oil tank gauge fritzzing-how much oil is left?

[ctmom05]

<span style='font-family: Courier New'>I just checked the indicator gauge on our home heating oil tank to see how much we have left.

The gauge has to be malfunctioning because it is still above the half-way mark and we got only 150 gallons at the end of October. There wasn't much left before we put in the 150, either. We live in the Northeast, fairly cold here.

Is there any way to guestimate the amount of oil that is left in the tank? I know that running it down to the bottom is not good for the heating system. </span>

 

[DammitJanet]

Can you put a stick in it and see where it comes to on the stick? Kind of like checking the oil in the car.

Or lightly tapping the tank to see where it sounds hollow. That would be my best guesses.

 

[Star*]

Ask the people who bring you out your fuel to check it for you AND to leave a dip stick. THey get them free and will give you one. If not - just be a redneck like us, bust off a limb thin enough to go into the tank - and dip it.

I don't know if fuel oil is like diesel fuel, but with diesel you can actually put your hand on the tank and it will feel colder than anything around it. When you slide your hand up - and it's not so cold - there's no diesel in it - but I don't know if its the same with fuel oil.

 

[ctmom05]

<span style='font-family: Courier New'> This ended up being just a <span style='font-size: 7'> little </span> problem. I asked hubby to double-check the oil level. He went into the basement and pinged the gauge with finger snap action, which dislodged the floater thing and put it back into place. Also fabulous is that we have oil left. </span>