Smart Oil Gauge Installation
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Learn how to install a Smart Oil Gauge WiFi Heating Oil Tank Gauge on a standard 275 gallon oil tank.
Be sure to connect your Smart Oil Gauge to WiFi BEFORE installing on the tank.
Detailed instructions are available at www.smartoilgauge.com/install...
Tools required:
-Pipe wrench (at least 14")
-Non-permanent pipe dope (Do not use Teflon tape!)
-A rag
Steps:
1. Connect the gauge to WiFi.
2. Use a rag to clean around the 2" plug on the oil tank.
3. Use a pipe wrench to remove the 2" plug.
4. Apply pipe dope to the male threads of the Smart Oil Gauge.
5. Thread the Smart Oil Gauge in by hand - make sure it is not cross-threaded.
6. Tighten the Smart Oil Gauge with a pipe wrench on the metal body of the gauge. Do not use a pipe wrench on the white cap! Expect to see 5-6 threads exposed on the Smart Oil Gauge once tight.
7. Make sure the gauge is switched on and wait at least an hour for the first reading to come in.
8. For outdoor tanks: Apply Teflon tape to the threads under the white cap to keep moisture out of the unit. Hand tighten the cap. 
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This was an absolutely EXCELLENT explanation. From a total beginner, thank you so much!
Thank you!!! Glad you liked the video!! 😀
Outstanding instructional. Well done.
Thanks Stephen Shank!!
Thank You for Such an easy Video to install.
Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Really good video! Although in the end a simple operation, this great level of detail and explanation likely avoids a whole host of user questions and problems. That being said, I was ready to jump, but found that in order to set this up as a widget on my Home Assistant dashboard I would need to pay a $2 monthly "API fee". As this will not at all influence my oil purchasing patterns as auto delivery has been working very fine for me for many years, it would only be a "cool to have" view on my dashboard. I'll have to wait to see if someone comes up with a screen scraping hack to get this to function on HA without using the API.
Thanks! We may open up the API for free at some point.
Great installation video!
Thanks Rudy S!! Glad you found it helpful!
BEST VIDEO!!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!
Thank you Marie Hall!!! 😀
I deliverer fuel oil in Minnesota. We have so many tanks with too small of vents and 99% have no vent whistle.
That is very good, we no need worry about run out of oil because you don;t know how much oil do you have on it.
Thanks Jose!!
Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the comment Allen!! Glad you found it helpful!!
Thank you for such an informative video. Well done. I have one question. What is the brand of pipe dope that you recommend using? Thank you.
Thanks!! The most commonly used is Rectorseal and it is widely available
great video, very articulate, simple explanation, but, if you dont want joe smoe using a wrench on the plastic part....maybe, dont shape it like a nut?
Thanks Anthony!! Yes good point!!
I bought this and enjoy seeing the stats. I have a question though prior to installing it had already scheduled an oil delivery for the end of the week. Now I installed it while waiting for the delivery and it said I had about 100 gallons. Now I got filled up and it says 200 gallons but my delivery bill said I received 145 gallons.
If you have a standard 275 Gallon tank, the true max fill capacity is 256 Gallons. So if you had 100, and got 145, then it sounds about right that you are maybe 10 gallons shy of full. The guys that fill always seem to leave a little more room than necessary
@@crusheen it's a 275 gallon tank when I filled up it said I had 100 gallons to start then I got a 145 gallon delivery. But the meter only displayed 200 gallons it stayed there for about 8 days and then started reading values.
Enough about how good of a videobthis is. Does this thing work? Reviews on amazon are mixed and most people say it is a waste of money. Doesnt connect to wifi, drops connections and when it does work gives inaccurate readings. So is this true or not?
Hi Bill, Steve here from the video. I've read all 1,600+ reviews on Amazon so I can speak to the good and the bad. As far as WiFi connectivity goes, this is one of the easiest things to address. Oil tanks are often far away from routers, with walls and floors in between, so if the gauge has a hard time connecting (can't reconnect consistently), a $15 TP-Link N300 WiFi range extender will solve the issue. There are also some routers that try to switch our device from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, causing it to fall offline. Again, the TP-Link N300 will solve that issue, as will putting the router in dual-band mode. Eventually we will have the ability to switch between two bands, but the chips are cost-prohibitive as of now.
