How to Read a Forklift Propane or LP Bottle Gauge
Forklift drivers should know certain safety considerations when figuring out how to read a forklift propane bottle gauge. Operators should know when the forklift is running low on propane or fuel. Several older forklift models are designed so that the forks lower to the ground slowly and the machine shuts off automatically when it is out of fuel. This is very unsafe and could cause product damage and personal injury. Newer models are designed differently to prevent this from occurring. The operator could 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 looks like an automobile's gas gauge. It is a small round object located either on the propane tank's valve or on the dash of the forklift where the rest of the gauges and controls are situated.
2 Make certain to keep the cover of the gauge clean so that information behind the glass is legible.
3 Situated at the bottom of the gauge is the indicator needle. This needle will show 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 touches the letter E, it would mean that the propane tank is totally empty. When the needle arm touches the letter F, it means that the propane tank is totally full.
5 In the middle of the gauge, there is a line. When the needle touches the halfway line it will mean that the tank is half full of propane.
6 Also there are smaller lines midway between the halfway lines. These lines mean quarters. When the needle touches the quarter mark nearest the F, it means there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle arrives at the quarter mark closest to E, the tank is one-fourth full.