Magnicator® Magnetic Level Indicator: The Three Components, Explained by Our Product Manager
- Aug 15, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Happy #MagneticLevelIndicatorMonday! One of our product demo videos features Jerguson® Product Manager Robert Bolin walking through the Jerguson® Magnicator® Magnetic Level Indicator in detail — breaking down the three core components that make up an MLI, how they work together, and why Jerguson's design holds up across such a wide range of applications.
The Three Components of a Magnetic Level Indicator
Understanding an MLI comes down to understanding three parts working together:
1. The Chamber
The chamber is the sealed vessel that connects to the process vessel or boiler being monitored. Process fluid enters the chamber and rises and falls exactly as it does in the vessel itself, giving the chamber an accurate, real-time representation of actual process level.
2. The Float
Inside the chamber, a float — containing a magnet — rises and falls with the fluid level. This is the only moving part inside the pressure boundary, and its buoyancy is precisely calibrated to the specific gravity of the fluid it's designed to track.
3. The External Indicator
Mounted on the outside of the chamber, the external indicator uses magnetic coupling to track the float's position without any physical connection crossing the pressure boundary. As the float moves inside the sealed chamber, the magnetic field moves the external indicator flags or scale in sync — giving operators a clear visual reading without any seals, glands, or moving parts exposed to process pressure.
Why This Three-Part Design Matters
The strength of this design is the complete separation between the wetted, pressurized side (chamber and float) and the external, unpressurized side (the visual indicator). Because the only connection between them is magnetic, there's no mechanical linkage to wear out, no additional seal points introduced for the sake of indication, and no exposed moving parts for an operator to worry about.
This is also why MLIs hold up so well over decades of service — a theme our Product Manager touches on in the demonstration, and one we've covered in more detail separately when it comes to Magnicator service life.
Why Jerguson for Any Application
Part of what the demonstration covers is why this particular design approach translates across such a wide range of industries and process conditions — from high-pressure boiler feedwater applications to corrosive chemical service. The fundamentals of the three-component design stay the same; what changes between applications is chamber material, pressure rating, float specific gravity calibration, and indicator configuration, all of which get specified to match the actual service conditions.
More Demos Coming
This Magnicator demonstration is part of an ongoing series — we've been adding product demo videos across our product lines, with more to come. It's a chance to actually see how these instruments work rather than just reading a spec sheet, straight from the people who manage these product lines day to day.
Applications
The three-component Magnicator design is used across:
Power Generation: Feedwater tanks, condensate receivers, deaerator level indication
Chemical Processing: Reactor vessels, storage tanks handling corrosive or hazardous fluids
Oil & Gas: Separator vessels, storage applications
Any Process Requiring Reliable, Low-Maintenance Level Indication: Where the sealed, magnetically-coupled design offers a durability advantage over glass gage alternatives
Learn More
For more information on Magnicator design and specification for your application, or to see more of our product demonstration videos, reach out to our Jerguson team.
📧 sales@clark-reliance.com📞 +1 (440) 572-1500
