Heating oil tank charts
Dip a stick, read the inches, get gallons. Charts for every common heating oil tank, calculators for the odd ones, and plain guides for reading gauges and timing your next delivery.
How to read the tank you have
Dip a stick or read the float gauge, note the level in inches, then match it to your tank's chart to convert inches to gallons.
Tank charts
Printable inches-to-gallons charts for the common tank sizes and shapes. Pick your tank to open its full chart.
-
275 gallon oil tank chart (vertical)
Oval, upright
-
275 gallon oil tank chart (horizontal)
Oval, on its side
-
330 gallon oil tank chart (vertical)
Oval, upright
-
330 gallon oil tank chart (horizontal)
Oval, on its side
-
550 gallon oil tank chart (underground)
Cylinder, buried
-
1000 gallon oil tank chart (underground)
Cylinder, buried
-
500 gallon oil tank chart (underground)
Cylinder, buried
-
Fiberglass ball tanks
Sphere, buried
-
Roth tank sizes
Double wall
-
Granby tank sizes
Steel oval
Calculators
Free tools to size a tank, estimate your usage, and see how long the oil in your tank will last.
-
Heating oil tank calculator (level to gallons)
Turn a tank level in inches into gallons, or get total capacity from the dimensions.
-
Heating oil usage calculator
Estimate the gallons you burn per day from two gauge readings.
-
How long will my oil last
Turn your current gauge reading into days of oil remaining.
-
Buried tank size identifier
Find a buried tank's size from a delivery and before-and-after readings.
-
What size tank do I need?
Right-size a replacement tank from your yearly oil use.
-
Burner fuel use and nozzle chart
Look up gallons per hour from your nozzle size and pump pressure.
-
Nozzle converter (for techs)
Convert nozzle flow between pump pressures and gallons per hour.
Guides
Plain-English guides to sticking your tank, how far to trust the gauge, and when to reorder.
- 01
Heating oil tanks explained
What a heating oil tank is, the types, where they sit, and how long they last.
- 02
How to stick an oil tank
Measure inches with a dipstick and convert to gallons.
- 03
Oil tank gauge types
The five kinds of tank gauge, which one fits your tank, and what each one reads.
- 04
Reading an oil tank gauge
What the float gauge shows and how far to trust it.
- 05
Petrometer gauges: read, pump, fix
Read, troubleshoot, and replace a Petrometer float gauge.
- 06
WiFi and smart oil tank gauges
How ultrasonic tank gauges work, what they miss, and whether one will work on your tank.
- 07
Replacing an oil tank gauge
Match the gauge to your tank depth, avoid the combo vent alarm trap, and what the job involves.
- 08
Oil tank whistle (vent alarm)
What the vent whistle means and why a silent one is a problem.
- 09
What size is my oil tank?
Identify your tank's size from its shape and dimensions.
- 10
Oil tank sizes and dimensions
Every standard size with its measurements, from the 120 gallon oval to the buried 1000.
- 11
275 gallon oil tank explained
What a 275 measures, the three capacity numbers, how long one lasts, and what a swap involves.
- 12
250 gallon oil tank: what it usually is
There is no standard 250. How to tell a 275 from a Granby 240 from a Canadian tank.
- 13
Heating oil K-factor explained
How oil companies use a K-factor to schedule your deliveries.
- 14
When to order heating oil
The gauge level to reorder at so you never run dry.
- 15
Why a 275 tank holds about 240
Why a full 275 gallon tank gives only about 240 usable gallons.
- 16
How long do oil tanks last?
Typical tank lifespans and the signs it is time to replace.
- 17
Oil tank replacement cost
What a new tank runs, what drives the price, and the one-day swap.
- 18
Oil tank removal and disposal
Aboveground haul-away vs a buried tank with testing, permits, and cleanup risk.
- 19
Water in your oil tank
How water gets in, why it harms your system, and how to clear it.
- 20
Outdoor oil tanks in winter
Stop an outdoor tank from gelling when temperatures drop.
- 21
No gauge, no stick: tracking oil
Track your level by usage when you cannot dip the tank.
- 22
Oil tank reading for a closing
Measure and value the leftover oil for a home sale.
Where these numbers come from
The steel and fiberglass charts are computed from the tank's nominal geometry at 231 cubic inches per gallon, the same math your oil company's chart book uses. Steel oval charts include a 2.2 percent dished-head allowance, calibrated to the manufacturers' published capacity charts, so they line up with the chart books dealers carry. The Roth charts work differently, because Roth publishes fill levels rather than a row for every inch: those charts carry Roth's own levels exactly and fill the gaps between them. Real tanks vary a little by maker and age, so treat any chart as a close estimate and cross-check your tank's data plate when precision matters.
Last updated