How to Read a Forklift Propane or LP Bottle Gauge
Forklift drivers should understand certain safety considerations when figuring out how to read a propane bottle gauge on a forklift. Operators should know when the forklift is low on fuel or propane. Several older forklift models are designed so that the forks lower to the ground slowly and the equipment automatically shuts off when it runs out of fuel. This is really unsafe and can lead to product damage and personal injury. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to prevent this from happening. The operator can use a handle which stops the forks from falling when the propane runs out.
1 Make certain you know where the propane gauge is situated. Forklift propane gauge are a lot like a car's gas gauge. It is a small round object situated either on the dash of the forklift where the controls and rest of the gauges are located or on the valve on the propane tank.
2 Always keep the cover of the gauge clean so that the lines and letters behind the glass are legible.
3 Locate the indicator needle at the bottom of the gauge. This needle shows you how much fuel is still in the propane tank.
4 There are two letters on the gauge: E for empty and F for full. When the needle arm points at the letter E, it will mean that the propane tank is completely empty. When the needle arm touches the letter F, it means that the propane tank is completely full.
5 There is a line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle arrives at the middle line it means the tank is half full of propane.
6 Also there are smaller lines midway between the halfway lines. These lines indicate quarters. When the needle touches the quarter mark closest to the F, it will mean that there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle touches the quarter mark closest to E, the tank is one-fourth full.