How to Read a Forklift Propane or LP Bottle Gauge
There are important safety reasons for forklift operators to know how to read a forklift propane bottle gauge. The driver needs to know when the forklift is almost out of gas. Several older forklift models are designed so that the forks slowly lower to the ground and the machinery automatically shuts off when the vehicle is out of fuel. This is very unsafe and could cause personal injury and product damage. Newer kinds of forklifts are designed differently to prevent this from occurring. The operator can use a handle that 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 forklift dash where the controls and rest of the gauges are situated.
2 Make sure to always keep the gauge cover clean so that information behind the glass is legible.
3 Located at the bottom of the gauge is the indicator needle. This needle shows you how much fuel is still in the propane tank.
4 There are two letters on the gauge: F for full and E for empty. When the needle arm touches the letter E, it means that the propane tank is totally empty. When the needle arm touches the letter F, it means that the propane tank is totally full.
5 Notice the line in the middle of the gauge. When the needle touches the halfway line it means that the tank is half full of propane.
6 Also 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 means there is three-fourths of a tank remaining. When the needle touches the quarter mark nearest E, the tank is a quarter full.