Am I Out of Heating Oil? Don’t Let Your Tank Run Dry

When you’re driving in your car, how are you certain that you aren’t about to run out of gas? Both the gas light and fuel gauge allow you to see how much fuel you have left at a glance. While both of those tools make things easy on drivers, the same tools are not available for your heating oil tank. What are the best methods to determine how much oil is left in your tank before you run out of heating oil?

How Much Heating Oil Is Left in My Tank?

What size is your tank? If it’s the most common size, 275 gallons, you should start by checking the fuel gauge on the outside. Write down the gauge reading and compare it to the chart below to see an approximation of how much fuel is in your tank and how close you are to running out of heating oil.

Tank Gauge Reading	Gallons Remaining (Approximate)
Full	275
7/8	241
3/4	206
5/8	172
1/2	138
3/8	103
1/4	69
7/8	34

Am I About to Run Out of Heating Oil?

If you cannot get an accurate reading on your tank gauge or your tank does not have one, you can use a long, clean stick or dowel to examine the oil depth. Slowly lower the stick into your fuel oil and see how high up the oil reaches. Use that reading and the chart below to see how close you are to running out of heating oil. Call Husky Heating Oil as soon as possible to schedule a delivery if you do not have enough fuel to make it through the next few days or weeks.

275 gallon (44″ depth)	550 gallon (49″ depth)
Oil depth	Gallons Remaining	Gallons Remaining
1″	3	3
2″	8	7
3″	15	14
4″	23	21
5″	32	23
6″	42	28
7″	53	48
8″	63	58
9″	74	69
10″	86	81
11″	98	92
12″	110	104
13″	122	117
14″	135	129
15″	148	143
16″	160	156
17″	172	169
18″	184	183
19″	196	197
20″	207	211
21″	217	225
22″	228	239
23″	246	254
24″	255	268
25″	264	283
26″	270	297
27″	275	312
28″		326
29″		340
30″		354
31″		368
32″		382
33″		395
34″		408
35″		422
36″		434
37″		447
38″		459
39″		470
40″		482
41″		493
42″		503
43″		513
44″		522
45″		530
46″		537
47″		544
48″		548
49″		550

 

How Else Can I Tell If I Am About to Run Out of Fuel?

If you cannot access your heating oil tank or use either of the methods listed above, there are some other signs that you are about to run out of fuel, including:

• A furnace that makes banging noises when it turns on
• A furnace that needs to be reset regularly or multiple times in a short span
• Heat that varies a great deal throughout your home

I Don’t Want to Run Out of Heating Oil

Automatic delivery is the best way to rest easy about the amount of heating oil left in your tank. We will monitor your tank levels and deliver quality fuels before you come close to running out of heating oil.

Husky Heating Oil is a leader in high-quality heating oil delivery for homeowners in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County. Since 1993, we have worked hard to deliver our customers cost-effective fuels to heat their homes. To check our rates or place your order, please visit our website or call us today at (410) 220-5386.