Oil tank fuel gauge

[Cris B]

We've a concrete fuel tank buried in the ground. The fuel gauge doesn't work effectively - it's out by 300 litres!

Are there any after market options that can be fitted that would allow a more accurate reading of the fuel level to be shown?

Any one had any experience of fitting one?

The advice we've had from our current boiler engineer is to condemn the current tank and fit a new one above ground which seems needlessly expensive, so we'd only consider that as a last resort at present.

 

[madkayaker]

I have this problem on a 50kL tank at work the reader head is waterproof but in winter is submerged and it dies after a couple if years replace the head works for a while then repeat! A graduated dip stick takes some beating

 

[rich r]

The Watchman ultrasonic oil level gauges have always been fairly reliable on mine and friends heating oil tanks, although they tend to get through batteries quite quickly (I guess being exposed to winter air temperatures isn't great). Failing that a graduated dipstick as above

 

[awemawson]

Watchman went through a bad patch where they kept failing. I have three of them here on three oil tanks, and one of them was replaced twice before we got a reliable one. I think they moved their manufacturing facility or something. The batteries in the copper tube are only stacked AA cells. If you carefully cut the 15mm tube you can replace them and join the pipe with a 15mm slip compression fitting

 

[rich r]

The sort I'm used to had PP3 9V batteries in them. Lasted about 6 months between replacements. This was about 5 years ago though - my current house doesn't have oil (or gas), only coal and wood

 

[rikrobson]

re-calibrate the current dial with a felt tip pen

 

[Robotstar5]

A nice selection and descriptions of how they work - link

 

[Shox Dr]

A ball cock on the end of a stick/metal tube so as it sticks up above ground level where it can be easily seen, placed in side a clear tube it will always show the current level. Cheap easy and doesn;t require batteries

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

A ball cock on the end of a stick/metal tube so as it sticks up above ground level where it can be easily seen, placed in side a clear tube it will always show the current level. Cheap easy and doesn;t require batteries

OK till some " %$£"*+@:>< " comes a long and smashes the tube off c/w the float rod


I go with recalibrate the dial with known volumes of new fuel as it is put in the tank in stages , it wont take long .
You could make a separate scale label in plastic etc and fix it ajdacent to the original dial face .