As for accuracy, the regular Smart Oil Gauge is very accurate from the bottom of the tank (when it's low, and it really matters), up to the top 8". If the tank is topped off, the signal from the sensor double-bounces off the oil, and can give a false reading. Some people could not care less about an imperfect reading after the tank has been topped off, while others REALLY care. To remedy this, we just introduced the Smart Oil Gauge Duo. It uses two sensors (one to transmit, one to listen), so we can track the oil level all the way to the very top of the tank. We've also made the Duo with a modular housing which makes it easier to remove from the tank if you ever need to update the WiFi settings on it or change the batteries.
The bottom line is if you run into any issues, we have a phenomenal customer service team in CT that is happy to help. Give us a call at 203-456-1499. If you experience connectivity issues, we are well-versed in the different possible causes, and will never recommend spending more than the $15-20 that a range extenders costs. And if you have any other issues, we can run diagnostics and see what is going on. We have over 50,000 happy customers, but as I'm sure you know, it seems only the ones who've had issues rush to Amazon to leave reviews! Thanks ~Steve
The only question i had is in a separate video that doesn't exist thanks. I just need the button timing to connect this to a wifi that doesn't have a separate 2gig
Hello . Just ordered one from you a couple of days ago. Should I use some liquid wrench on the old plug for a few days before attempting to take out ? Also, what’s the warranty on the item ? Thanks very much
Hi Al, liquid wrench definitely can’t hurt! Let it soak and then just make sure you’ve got a good pipe wrench. Tapping the end of the wrench gently with a hammer helps too if it’s stuck. The warranty on the new units is 2 years; refurbished have a 1 year. Thanks!
Hi steve .. thanks so much for your quick reply . one last question and I apologize about all the questions. I should’ve probably asked this before I ordered but does this smart gauge work in any oil tank ? Thanks again
Can it handle an overfill of the tank since that sensor seems to be very sensitive?
Hi Steve, the sensor may give off some funky readings for a bit if there's oil on it. It usually shakes it off eventually or you can remove it and wipe it off if need be. If the tank gets overfilled though, there's usually another issue such as a vent-alarm / whistle that is not working properly. A properly functioning whistle should yield a 6" or so air space at the top of the tank once it's topped off. Thanks!
Can you show us the actual reading it picks up? How do we read the gauge?
Hi Speed Racer I don't know how to post a picture to a reply but if you go to www.smartoilgauge.com or check out our product images on Amazon you can see what the readings look like in the app. It shows you a reading to the nearest tenth of a gallon. It also gives you a running average of gallons per day as well as a countdown of days to 1/4 and days to 1/8 tank. Thanks!!
if the Oil tank is out side and during winter time with all snow and Cold with minus Celsius will this unit work ?
Hi Johnny, when it gets really cold (under 20F), the sensor can give some false readings. Sometimes frost can form on it too, so it can be tricky. Above 20 and it tends to be fine again. And that said, we've got lots of these on outdoor tanks and many don't have any problems at all. We just like to be forthcoming that they will not work as well as the indoor units that are in temperature controlled environments. Thanks!
Can you install the gauge with a full tank or should you wait for the level to go down?
Hi Cory, either way is fine. When the tank has just been topped off the gauge may read Full for a bit. If it's during the summer and you're just using the tank for hot water, it may just be a while before the usage statistics start to populate. Thanks!!
I have a 275 gallon vertical tank ,When my tank is full my gauge does not read over 232 gallons . Is this supposed to read at least 270?
Hi John, the max capacity for a 275 vertical is around 255 gallons. The sensor itself needs about 8" to get a reading, so as a result, it maxes out around the 230-235 mark. Once the level drops below this level, the sensor is operating in its sweet spot and will give precise readings. Here's a much more detailed breakdown of what's going on: www.smartoilgauge.com/support/public/articles/tank-readings-after-fill/15
Does this work on an outside above ground tank in freezing cold weather?
Dream Machine, the Outdoor Unit tends to work well in the Northeast, but you can expect consumption readings to vary with temperature changes. Minimum sensor operating temperature is approximately 20° F and it is not recommended for frigid climates (e.g. Alaska) where temperatures consistently stay below freezing. More here: www.smartoilgauge.com/shop/product/smart-oil-gauge/
I’m having a hard time, they told me to take out my old gauge and put in the smart gage ... is that how you do it ?
