How to Read a Forklift LP or propane Bottle Gauge
Forklift drivers must know some safety considerations when figuring out how to read a forklift propane bottle gauge. Drivers should know when the forklift is low on fuel or propane. Some older forklift models are designed so that the forks slowly lower to the ground and the machinery shuts off automatically when the vehicle runs out of fuel. This is very unsafe and could cause product damage and personal injury. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to prevent this from happening. The operator can use a handle that stops the forks from falling when the propane runs out.
1 Make sure 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 forklift dash where the controls and rest of the gauges are located or on the valve on the propane tank.
2 Keep the gauge cover clean so that the lines and letters behind the glass are readable.
3 Situated at the bottom of the gauge is the indicator needle. This needle shows you how much fuel is still in the propane tank.
4 There are two letters found on the gauge: E for empty and F for full. When the needle arm touches 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 In the middle of the gauge, there is a line. When the needle arrives at the halfway line it will mean that the tank is half full of propane.
6 Note that there are smaller lines halfway between the middle lines. These lines mean quarters. When the needle points at the quarter mark closest to the F, it will mean that there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle arrives at the quarter mark nearest E, the tank is a quarter full.