A water level is a device used for matching elevations of locations that are too far apart for a spirit level to span. The simplest water level is a section of clear tubing, partially filled with water. Water is easily procured for use, and easily discarded after use. The ends are held vertical, and the rest of the tubing lies on the ground or floor. The water level at each end of the tube will be at the same elevation, whether the two ends are adjacent or far apart. Water levels have been used for many years. The water level is lower-tech than the laser level, but it can be more accurate over long distances. To avoid error, all of the water should be at the same temperature. Other sources of error include difficulty reading due to meniscus.
If the water level is used often, dye can be added to the water to make it easier to see. If the water level is used outdoors in winter, antifreeze can be added to the water.
Famous quotes containing the words water and/or level:
“The Laws of Nature are just, but terrible. There is no weak mercy in them. Cause and consequence are inseparable and inevitable. The elements have no forbearance. The fire burns, the water drowns, the air consumes, the earth buries. And perhaps it would be well for our race if the punishment of crimes against the Laws of Man were as inevitable as the punishment of crimes against the Laws of Nature—were Man as unerring in his judgments as Nature.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)
“Those who profess contempt for men, and put them on a level with beasts, yet wish to be admired and believed by men, and contradict themselves by their own feelings—their nature, which is stronger than all, convincing them of the greatness of man more forcibly than reason convinces them of his baseness.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)