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Oil tank gauge for underground tank replace.

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1Steve
1Steve Member Posts: 1
edited February 2018 in Oil Heating
I'm not quite sure how this gauge is connected to the tank. The gauge is in the boiler room on the wall next to the boiler. The tank itself is underground on the opposite side of the house, so there is no way for the oil company to check it with a dipstick at the fill. The whistle at the fill no longer works either, so they hold their ears up to the vent and stop when they hear it getting close to the top. The tank is 500 gallons. The gauge on the wall has 2 small copper pipes I believe no wider than straws going into it. It is rectangular in shape with a needle from zero to 500 encased in glass. At the bottom right corner of the gauge is a brass plunger, that you pump in and out a few times to move the needle for an accurate reading. The problem is the housing that holds that plunger in place has come loose and it keeps wanting to fall out. Have you seen this type of gauge , and can it be replaced?

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  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
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    There are a few different types. Can you post a pic or name/model #. I'm sure it can be fixed or get back to working, but you shouldn't rely on the gauge to tell the delivery driver how much fuel they can safely put into your tank.

    The 'listen for the whistle' to stop is the standard way to fill most tanks.
    A few methods come to mind:
    1. Are you sure the fill pipe isn't a straight shot into the tank. It absolutely should be. If it is, then the driver can use an underground fill pipe, with it's own attached whistle to safely fill your pipe. If it's not a straight shot...
    2. Dig up and replace the VentAlarm (whistle). Actually my insurance company wont allow me to fill any tank without a properly functioning 'overfill protection device'.
    3. Get rid of the tank and go with a new tank(s) in the basement, or above ground tank (depending on your location).
    steve
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,524
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    Depending on it's age some underground tanks had no whistles installed. Used to see a lot of those old tanks with 3/4" vents.

    Sticking the tank and using a chart is the way to go. "Petrometer" was one tank gage but they only used 1 1/4" copper line.

    Now I am trying to remember the names of the others and they may be no longer available

    They should be able to fill it and here the whistle with a Scully fast fill
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited February 2018
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    Guessing your old gauge is just a pressure gauge . And the plunger is an air pump to bubble air out the gauge's tube at bottom of tank. If no leaks air pressure after bubbling is proportional to height of oil over end of tube

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