Gadgets

Oil tank level monitors, explained

If you've ever trudged out to dip the tank in the rain, or been caught short because a float gauge lied to you, this is for you. Here's how tank-level monitors work and whether one's worth it.

The problem: you can't see into a tank

Most Irish homes still check their oil one of two ways: a dipstick (open the lid, dip a stick, read the wet line) or a float/sight gauge on the side of the tank. Both are awkward, both are easy to misread, and sight gauges are notorious for sticking and showing more oil than you actually have. The result is the classic dread: you think you're grand, then the boiler locks out on the coldest night of the year.

You can do better with a software estimate, our free run-out calculator works out roughly how many days you have left from your last fill and usage. But it's still an estimate; a cold snap or guests can move it. The only way to know your real level without going out to the tank is a monitor.

How a tank-level monitor works

A monitor fits to your tank and reads the oil level, then sends it to an app on your phone. The genuinely useful part isn't pinpoint precision, it's two things: you can glance at your level from the couch instead of the back garden, and it warns you when you're running low, with enough notice to order in good time rather than in a panic.

What to look for

  • Fits your tank. It should suit your tank type and size, plastic or steel, single-skin or bunded.
  • A low-level alert. The whole point, it should warn you in time to order before you run dry, not just show a number.
  • An app you'll actually check. A clear reading on your phone beats anything you have to walk outside to read.
  • Reliable readings. Oil sloshes and a fresh fill settles, so a sensible monitor smooths that out rather than panicking you.
Full disclosure: ours

We make one — HAWKi

HAWKi reads your real oil level and sends it to your phone, and warns you before you run low so you can fill in good time. Made by Magnus Monitors, the Irish company behind MyOil. So take this as us being upfront about our own product, not a neutral pick, we don't rank rival monitors, because we make one. The fairest thing we can do is tell you plainly that it exists and let you judge it for yourself.

See how HAWKi works →

Already with a supplier you like? A low-level alert just means a timely, confident fill, so it's worth asking them about a monitor too.

Tank monitor questions

How do I check how much oil is in my tank?
The old ways are a dipstick (open the tank and measure with a stick) or a float/sight gauge on the side, both are awkward and easy to misread, and a sight gauge often sticks. You can also estimate from your last fill and usage, which is what our free run-out calculator does. A tank-level monitor takes the guesswork out by reading the level for you and showing it on your phone.
Do oil tank level monitors actually work?
Yes. A monitor sits on the tank, reads the oil level, and shows it on an app, then alerts you when the level drops low. The honest value isn't pinpoint precision, it's not having to go out to the tank, and getting a heads-up in good time to order, so you're not caught short on a cold weekend.
Will a tank monitor stop me running out of oil?
It won't fill the tank for you, but it gives you the one thing that prevents a run-out: warning, in time. Instead of discovering you're empty when the boiler locks out, you get a low-level alert with enough notice to compare prices and order a fill on your terms.
Do I still need to dip the tank if I have a monitor?
No, that's the point of one, it reads the level continuously so you don't have to head out to the tank in the cold. It's worth a sanity-check dip now and again, but day to day the monitor does the watching.
The free way to stay ahead

No monitor? We'll still help you never run dry.

Our free run-out estimate works out when you'll run low from your last fill, and a price-drop alert tells you when your county gets cheaper, so you fill in good time either way.

See when I'll run out →Set a price-drop alert