If you’ve lived in an oil-heated home for a while now, it’s a safe bet that you’re familiar with reading your oil tank gauge and knowing when it’s time to call for more fuel.
But with about two months of winter still ahead of us, it never hurts to review the basics of reading your heating oil tank gauge. You never know, you may learn something new!
For starters, your heating oil tank gauge is usually a clear glass or plastic cylinder located at or near the top of the tank. The gauge is marked with numbers that look like a car’s fuel gauge: F, ¾, ½, ¼. A red marker or float tells you how much fuel you have left. If the marker is at the bottom of the gauge or not visible, your tank is empty–or close to it.
To make sure the gauge is 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, arrange for a repair.
You should order more heating oil when the gauge reaches ¼.
If you don’t want to spend time reading your tank gauge or worry about whether the gauge is working properly, your Maine heating oil company may be able to set you up on an automatic delivery schedule. This removes the worry about calling for deliveries or running out of fuel when you need it the most.
When you sign up for automatic delivery, your heating oil dealer will use your fuel-use history and predictions for upcoming weather patterns to determine the most accurate time to deliver your heating oil. This prevents the risk of a run-out, which saves you the hassle—and expense—of ever needing an emergency delivery. In most cases, they will get your heating oil to you when your tank is about one-quarter full.
You can read more about the dependability offered by a full-service Maine heating oil company here.
If you have questions about your heating oil tank or heating oil deliveries, contact your Maine heating oil company and they will be glad to help.
Trust is the foundation on which Maine heating oil companies operate, and they are proud to have earned the confidence of so many customers.