Oil tank monitor

[jbee1979]

We've moved from a house with a constant gas supply to an oil tank, and I hate it. We're very remote, so gas isn't an option, and have ran out of oil once, and I never want to again!!!! Can anyone recommend a decent monitor for our oil tank. I like smart things, but not spending money, and the reviews I've read are hit and miss. Thanks in advance.

We signed up with a local oil company who fitted a monitor and keep an eye on the level. We get an email every week with the levels and they let us know when they need to refill the tank.

I would suggest calling round your local oil companies and see if they offer the same service.

We’ve run out 3 times (apparently we don’t learn!) and I agree, it’s horrendous. I hear good things about the sensors but not got one myself.

We had a sensor but it stopped working and I haven't bothered since as I'm pretty aware of how much oil we use now.

My neighbour has a monthly top up delivery of 200 litres. Would your oil company do that, so you can order more now and then when you remember to check the level but maintain a reasonable volume at all times.

We have a Watchman on ours, it hasn't let me down yet (though I get twitchy and order when it gets to three bars remaining).

We have a Watchman but it's crap. It shows one bar or flashing on empty when there's a good few weeks of oil left in the tank. We get a big delivery every so often and in between, DH will stick a couple of canisters from the garage in himself perhaps once a month to ensure we don't run out.

Try not to run out completely. Your boiler will go into lockout and after a few times of that you'll be buying a new boiler. I speak from bitter experience.

I've had the same Watchman for 16 years, had to replace the sensor inside the tank a few years ago. Seem like good value for money.

We use OilPal and have found it pretty good so far!

Alternatively can you dip it with a long garden cane regularly? We used to do this back in the day when we had a tank with no monitor on it.

You can do maths, on the front of the burner, it will state a burn rate it will be something like .6 gal/hr.

Over the course of a week, one hour a day note how many minutes in that hour the burner runs. Average the results so you get 20 mins per hour for instance

20 mins x 24 hours = 8 hours run time a day

8 x 0.6 gal per hour = 4.8 gal per day

275 gal tank / 4.8 gal per day = 57 days per tank.

I stick a long cane in mine...lived here 14 years and only ran out of oil once.....

ours has a (cloudy, as its old!) gauge on the side where you press a button which opens a valve and the meniscus drops - problem is you can barely see it. Ive taken to just percussing down the tank to hear where it goes hollow sounding :/ not very scientific!

I have a watchman here and it's at 2 bars but I know there is loads in the tank.

In my last house I had a cane and that was just as good.

I would recommend finding a company that will deliver 200-300 litres every month winter and summer, or else sign up for a direct debit scheme with a local company and then you won't be stuck.

I'd love gas but we dont have gas out here (rural)

When I had oil, and after the dreaded running out of oil experience, I signed up with a company that just came out and topped up when they thought you would be running low. Was great.

I was not reliable with the garden cane method

Now I have a lovely electric boiler

Do oil companies deliver only 200litres? Even as a top up? Minimum round here is 500

My company's minimum order is 100 litres.

Mine used to just come out and top up. Sometimes it wasn't even 100 litres. They just came when they thought you would have used up some oil.

It was much easier.

We are very rural maybe that’s why some do do a top up service but you need to have their monitoring system

I'm very grateful for your responses, we went with a watchman, wee amazon deal at £42 instead of £65, and we're very happy with it :-)

Watchman. Brilliant. Top up services are however a complete rip off and ended up costing us a fortune more than we should have paid. I use the watchman and top up when it shows it is at level four, because the worst thing you can do for your boiler health is to drag the contents of the bottom of your oil tank through your boiler. Not good for it and your pocket.

Our first Watchman lasted 12 years and never went wrong. Just bought a new one so hoping this does as well. It seems very accurate so far.

We fill the tank up in the summer when the oil is cheapest. Its a 2000 tank and it lasts until Feb/March time.