How to Read Your Oil Tank Gauge

We all have busy lives and remembering the last time you had oil delivered can be difficult to keep tabs on with everything else on your to do list. So, if a cold snap hits you may not know if your tank is full enough to keep your family warm. That’s where learning to read an oil tank gauge can come in handy!

Most fuel tanks are 200 gallons in size and reading your gauge is like reading the gas gauge in your car. Read the gauge on the top of the tank. It will tell you if you are 1/2 full, 1/4 full, or near empty. It should look like one of the gauges shown below.  The yellow/red disk can be used to approximate how full the fuel oil tank is. Because of the rounded bottom of a fuel oil tank, the gauge will go from 1/4 to empty quicker than it will go from 1/2 to 1/4. As such, it is very important to reorder oil when the gauge is reading 1/4 full to prevent a runout.

But how accurate is a heating oil float gauge? Since these are not precision heating oil tank gauges, they should only be used as an approximation of how full a tank is. Because of the moving parts inside, these can also be prone to wear over time. If you suspect your heating oil float gauge is stuck, simply unscrew the plastic vial by hand. Use your finger to press the disk down. If the gauge is not stuck, the disk should easily move down, then slowly float back up and remain up, indicating the arm is moving freely. One of the ways a heating oil float gauge can get stuck is by simply rotating inside the fuel oil tank. This can happen over time, and the result is the float is wedged against the side of the tank, unable to move. Another problem that can arise is the float itself becoming less buoyant over time. Call your local West Nova Fuels/Superline Fuels branch if you need any assistance with your Furnace Oil gauge.

Keeping an eye on your gauge should help make sure you don’t run out of heating oil but if you want to make it even easier you can sign up for automatic delivery and let us relieve the stress of monitoring your oil tank! We offer worry-free automatic delivery service that will determine when you need oil to be delivered to your home. Signing up for automatic delivery is very easy and best of all, it’s free!

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West Nova Fuels Bridgewater

96 White Pine Drive
Wileville, Nova Scotia
B4V 9J6
902-543-2594
1-888-543-2594
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Propane Bridgewater

65 MacCulloch Rd
Cookville, Nova Scotia
B4V 7P1
902-530-3150
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

Commercial Lubricants

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
1-888-659-5823

West Nova Fuels Digby

218 Victoria Street
Digby, Nova Scotia
B0V 1A0
902-245-2202
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

Superline Fuels Halifax

3451 Barrington St
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 2X8
902-429-0740
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Propane - Kentville

909 Park St
Kentville, Nova Scotia
B4N 5H3
902-679-8800
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Lunenburg

73 Falkland St
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
B0J 2C0
902-634-3835
1-800-561-3835
Burner Service: 902-634-4700
Chester: 902-275-4775
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

Superline Fuels Parrsboro

3306 Highway 2
Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
B0M 1S0
902-254-3019
Springhill: 902-763-3303
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Port Williams

28 Highway 358 Greenwich
Port Williams, Nova Scotia
B4P 2R2
902-542-3318
Hantsport: 902-684-3324
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Shelburne

91 Falls Lane Rd.
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
B0T 1W0
902-875-3711
Propane: 902-530-3150
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

Superline Fuels Truro

208 Industrial Ave
Truro, Nova Scotia
B2N 6V4
902-893-7105
North Shore: 902-548-2991
Springhill: 902-763-3303
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Wilmot

RR2; 15048 Highway 1
Kingston, Nova Scotia
B0P 1R0
902-765-2769
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Windsor

6006 Highway 14,
Garlands Crossing
Windsor, Nova Scotia
B0N 2T0
902-798-1118
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Woods Harbour

20 Falls Point Rd
Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia
B0W 2E0
902-723-2455
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

West Nova Fuels Yarmouth

211 Water St
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
B5A 1L9
902-742-5450
Open: 8am – 4:30pm

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