Fuel tank gauge

[daddo]

A marked stick is starting to sound better. Accurate, simple, no upkeep and easy.

[R Clark]

A marked stick is starting to sound better. Accurate, simple, no upkeep and easy.

Where to find one that will go through the two 90 degree bends described by the OP?

[Cooler]

I just renewed my home owners insurance with a new insurer.  They asked a bunch of questions about the tank.  (Mine is in my basement.).  From the questions I guessed that buried tanks were an issue.  But definitely in the basement was not.

[TDKPE]

I just renewed my home owners insurance with a new insurer.  They asked a bunch of questions about the tank.  (Mine is in my basement.).  From the questions I guessed that buried tanks were an issue.  But definitely in the basement was not.

I find that rather odd.  AFAIK, basement tanks are no longer allowed in many/most areas due to the risk of a leak.  But leaking buried tanks are also an issue, which may be where they were going with that.  <shrug>

As to the OP's problem, while the whistle won't help with determining the amount of oil left in the tank, it's probably a requirement of the supplier as the driver won't know when it's full otherwise, and oil blowing out the vent will be on them.  So if the whistle doesn't work, they usually tag the tank and refuse to fill it until it's repaired.

If the only issue with a gauge is the potential for a leak when overfilled, then a) talk to the oil supplier about a gauge they guarantee won't leak, and b) make sure the whistle works so it's not overfilled in the first place, same as every other tank with an extended fill pipe (like all basement tanks).

[DickA]

Look at smartoilgauge.com

[Phil S.]

Look at smartoilgauge.com

Amazing!  More expensive than a stick, but it is an easy install and will fit in the space I have. Not sure if it will be able to reach my router and I'll worry about the technology failing, but I'll have to check this out closer.  Then I'll be able to check my fuel level to my heart's content.  


Thanks-
Phil

[mike4244]

I have a 550 gallon above ground fuel tank.  It is filled from the deck above so the height of the fill is well above the tank with 5-6' of 2-1/2"pipe leading to the tank.  I need a way to know the level of the fuel in the tank.  Is there a gauge that will work in that situation?  I'm worried that if the tank is overfilled into the fill pipe, fuel could leak out of the gauge and make a mess.

Phil

Ask your fuel delivery person. There are several types of above ground fuel gauges that any one will work on top of the tank. I do not know if it will work 5'-0' above ground. I had a gauge on a 550 gallon oil tank that seemed to work accurately. I also had a round gasoline tank above ground that had no gauge. I tapped the tank til the sound changed with a hammer. This gave me an idea of how much gas was left. In the winter the frost line on the tank also showed how much was left.
mike

[DaveR1]

Maybe you could do the same thing Piper did on the J3 Cub for a fuel gauge.

GA5: Piper J-3 Cub by Roger Ritter, on Flickr

Simple and pretty much fool proof.

[lift mechanic]

Those stick on tape are slow to react. Not the ideal type of fill gauge to use when expecting it to tell when your almost full. A float type of gauge or the external sight tube is the best, but a mentioned above they are a pain to install. If not install well they can leak. The dip stick might be the way to go.

[Foggy]

Maybe you could do the same thing Piper did on the J3 Cub for a fuel gauge.

GA5: Piper J-3 Cub by Roger Ritter, on Flickr

Simple and pretty much fool proof.

Until the fuel dissolves the varnish on the cork and it soaks up fuel and sinks. whoops! Better to fail that way than the opposite.