How to Read a Forklift LP or propane Bottle Gauge
There are essential safety reasons for forklift drivers to know how to read a propane bottle gauge on a forklift. The operator has to know when the forklift is almost out of gas. Several older forklift models are designed so that the forks lower to the ground slowly and the machine shuts off automatically when the vehicle runs out of fuel. This is really unsafe and could result in product damage and personal injury. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to prevent this from occurring. The operator could utilize a handle that stops the forks from falling when the propane runs out.
1 Make certain you know where the propane gauge is located. 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 propane tank's valve.
2 Make sure to keep the cover of the gauge clean so that information behind the glass is readable.
3 Located at the bottom of the gauge is the indicator needle. This needle shows you how much fuel is still inside the propane tank.
4 On the gauge: E represents empty and F represents 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 totally full.
5 There is a line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle touches the halfway line it means the tank is half full of propane.
6 Typically, there are smaller lines midway between the halfway lines. These lines indicate quarters. When the needle arrives at the quarter mark nearest the F, it would mean that there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle touches the quarter mark nearest E, the tank is one-fourth full.