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