How do I read a heating oil tank gauge?

We’re knocking on winter’s door here in New Jersey, which means that soon you will be using a lot more heating oil than you have in recent months.

With oil burning away at an average of five to eight gallons a day, it’s important to know when it’s time to re-fill your oil storage tank so you don’t end up on the wrong end of a no-heat emergency; if you’re a Will Call customer, that means knowing how to read your tank’s fuel gauge.

Here are the basics:

• On top of the tank is a clear glass or plastic cube with markings on the outside that look like a gas gauge for your car (F, ¾, ½, ¼., etc.). The numbers tell you how full the tank is using a red line or float. If the float is at the bottom of the gauge or not visible, your tank is empty or nearly empty.
• Most small- to medium-sized oil-heated houses have a 275-gallon tank which, when full, typically holds only 225-230 gallons of fuel (some allowance is made for air or debris at the bottom of your tank). That means if your gauge is at ½, you have about 110 gallons left, if it’s at ¼ you have about 55 gallons left, and so on. Other common larger tank sizes include 340 and 420 gallons.
• If outdoor temperatures average about 32° over a 24-hour period, a 2,500 square foot house will burn anywhere from five to eight gallons of heating oil per day in our NJ service area. So, for example, if temperatures are right around the freezing mark and you have a quarter of a tank of oil left in your 275-gallon tank (which, you’ll recall, actually only holds about 225-230 gallons), you’ll have enough oil to last about a week (this is why we urge you to call for your heating oil delivery before your tank reaches about one-quarter full, especially when the weather is cold or temperatures are dropping). Or, you can sign up for FREE Automatic Delivery from Globe Petroleum and let us worry about how much oil is in your tank.
• To make sure the gauge is actually working, carefully remove the outer case and gently press the float down. If it bobs back up to the original position, the gauge is working. If the gauge is not working, contact us –we’ll check it out.

Have any other questions about your heating oil tank or heating oil deliveries? Let us know. And remember: for reliable heating oil deliveries in NJ, no one beats the pros at Globe Petroleum!