Contents Gauges And Tank Alarms.

Sight tubes and float gauges are mechanical and need no power. Clock gauges give a dial reading at the tank. Ultrasonic and hydrostatic gauges give electronic readings and can transmit to a remote display or telemetry system.

Mechanical gauges are cheap and reliable but must be read at the tank. Electronic gauges cost more and add the ability to check remotely, which matters on buried or awkwardly sited tanks.

An overfill alarm sounds when the level reaches a preset high point, warning the delivery driver to stop. They are strongly recommended wherever the fill point is remote from the tank or the vent cannot be seen from where the delivery is made.

Overfill during delivery is one of the most common causes of oil pollution incidents, and the alarm is inexpensive relative to a clean-up.

It detects liquid in the interstitial space of an integrally bunded tank — the gap between the inner tank and the outer skin. Liquid there means the inner tank has failed, or that rainwater has entered.

Because the bund is the last line of defence, knowing it has been breached is genuinely important and not something a visual check will catch promptly.

Typically within a few percent under normal conditions. Accuracy is affected by foam, vapour, condensation on the sensor and unusual tank geometry.

They are excellent for trend monitoring and reorder triggers. For stock reconciliation to the litre, a dipped measurement remains the reference.

Yes. Telemetry gauges transmit level data over cellular or wireless links to a dashboard or app, with configurable low-level alerts and automatic reorder triggers.

This is particularly worthwhile on remote sites, buried tanks and multi-site operations where physical checks are impractical.

Common causes are a stuck float, sediment or water in the base of the tank displacing volume, a gauge calibrated for a different tank profile, and temperature-related volume change.

Persistent unexplained discrepancy between metered dispensing and gauge readings should be investigated as a possible leak or unauthorised drawing.