This guide outlines how to read an oil tank gauge, with steps for several methods to read the level in the tank.
When homeowners read the fill level indicator on the oil tank, they can find out how long the current supply will last. Today, very different technologies are used. For example, level indicators for oil tanks rely on simple mechanics, pneumatic measurement or modern ultrasound technology.
Regularly checking the oil tank gauge is just as important for owners of an oil heater as checking the fuel level in the car. After all, no one wants to be without heating in the middle of winter. We’ll show you why it’s still worth keeping an eye on the level of your oil tank.
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Why is it important for homeowners to know how to read oil tank gauge and see the oil level? As a homeowner, you should know where the oil tank gauge is located and how to read the oil level. This way you can find out when you need to order new heating oil at the latest and can better coordinate your heating oil purchase.
As with driving a car with a combustion engine, a well-filled tank is important when heating with oil. Looking at the fuel gauge in your oil tank can also indicate unnaturally high oil consumption.
For example, if you notice that the tank empties too quickly when the heater is in operation, the cause may be damage to the heater. Or there may be a leak in the tank or hoses. Then quick action is required.
Alternatively, homeowners can equip their oil tank with a leak indicator. This gauge is also located in the tank. It sounds an alarm as soon as the tank loses critical amounts of oil. This device must be serviced and checked once a year.
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How to read an oil tank gauge
The oil level in a heating oil tank can be determined using different methods. Both mechanical and electronic measuring methods are used for how to read an oil tank gauge. A quick overview follows here.
How to read an oil tank gauge with a dipstick
Anyone who has ever measured the oil level in a car will recognize this method for how to read an oil tank gauge. In this case, the oil tank gauge consists of a dipstick or dipstick. The dipstick is pushed into a designated tube in the oil tank and then pulled out again.
There is a scale on the rod or in the dipstick that you or your oil supplier can use to see how high the heating oil level is in the tank. Nowadays, determining the oil level using a dipstick or dipstick is combined with electronic measuring methods. However, it serves as an initial guide for determining the level.
Important: Underground tanks for heating oil must always have a device for measuring the oil level with a dipstick. The closure of the measuring opening must be additionally secured to avoid accidental opening.
How to read an oil tank gauge with a ruler
If homeowners want to check the level of their heating oil tanks, a technical measuring device is not always necessary. Because you can easily do this with a folding rule.
When consumers hold this into the tank (the end must rest on the bottom of the tank), they can read the filling height in centimeters. The fill level in the oil tank can then be easily determined using a so-called dip table or the equation “volume = base area times filling height”.
This is an alternative to measuring the oil level with a dipstick. To do this, a ruler is inserted into the opening in the oil tank down to the bottom. The ruler is then pulled out again and the number is read in centimeters. This number is then offset against the data from the oil tank using a calibration table. The result is then the filling level in liters.
If there is no table, the level can also be roughly determined using the formula “floor area” x “height”. To do this, you must measure the length and width of the oil tank and multiply it by the determined filling level. Make sure that you still have to convert cubic centimeters into liters. 1,000 cubic centimeters correspond to one liter of heating oil.
But be careful: over time, sludge can build up at the bottom of the tank. In order not to stir it up, homeowners should only move the ruler very slowly over the last 30 centimeters to the ground. Important: Move the ruler very slowly to the bottom of the tank. This will prevent oil residue from swirling up and clogging the filter in front of the inlet to the boiler.
How to read an oil tank gauge with a mechanical display
Older oil tanks have a mechanical display for the oil level. It works like this: Inside the oil tank there is a small float that hangs from a pulley with a cord.
The float floats on the surface of the oil in the tank. If the oil level drops, the rope becomes longer. The pulley in turn is coupled to a mechanical display. As soon as the length of the cable changes due to the oil level, the display also changes.
Depending on the model, the scale shows the oil level in percent or in liters. If you read the display in liters, you need to know how much oil your tank can hold in total to determine the fill level.
At first glance, mechanical oil tank gauges are practical because neither a dipstick nor a ruler are required. However, oil residue can build up on the float, making the measurement less accurate. In the worst case, for example, a constant oil level is displayed even though there is significantly less oil.
How to read an oil tank gauge with a pneumatic indicator
In this variant of level measurement, a pump pumps air into a measuring tube that is immersed in the tank. The pump displaces the heating oil in the pipe and creates pressure from the oil, which acts on the oil in the pipe from the outside.
The oil tank gauge now measures this pressure and thus calculates the fill level. It is important that the height of the oil tank is stored in the measuring device. Determining the oil level using a pneumatic device has the advantage that the oil level display is also possible in deep underground tanks.
How to read an oil tank gauge with an electronic indicator
These gauges combine a mechanical measuring method with an electronic component. The basic data is determined using a thread float or a pneumatic device. A processor then automatically converts this data and shows the fill level in percent or liters on a display.
The advantage for homeowners is that the filling level can be read at any time and monitored continuously. Depending on the version, the data can also be transferred to an app or to a station in the house.
How to read an oil tank gauge with ultrasound sensor
Very modern oil tanks now have ultrasound. A small sensor in the tank determines the distance from the top to the surface of the heating oil in the tank. The determined value is converted into liters or percent using a processor and also shown on a display.
This variant is advantageous compared to electronic oil level indicators with mechanical components. It enables very precise measurements and practically does not require maintenance.
How to read an oil tank gauge on a plastic tank
An exception are transparent plastic tanks for heating oil. The oil tank display is displayed from the outside using a measuring scale.
Conclusion
Since heating oil prices can fluctuate depending on the season and the global situation, you can quickly save several hundred euros per tank filling by choosing when to buy it and the amount of heating oil purchased. For example, if you notice that heating oil prices are currently low, check your oil level and reorder accordingly in order to have a cheap supply of oil for the winter.
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya
