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Heating oil tank gauge (C) Daniel Friedman Oil Storage Tank Gauge Accuracy FAQs

Q&A on how accurate is the oil tank gauge

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about oil tank gauges: buy, install, repair, replace, read, or troubleshoot residential and light commercial oil storage tank gauges

Questions & answers about heating oil storage tank level gauge accuracy & precision.

This articler series explains just how to get an accurate reading of just much oil is in the oil storage tank. How accurate is the oil tank gauge? How should you read an oil tank gauge? Where to get a highly accurate oil tank gauge.o.

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FAQs: How accurate are oil tank gauges?

Oil tank gauge showing oil level marker (C) InspectApedia TGThese questions & answers about the accuracy of heating oil storage tank gauges and about how to get an accurate idea of how much oil is in the tank were posted orginally at OIL TANK GAUGE ACCURACY - please be sure to review that article too.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2019-03-31 by (mod) - boiler is using oil from only one of the tanks

You need to review the tank oil piping routing and connections and valves - piping could be incorrect, or clogged, or a valve closed.

On 2019-03-30 by Bill

I have 2 275 gal above ground home heating oil tanks. My problem is that my boiler is using oil from only one of the tanks how do I fix the problem

On 2018-11-19 by (mod) -

Jimmy Sers said:

I just came across this smart oil gauge (TM) that has a app that gives you readings to your phone through their custom app!! No more float gauges for me I’m buying one also I’m curious to know when the oil company fills my tanks how accurate they are in counting gallons and charging me

Moderator adds:

The Smart Oil Gauge™ measures the level in your tank throughout the day and transmits this information over your home’s Wi-Fi network.

On 2017-11-08 by Davd

When a tank gauge shows empty how much oil is left in the tank, like when a car is on empty. There's usually a couple gallon still in it

On 2016-03-07 by (mod) - The gauge is not a precise instrument

Anon

The gauge is not a precise instrument. Measuring from the top, center, or bottom of the disc are all fine. Consider that for a typical oval shaped oil tank, the gauge is only close to accurate when the tank is full, half empty, and fully empty. As I worry about running out of oil and losing heat and having freezing pipes and water damage in buildings, I take the more conservative approach and call the oil company if the bottom of the gauge is in the 1/4 range or lower.

On 2016-03-07 by Anonymous

thanks I am checking my sons house and the gauge looks to be 5/16 thick. Didn't know if I should read bottom, middle or top of disc. Emptied water which was chocolate brown. Restarted burner. burner works but there's a weird sound (much like a screech). Figure tank is MT. Thanks for info

Question: I have just filled my tank two weeks ago. It’s now at less han 1/8 of a tank.

2018/01/21 Jamie Hall said:

I have just filled my tank two weeks ago. It’s now at less han 1/8 of a tank. I rarely keep it past 68 and off on warmer days. It takes over 300.00 and it’s only been two weeks!!! Coukd the gauge be broken?

Reply:

2018/01/27 (Mod) said:

Jamie,

First let's check for a stuck oil tank gauge - some gauges have a removable plastic cover that lets you press the level indicator down or pull it gently up to assure it's not jammed. Of course the time to check the gauge would be right after the tank has been filled.

Oil delivery temperature will not explain ANY significant differences in the oil tank fuel level.
See

2018/01/25 Long Island said:

Perhaps you oil company is cheating you. If they deliver the oil warm it seems full on the gauge but will drop the level when it cools. A lot of oil company’s don’t provide the correct oil they say they give. One way for the oil company to offer cheap pricing. They simply don’t give you all the oil.

Question: replacement oil tank gauge parts

The plastic cover that covers (shows the 1/8 markings) the gauge of my oil tank broke/cracked.
Do you know where I can get a replacement? - Robert Muller

I have got a Worcester Camray 5 which is located in the garden. I had an indoor plug in oil level indicator but it has gone missing - where can I get a replacement one please. - Karen Gallant 6/27/12

Reply:

The plastic part that covers your oil tank gauge is called the gauge vial. You can get one from a local oil heating equipment parts supplier or online. At oil storage tank gauge vials [above in this article] we have added photos and details. - Reader G.C. [Thanks GC] .

Karen the Worcester Camray 5 is a discontinued oil fired heating boiler. I don't know about the oil level indicator you cite - but if it is a device mounted on your oil piping or oil tank, I would imagine your oil heat service company can install a generic replacement.

Question: oil tank gauge not working

Question on a fuel oil tank gauge: 275 gallon outside, vertical, 8 years old, in good repair. Sees Maryland winters.
Last spring, my oil supplier left a note that the standard float gauge did not work. In summer, I removed and cleaned the plastic dial cover with Mineral Spirits and a bottle brush

It was heavily coated inside, almost opaque, a bright red hardened gum. Then gently pushed the float down into a full tank, cycled this slowly several times full range, and it worked for almost a season. Now with the last fill up, it again is stuck on empty. Is there a gum in No 2 FO? Does it splash up and glue the float mechanism? How often does the gauge need maintenance? Mr. R.L. Hails Sr. P.E. 2/25/2012

Reply:

Oil tank gauges often work reliably for decades and do not require maintenance. On occasion if a gauge stops working it's possible to free up stuck parts by simply moving the gauge operating parts a bit. If that doesn't work, replace the gauge.

