How to Read the Gauge for a House Fuel Tank

Homes that are not connected to a municipal natural gas utility often use propane fuel for heating and cooking. Propane gas is delivered in liquid form (LP) and held in storage tanks outside the home. Knowing how to read the LP tank fuel gauge is important for understanding fuel consumption and scheduling refills. Since some homes use larger tanks than others, individual multiplication steps will accurately determine the amount of fuel in the tank.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

Show More

Instructions

1. • 1

     Locate the fuel gauge. The gauge is usually at the top of the fuel tank and features numbered increments from 10 up to the number 95. Each number on the fuel gauge indicates a percentage.

   • 2

     Check the position of the pointer on the fuel gauge. Record the number the pointer indicates on paper or on a calculator.

   • 3

     Multiply the fuel tank capacity by the indicated percentage reading on the fuel gauge. The product represents the amount of fuel in gallons remaining in the tank.