How to Read a Forklift LP or propane Bottle Gauge
Forklift drivers should know some safety factors when figuring out how to read a forklift propane bottle gauge. Drivers should know when the forklift is low on propane or fuel. Several kinds of forklifts which are older are designed so that the forks lower to the ground slowly and the machine automatically shuts off when it is out of fuel. This is very unsafe and could cause product damage and personal injury. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to avoid this from happening. The driver can operate a handle which stops the forks from falling when the propane runs out.
1 Make sure you know where the propane gauge is situated. Forklift propane gauge are a lot like an automobile's gas gauge. It is a small round object situated either on the forklift dash where the rest of the gauges and controls are situated or on the propane tank's valve.
2 Always keep the gauge cover clean so that the letters and lines behind the glass are readable.
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 On the gauge: F represents full and E represents empty. When the needle arm arrives at the letter E, it would mean that the propane tank is completely empty. When the needle arm touches the letter F, it would mean that the propane tank is completely full.
5 Notice the line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle arrives at the halfway line it means that 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 points at the quarter mark nearest the F, it means there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle points at the quarter mark closest to E, the tank is a quarter full.