Batmanblue Darker Email us a picture of your tank to support@smartoilgauge.com and we’ll tell you exactly what we recommend. Thanks!!
Can the desiccant packet (silica gel) be thrown away, or no?
Hi Erick, we recommend keeping the desiccant packet in place. This helps regulate any moisture inside the device. Thanks!
I have a large round tank, not oval, will this gauge work with my tank?
@TheNICEScrooge can you take some measurements of the tank and send us a picture at support@smartoilgauge.com? We would just want to make sure the fitting looks like it is compatible and the dimensions are workable. Most above ground tanks can be programmed into our software. Thanks!!
My oil tank appears to have two plugs on top of it. Does it matter which one I use?
If they're both 2" NPT (~2.375" across) then either should work. If one is bigger than the other, the bigger one is usually the right size for the Smart Oil Gauge.
I have a cover protector on. And I cannot remove it and I have limited access to remove the bolt😭😭
Hi Alberto, sorry to hear that!! Those cover protectors are always tough. I've heard of folks making modifications to them so the top can be opened up, but it is a bit of a project unfortunately. :-/
Just to be clear the smart gauge doesn't go where the float gauge is? It goes in that 2nd opening?
Hi Garvin, that is correct. If you do not have an extra opening, however, you can remove the float gauge and install the Smart Oil Gauge in its place. Just bring some rags or paper towels because the float gauge will be covered in heating oil when you remove it. Thanks!
@@smartoilgauge7894 thank you so much, I do have the extra opening so I will be leaving the float gauge in.
@@garvinwalbrook1088 Perfect!! Any other questions, don't hesitate to reach back out!
@@smartoilgauge7894 hello I don’t have an area opening so completely remove the float oil gauge (the old one with the 3/4 1/2 and empty) and put the smart oil gauge by it self in its place ?
Does this work on twin oil tanks as well? If so does it matter which tank you install it on?
Hi M D, great question - yes it does! For twin tanks that equalize and drain together, you will install the Smart Oil Gauge on the vented tank. This way it does not see any pressure from the oil as the tanks are being filled (usually oil is pumped into one tank and 'spilled over' into the second through a connector pipe in the top). The vented tank is typically the one that has the float gauge in it today.
Great! Thanks for the quick response!
I have twin tanks and this was my question also, glad I found you on RUclips, Thanks
I have a Greer 500 gallon tank. Do you have a sensor for that size?
Hi there, yes, the Greer 500 is also referred to as a 'skid tank'. We have a setting in the app for that tank, so long as you have access to a 2" bung on top of the tank for the Smart Oil Gauge to be installed in.
I’ve always wondered what became of “Arvid” after Head Of The Class!
What size opening should the pipe wrench be?
Hi Kevin, we recommend a 14" pipe wrench. This size will allow the jaws to open enough to grip the Smart Oil Gauge.
Any plans to add apple Home support?
Hi Shane good question! It is on our radar but not in our immediate development funnel.
Flirting with disaster teetering that sensor on your tank 🙄🤣
Will this work on a 400 gallon Roth tank?
Hi Michael, unfortunately that is the only Roth tank it does not work with! The 400 gallon tank is so big that Roth had to add an internal support baffle to keep the walls from bowing out. This baffle interferes with the sensor (the sound wave bounces right off of it once the oil level drops) so unfortunately it will not work. Thanks!!
Were do we get the Pipe adapter from
Hi Jake, you can get the adapters on our shop page here: www.smartoilgauge.com/shop/ Thanks!
Home external underground tanks will this fitting work with the pipe that comes up from the ground?
Unfortunately it will not. The sound wave from the sensor will just end up reverberating back inside the pipe and it will read full all the time.
hello today fill my tank and the sensor still reads the previous level could you help me
Hi Jose, it takes a reading once per hour, so it should update within an hour of the fill. Thanks!!
@@smartoilgauge7894 Is there a way to get on demand reading or have to wait for an hour?
Damn I just checked my tank and I don't have that extra hole to screw it in
Bummer! Some folks end up taking the float gauge out if that is an option for you.
most of our work comes from real estate closings and home inspections
looks like these guys have some chinese competition on amazon
Just got mine. Super easy to install because of this video and to configure because of @LosGranosTV
Thanks Darnius Terix!! Enjoy your Smart Oil Gauge! :-)