Oil tank fuel gauge.

scooby1 · 23 Oct 2014

We had a new bunded plastic oil tank for the c/h installed 3 years ago. The wretched plumber didn't install anything to check what the fuel level is. I have to dip it with a bamboo cane !

I have other oil tanks for my business and also have an Atkinson Tankmaster sight gauge in stock. Problem is of course that the tank is never empty. Is there a way of fitting this guage while the fuel level is low (tilting the tank would not be easy) or are the float type of gauge that you put in the top of the tank any good. The tap shown on the filter is too far away from the tank to be of any use for installing the sight gauge.

I would prefer a sight glass because I read the oil useage on a regular basis and know how many litres an inch is so I am able to determine useage.

I have searched the Forum but can't find my answer. TIA for any help.

Tipper · 23 Oct 2014

I can't be sure, as I have now retired and can't remember, but some tank connections include a spring loaded 'mushroom' shut-off valve in the first tank connector nut...but I'm not sure if the one in the picture does. If it is there then when you remove any downsteam connector it shuts.

Iirc the Atkinson version includes this valve so have a good look as you may be able to compare with that fitted.

scooby1 · 23 Oct 2014

Thanks for that Tipper but I can confirm that the large "barrel" connection that goes into the tank is exactly that, a barrel connector to which the plumber has connected his reducers. I know what you mean by the mushroom and you are correct, the Atkinson Tankmaster has such a thing.

Danoil · 23 Oct 2014

In my opinion, the best way is to dip it with a cane as you are doing. The sight gauges go discoloured with the sun and the oil and easily get blocked with dirt and earwigs, the drop gauges that sit on the top and read on a dial are very delicate and fail quite easily and the remote sensors that send a signal to a socket mounted internal unit are finicky and more often that not go wrong. You can mark on the dip stick measurements so you can see how much is there and a cane will never go wrong.

To answer your question though, it's never going to be an easy job with oil in the tank, the only real option if you want a sight gauge is to empty the tank and remove the fittings to fit probably as tipper suggested an Atkinson unit that has the tap, filter and gauge all in one

leakydave · 23 Oct 2014

Fit a Remote Oil Monitor like: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watchman-So...1414087228&sr=8-1&keywords=oil+watchman+sonic

Burnerman · 23 Oct 2014

Best of luck getting that filter bowl off

John

scooby1 · 23 Oct 2014

Danoil said:
In my opinion, the best way is to dip it with a cane as you are doing. The sight gauges go discoloured with the sun and the oil and easily get blocked with dirt and earwigs, the drop gauges that sit on the top and read on a dial are very delicate and fail quite easily and the remote sensors that send a signal to a socket mounted internal unit are finicky and more often that not go wrong. You can mark on the dip stick measurements so you can see how much is there and a cane will never go wrong.

To answer your question though, it's never going to be an easy job with oil in the tank, the only real option if you want a sight gauge is to empty the tank and remove the fittings to fit probably as tipper suggested an Atkinson unit that has the tap, filter and gauge all in one

Yes, I quite agree, but it is a bit of a fiddle and I'm not getting any younger. But at least I get a fairly accurate measurement of how much oil there is in the tank. We built a new house 3 years ago and the building firm used a plumber whose work left a lot to be desired. But I put 2000 litres in the tank in April 2013 and by my calculation I have still got 800 litres of it left !

I admit to having a woodburner but the underfloor heating, solar gain from the house facing South, the solar panels, and the amount of insulation that went into it have made it the cheapest house to run that we have ever lived in.

scooby1 · 23 Oct 2014

leakydave said:
Fit a Remote Oil Monitor like: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watchman-So...28&sr=8-1&keywords=oil+watchman+sonic[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that Dave but I like to know a bit more detail. Those things only really give you an idea about whether more fuel is needed.

scooby1 · 23 Oct 2014

Burnerman said:
Best of luck getting that filter bowl off
John

I don't understand why there is a filter there anyway. There is the more normal type of filter, which gets changed when the boiler is serviced, further along the line. Is that a coarse type of filter ?

Richardthe3rd · 23 Oct 2014

Why not just fit a 10mm compression tee after the valve/filter & connect a sight gauge to that. Any Plumber/Heating Engineer worth his salt could rig that up for you.....

Burnerman · 23 Oct 2014

scooby1 said:
Burnerman said:

Best of luck getting that filter bowl off
John

Click to expand...

I don't understand why there is a filter there anyway. There is the more normal type of filter, which gets changed when the boiler is serviced, further along the line. Is that a coarse type of filter ?

There's a nylon gauze filter inside, but I reckon the real purpose of this is to act as a water trap.
John

scooby1 · 24 Oct 2014

Richardthe3rd said:
Why not just fit a 10mm compression tee after the valve/filter & connect a sight gauge to that. Any Plumber/Heating Engineer worth his salt could rig that up for you.....

I had thought of that but it's too far away from the tank and would need to be curved back towards the tank and then the Tankmaster installed wouldn't it ?

scooby1 · 24 Oct 2014

Burnerman said:
There's a nylon gauze filter inside, but I reckon the real purpose of this is to act as a water trap.
John

Interesting one this is. I hadn't actually considered that getting the filter off would be a problem but maybe the chap who services the boiler took one look at it and said sod it. Looks like I will have to cut some of the paving slab away. Can anyone tell me why no one does their job properly anymore ? If I had done work like this when I was running my business I would have been ashamed.

Richardthe3rd · 24 Oct 2014

scooby1 said:
Richardthe3rd said:

Why not just fit a 10mm compression tee after the valve/filter & connect a sight gauge to that. Any Plumber/Heating Engineer worth his salt could rig that up for you.....

Click to expand...

I had thought of that but it's too far away from the tank and would need to be curved back towards the tank and then the Tankmaster installed wouldn't it ?

Eh??!! That's why you'd fit a compression tee, you can then put any length of 10mm pipe into that. Standard sight gauge, connect 10mm pipe into one end & cap the other. It's a simple job for a good Plumber.

scooby1 · 25 Oct 2014

Richardthe3rd said:
Eh??!! That's why you'd fit a compression tee, you can then put any length of 10mm pipe into that. Standard sight gauge, connect 10mm pipe into one end & cap the other. It's a simple job for a good Plumber.

If you put a tee into the pipework AFTER the filter it would be about a foot away from the tank. You would then have to 90 degree it back to the tank and then another 90 degree up for the sight glass.

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Oil tank fuel gauge.

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