Level indicator

[nhengineer]

Greetings,

Hopefully someone has already tinkered with this idea and will supply some helpful information. My fuel oil tank is in the cellar; dirt/mud floor cellar. I'm purposely not on automatic delivery. That way I can control when and how much oil I get.

Problem is, at 74 years old, I have to schelp down really creaky cellar stairs and wade through ankle deep mud to check the Mickey Mouse designed level indicator which may or may not be telling me the truth. I may need to do this more than once during an oil fill cycle to make sure I'm not above 1/2 tank or haven't gone below 1/4 tank.

It seems like I could use a pressure sensing device like one used in a top loading clothes washer to illuminate an indicator light mounted next to the thermostat that would be activated when the level goes below 1/4 tank. It would need to address a N/O relay that would close when the washer device thinks the 'water' level to be less than adequate.

It would work in reverse of its original intent of course but, even if the hose were to fail, there would be no danger of oil shorting out the device since oil isn't electrically conductive. It would make a mess on the floor but the floor is already a mess.

Any suggestions will gratefully accepted.

[Sleykin]

There are lots of oil tank senders/remote display setups available. Some under $100. I could help you design something that would give you remote indications of fuel level. You could use the resistance between a bare copper wire suspended in the tank and the tank. Resistance would go up as the fuel went down and when the fuel drops below the end of the wire it suddenly goes way up.
The Fuel Minder Store Remote Gauge Products: Fuel Minder, OEM Rocket, Oil Alert, Krueger Sentry, Petrometer, National Magnetic, Floats, tanks
Not associated and have no experience with these systems but they sound like a perfect solution.

[nhengineer]

There are lots of oil tank senders/remote display setups available. Some under $100. I could help you design something that would give you remote indications of fuel level. You could use the resistance between a bare copper wire suspended in the tank and the tank. Resistance would go up as the fuel went down and when the fuel drops below the end of the wire it suddenly goes way up.
The Fuel Minder Store Remote Gauge Products: Fuel Minder, OEM Rocket, Oil Alert, Krueger Sentry, Petrometer, National Magnetic, Floats, tanks
Not associated and have no experience with these systems but they sound like a perfect solution.

Wow, there's quite a few to choose from in your link but even $100 is a bit of a stretch for me. I think I can make one for next to nothing from scrap bin parts (like I make everything else).

Regarding the resistance wire idea, how can that work? Oil is not electrically conductive.

[Sleykin]

Or a magnet on a doughnut shaped float around a tube with magnetic reed switches at different depths that would light an LED for you.

[Don42]

Or a magnet on a doughnut shaped float around a tube with magnetic reed switches at different depths that would light an LED for you.

This is an excellent idea, better than the ultrasonic approach that I suggested. Simple and cheap. He'd only need one reed switch if he only cares about a "go-nogo" indication. Reed switches are hermetically sealed and made of glass so they can tolerate immersion in oil with no problem. Sliding sensors like this can be problematic in water because of mineral buildup, but should work very nicely in oil. Things in a oil tank can get cruddy too, but not like in water.

Well done, Sleykin!

nhengineer and Sleykin: I'd be glad to correspond. I have both reed switches and magnets in my goody box and I'm willing to share. I'm a widower since 2011 so I keep very busy, but I check email often even when travelling. I'm outta this MN icebox for the FL keys next Monday for some bluewater fishin', but I'll have my laptop and I do keep up with email. If y'all care to correspond, pls use this addy:

dforeman2x3@goldengate.net

Delete the 2x3; that's there only to deflect spam bots that don't actually read the material they scan for email addys.

[nhengineer]

Or a magnet on a doughnut shaped float around a tube with magnetic reed switches at different depths that would light an LED for you.

Good suggestion, Sleykin. Any idea where I'd get a doughnut shaped float to fit through a 1.6" diameter hole?

[mklotz]

Good suggestion, Sleykin. Any idea where I'd get a doughnut shaped float to fit through a 1.6" diameter hole?

It need'nt be toroidal.

1.5" diameter wooden cylinder (closet rod?) bored to fit over the tube? Shellac the wood to prevent it becoming waterlogged.

[nhengineer]

It needn't be toroidal. 1.5" diameter wooden cylinder (closet rod?) bored to fit over the tube? Shellac the wood to prevent it becoming waterlogged.

Do you mean to have the magnet attached to the wooden cylinder that is acting as a float? How would I attach the reed switches to the rod?

[mklotz]

Do you mean to have the magnet attached to the wooden cylinder that is acting as a float? How would I attach the reed switches to the rod?

I would use a thin-walled plastic tube and cement the reed switches inside it. Plastic caps cemented on the ends of the tube would keep liquid off the switches and provide constraint to keep the wooden cylinder on the tube. The magnets could be cemented into holes drilled in the wooden float.

[Sleykin]

Good suggestion, Sleykin. Any idea where I'd get a doughnut shaped float to fit through a 1.6" diameter hole?

As Marv said, about any float that isn't eaten by oil will work fine. I have lots of different magnets that would work fine. You would want something on the bottom of the tube to keep the float from falling off the end if the level got too low and also so the float won't drop below the last reed switch. The reed switches would be normal open switches. One switch at 1/2 full and another at 1/4 full. The one at 1/4 full would be the bottom of the plastic or copper tube and would stay lit until the tank is filled. The circuit would be a simple 3 wire 2 AA batteries would operate it just fine. So, all you would need are 2 reed switches, 2 LEDs, the float and magnets and a tube and some wire. I was thinking 3/8" tube would be ideal and the float would not have to be a large diameter. Do you have a lathe or drill press? You could easily make a float out of anything floaty