Quote Originally Posted by Don42 View Post
Your solution would work, but anything that can leak eventually will and cleaning up a spill in a muddy basement would be a nightmare -- and if you don't clean it up the stink will be unpleasant. I was once on a technical advisory board for oil heat research. A saying in the industry is: "oil stinks, gas explodes".

Another solution that could not cause an oil spill would be to use an ultrasonic sensor looking from the top to sense the level of the oil in the tank. Such sensors are available very inexpensively, e.g., $2.99 at
https://tinyurl.com/y7zwej58.

You would need some additional electronics, though, and a simple power supply -- which could be just some AA batteries. Perhaps you know of an "electron" near you that would enjoy helping you with this. If you lived near me, I love little projects like this -- but I'm in MN. BTW, at 74, schlepping up and down the cellar stairs is good for you unless you have disabilities or the creaky stairs are dangerous for you. At 76, I no longer zoom up and down the stairs like a horny teenager about to miss a phone call, but I do eventually get there. Did two loads of laundry today -- 4 trips up and down. Changed my sheets today. It ain't Easter yet but I don't like to wait until the last minute, ya know...
That one would work slick Don and, at $3, I'm ready to try it. I do have, however, a few questions.

#1. The hole in the top of the tank is about 1.6" diameter. The supplier doesn't give the size of the unit. I guess I'd need to buy one on speculation to find out if it would fit through the opening.

#2. In my ignorance, I'm just a little bit concerned about ultrasound bouncing off the side of the steel tank and giving false readings (not that that dumb float on a twisted strip of beer can isn't also giving false readings).

#3. What would I use to measure the time between ultrasonic outgo and input? Can you give me a link?

#4. What would I use to convert that to distance? Can you give me a link?

#5. What would I do to convert the information in #4 to a visual signal? Can you give me a link?

Regarding my cellar stairs, they are even older than I am and it's only a matter of time before they just collapse but, of course, the same can be said for me.