Question: oil tank gauge does not return to full position even though tank is full

I have a float gage (319 gallon indoor oval tank), the tank went empty and was filled with 200 gallons however the gage did not return to show approximately 3/4 full. Is it because there is liquid sitting on top of the float gage? If so, is there a way to correct this so the tank reads accurately? - Ian 8/7/12

Reply:

Ian,

The float arm may be bent or the gauge sticking. You should be able to carefully disassemble, remove from tank, un-bend, un-stick moving parts (or replace them).

If your oil tank gauge looks like the one at the top of this page, try first unscrewing the plastic cover and press down gently on the gauge top indicator - the whole assembly will move and you're pushing the tank float and arm up and down inside the tank - sometimes this will free up the assembly without further ado.

Question: what is an oil tank whistle and how does it relate to oil deliveries?

Oil won't be delivered unless the tank gives out a whistle, please explain since I'm new at this. and what can I do. Thanks. - Felix S 11/12/12

Reply:

Felix,

The oil tank whistle is a device at the top of the oil tank that emits a sound that lets the oil delivery truck driver know when the tank is full. It has nothing to do with the transfer of oil from the oil tank to the heating oil burner.

Question:

(Dec 20, 2012) Joe said:

I recently bought a forclosed home that was built in 1957 with oil heat. The house is a 1700 sq feet brick ranck home. The oil was at 5/8 full when I moved in. I have been working on it for 4 hours a day at 60 degrees. I turn it down to 50 degrees when I leave. In one week I checked the gage and it was at 3/8s of a tank. I cant imagine it sucking that much oil. It is really bothering me how unbelievable ineffecient it is. Does anyone have any advise?

(Jan 1, 2013) Darlene said:

I had 1/2 oil in my tank,I then got 100gal and the gauge stayed at 1/2,so I went and got a new gauge and it seems to stay at 3/4. It does not more?

(Jan 1, 2013) Karen said:

Our oil tank has just gone a sliver below the 1/4 mark. Our landlord has always told us never to let this happen. Due to the holidays and financial difficulty, we cannot get oil for 3-4 days from today(12/31). Is something terrible going to happen? Im very worried. This is the first time in 10 years this has ever happened. Any thoughts?

Reply:

(Jan 4, 2013) todd said:

joe, your furnace is working harder to get to 60 from 50 than say from 56 to 60 ,leave it a higher setting than 50 or try smaller lncrements

(Jan 4, 2013) todd said:

Darlene… as stated above gauges are not 100% correct 3/4 is the safe fill level,in 10 years as a oil truck driver a gauge that reads 1/2 will take only 100 gallons, your tank is at max capacity

(Jan 4, 2013) todd said:

Karen you can put 5 to 10 gallons of diesel fuel to last 1 or 2 days (20 to 40 dollars)

Question: oil tank filled yesterday now gauge says empty

(Jan 4, 2013) Stan said:

My oil tank was half full and yesterday I had it filled to the max. This morning the gauge reads empty?

Reply:

(Jan 4, 2013) todd said:

Stan check for leaks then check for sticking gauge

Question: how to replace an oil tank guage where space is limited

(Feb 26, 2013) Robin A said:

I have a 275 G tank without a TLI. The 1.5" vent line has a capped end that I stick a stick in to see what the level of oil is. The top of the capped nipple is about 10" above the top of the tank. Can I just stick a TLI in this hole? I have found a couple examples that I think will work such as the Krueger Sentry Galvanized Direct Reading Gauge. It indicates it has a "tank depth" of 6" and I'm not sure what that means. I also found a similar gauge that has a "tank depth" of 10" - not sure what that means either. Can you help? Thanks!

Reply:

Robin A

Most likely the oil tank fuel level gauges you describe, when they refer to a "tank depth of 10" " are saying that the gauge can measure oil level in a tank at depths anywhere *between* 10" and a deeper level, typicalliy 144".

You need room above the tank to insert the new gauge and you'll be all set.

There are various LED and other electronic oil tank fuel level gauges that permit remote reading of the level of oil in the tank, but all of them require some sort of sensor or float inside the tank where the oil level will be monitored.

Krueger, the company you mentioned, provides an "LED at a Glance" LED Clamp-on device that will convert the position of the float gauge indicator into an electronic signal of oil level that can then be read by a remote display - that feature may not be one you need.

