fall of the pipe. Half fill a plastic seethrough bottle and place it on top of pipe on it's side.
That will tell you which way the pipe is falling. If it's falling to the left you will have more water in the left of the bottle and vice versa.

Obviously this wont tell you by how much the pipe is falling but will give you some idea as to which way its falling.

Hope this helps.

Jay.

[Dualnames]

Sounds to me like your level is broken. 

Take a twenty dollar bill and go the hardware store and pick up a new level.

lol ponch!!

FANTASTIC ANSWER GOES TO: MONSIUER PONCHY!!

[Ponch]

Better to spend a little money on a new level than screw up your septic tank, Dual. (That's where the poo goes, you know.  )

[RickJ]

Dam frustrating isn't it.  Hehe, Is  that why your friend gave up carpentry?  

[InCreator]

You can also recheck level using plastic microwave tray filled with water. Use a ruler to measure and make very precise two marks with sharpie (paper knife tip would give even thinner mark) on both sides, then put tray onto level surface and fill with water until it reaches marks precisely. The wider the tray, the better you see difference when something's not level.

And then just use it as a level on your tank. MacGyver version I know, but if water is as tilted as level, it's not level's that's broken.

[Snake]

Dam frustrating isn't it.  Hehe, Is  that why your friend gave up carpentry?  

He had to stop because he fucked up his back.

You can also recheck level using plastic microwave tray filled with water. Use a ruler to measure and make very precise two marks with sharpie (paper knife tip would give even thinner mark) on both sides, then put tray onto level surface and fill with water until it reaches marks precisely. The wider the tray, the better you see difference when something's not level.

And then just use it as a level on your tank. MacGyver version I know, but if water is as tilted as level, it's not level's that's broken.

Yeah, I just ended up using a long clear tube that was used for bubbles. I replaced the bubbles with water about half way. Works pretty good at letting me know which way the water is flowing. That was my adventure game puzzle of the day yesterday.
I'm going back out today to work on it a bit more before I cover it up completely.

If it clogs again, at least I know where the damn thing is. Next time I'm just going to replace the entire thing and raise the end by the house. This patch job has wasted more time and patience than it should have.

[Squinky]

I'm thinking your intense aura of awesome is disrupting your local gravity, confusing the level.

I've had similar problems. Your best bet is to cut two holes in a garbage bag and place it upon your head (paper is better, but hell, plastic could be fun), wait till dark, find a flashlight and make shadow puppets reenact the (supposed) moon landing.