How to Read a Forklift Propane or LP Bottle Gauge
There are essential safety reasons for forklift drivers to know how to read a forklift propane bottle gauge. The driver has to know when the forklift is almost out of gas. Several types of forklifts that are older are designed so that the forks lower slowly to the ground and the machine automatically shuts off when the vehicle runs out of fuel. This is really not sage and can cause personal injury and product damage. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to avoid 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 located. The gauge looks a lot like the gas gauge on a car. 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 located.
2 Make sure to keep the cover of the gauge clean so that information behind the glass is legible.
3 Look for the indicator needle at the bottom of the gauge. This needle would show you how much fuel is still in the propane tank.
4 On the gauge: F represents full and E represents empty. When the needle arm touches the letter E, it means that the propane tank is totally empty. When the needle arm arrives at the letter F, it would mean that the propane tank is totally full.
5 There is a line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle points at the middle line it will mean that the tank is half full of propane.
6 Normally, there are smaller lines midway between the halfway 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 touches the quarter mark nearest E, the tank is a quarter full.