How to Read a Forklift Propane or LP Bottle Gauge
There are essential safety reasons for forklift drivers to know how to read a propane bottle gauge on a forklift. The operator needs to know when the forklift is running low on gas. Some older forklift models are designed so that the forks lower to the ground slowly and the machinery shuts off automatically when the vehicle runs out of fuel. This is really not sage and can lead to personal injury and product damage. Newer types of forklifts are designed differently to prevent this from occurring. The operator can utilize 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 are a lot like a car's gas gauge. It is a small round object located either on the dash of the forklift where the rest of the gauges and controls are situated or on the propane tank's valve.
2 Make certain to keep the cover of the gauge clean so that information behind the glass is legible.
3 Locate the indicator needle at the bottom of the gauge. This needle shows you how much fuel is still inside the propane tank.
4 On the gauge: F represents full and E represents empty. When the needle arm points at the letter E, it will mean that the propane tank is completely empty. When the needle arm points at the letter F, it will mean that the propane tank is totally full.
5 There is a line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle touches the halfway line it will mean that the tank is half full of propane.
6 Note that there are smaller lines midway between the halfway lines. These lines indicate quarters. When the needle touches the quarter mark closest to the F, it would mean that 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.