Contact Krueger directly at
Krueger Sentry Gauge
1873 Siesta Lane
Green Bay, WI 54313
www.ksentry.com

Telephone: USA 1-920-434-8860

Email: info@ksentry.com

Question: missing oil tank gauge vial

(Sept 9, 2014) Rob R said:

the gauge vial on my tank is broken/missing. The sending unit is working perfectly so I am able to guestimate the gallons of fuel in my tank. I have searched for a replacement vial online but they all are threaded vials. Mu issue is that my gauge is held onto my tank with four small screws. You have a photo of the type that I have as the first picture under your " How do we know that the oil tank gauge is working?" paragraph. There are no threads on the gauge mounting hole. Can you provide any insight on how to replace this type of gauge or vial?

Reply:

Rob:

It may be most simple to replace the entire oil tank gauge assembly rather than waste a lot of time looking for an obsolete part. Krueger, mentioned below sells a variety of oil tank float gauges and tank bushings that will probably work fine for you.

Or use our email found at our CONTACT link and send me some sharp photos of your gauge and I'll see what I can find for it.

Question: leaky oil storage tank gauge

J. Ross Keys said:

If a supplier overfills a oil tank in the basement of a dwelling and the fill pipe is full, is it possible that the hydraulic head of the liquid above the gauge would leak oil? In other words if a plastic level gauge is installed correctly, what pressure rating are they designed to hold under manufacturing testing?

Reply:

J Ross

Definitely. Oil tank gauges, depending on the type and design, can leak if an oil storage tank is overfilled. I think that the leakage will be more severe during fill-up as the tank is being filled under pressure, applying greater oil pressure to the gauge and its seals than just that from the head of oil remaining in a fill pipe afterwards. Examples are in the article above.

Question:

(Oct 10, 2014) Anonymous said:
What kind of valve to use to prevent air bubbles in the fuel line

(Nov 26, 2014) Anonymous said:
we have two 275 gallon oil tanks. the furnace was not coming on, technician blew out the line, and after a while, some oil came in.

However, he said that the crossover line between the two tanks must be getting clogged, as the oil is not flowing freely from one tank to the other. He measured the front one, said it had 18 inches, the back one seems to be full or close to full. The way the tanks were installed it is almost impossible to reach the valves on the bottom of the back tank, the crossover line etc. He says they need to empty the tank, and turn them to both face front, so that a person could get to all the valves etc. Is this really the only way to go?

Reply:

Good grief what a lot of trouble, and what a thoughtless original installation. Unfortunately when blowing out an oil line cannot adequately clear it, replacing the line is a typical solution, along with use of an oil additive to break up sludge, along with sludge removal from the tanks along with increased filtration at the oil burner to avoid clogging by the sludge released by the whole procedure.

It's just about impossible to install a new balancing line between the two tanks connected to tank bottoms without first emptying the tanks. If going to that much trouble (emptying tanks) I'd look at sludge removal at the same time, or even tank replacement if the tanks are quite old and rusted thin since much of the cost is in the labor.

An alternative MIGHT be to close off the clogged lines and install new, larger diameter oil lines coming off of the tank tops. But some clever piping may be needed to assure that both oil tanks are used when tapped from the top

(Jan 3, 2015) Anonymous said:
One solution that worked for me is to install an oil filter housing without filter in line before your oil filter. This is the lowest point and will gather all the sludge and water. This way the sludge comes to you. The only cost is the housing and a gasket. Techs refer to this method as a sludge pot. Hope this helps.

Question: oil tank vent alarm not working

(Jan 28, 2015) Anonymous said:
oil tank vent alarm not working, what could be the cause?

Reply:

Tank is not filled to the vent

The alarm is clogged or has lost a part

Insect clogging in the vent pipe

Question: foam formation during heating oil delivery

(Feb 13, 2015) Anonymous said:
I asked the oil man to fill my tank that read 1/8 tank. When he came he pumped 110 gal and it indicated full to delivery man. The guage read 1/2. They told me that foam formed when new oil was put into tank that caused it to indicate full and stop pumping. I've never heard of such a thing! Any comment?

Reply:

Anon:

What you describe is not something I've come across but it has been described as an effect that can occur if there is water contamination in the oil storage tank; during delivery the incoming oil, delivered fast and under pressure, can stir up water and form foam - this can also clog up the heating oil piping, filter, burner, and lead to loss of heat.

I'd ask the oil company to check oil tank water level, remove excess water, and go from there.

I'd also check - if you can - about just what was being delivered to you - if your oil tank didn't have much water in it before then water could have come in a bad delivery. I've seen this happen if the oil truck is filled from a depot tank that is low on oil, has water in that tank bottom (which is normal) and is itself stirred by a depot delivery while the oil truck is filling.

Experts have written about this
see

Question:

(Mar 2, 2015) Anonymous said:
what are the correct positon of the two ball
levers on top of outside oil tank

Reply:

Sorry Anon you'll have to use our contact link found at page bottom to send me photos - I 've no idea what you're asking about;

Send me some sharp photos and we can comment more usefully.


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