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 your heating oil tank
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. Below are computed charts for every common tank size (275, 330, 500, 550, and 1000 gallon), calculators for usage and run-out, and plain guides for reading gauges and timing your deliveries.
Tank charts
Printable inches-to-gallons charts for every common heating oil tank. Pick your tank to open its full chart.
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275 gallon vertical
44″ deep · ~274 gal full
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275 gallon horizontal
27″ deep · ~274 gal full
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330 gallon vertical
44″ deep · ~329 gal full
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330 gallon horizontal
27″ deep · ~329 gal full
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550 gallon underground
48″ deep · ~564 gal full
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1000 gallon underground
48″ deep · ~1018 gal full
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500 gallon underground
48″ deep · ~509 gal full
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Fiberglass ball tanks
Buried spheres common on Long Island: 285, 550, and 1000 gallon
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Roth tanks
Official fill-chart data: inches and gauge fractions to gallons
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Granby tanks
Steel tank sizes and which chart fits each one
Calculators
Free tools to size a tank, estimate your usage, and see how long the oil in your tank will last.
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Tank level and volume calculator
Turn a tank level in inches into gallons, or get total capacity from the dimensions.
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Heating oil usage calculator
Estimate the gallons you burn per day from two gauge readings.
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How long will my oil last
Turn your current gauge reading into days of oil remaining.
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Buried tank size identifier
Find a buried tank's size from a delivery and before-and-after readings.
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What size tank do I need?
Right-size a replacement tank from your yearly oil use.
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Burner fuel use and nozzle chart
Look up gallons per hour from your nozzle size and pump pressure.
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Nozzle converter (for techs)
Convert nozzle flow between pump pressures and gallons per hour.
Guides
Plain-English guides to sticking your tank, reading gauges, and timing your next delivery.
- 01
How to stick an oil tank
Measure inches with a dipstick and convert to gallons.
- 02
Reading an oil tank gauge
What the float gauge shows and how far to trust it.
- 03
Petrometer gauges: read, pump, fix
Read, troubleshoot, and replace a Petrometer float gauge.
- 04
WiFi and smart oil tank gauges
How ultrasonic tank gauges work, what they miss, and whether one will work on your tank.
- 05
Replacing an oil tank gauge
Match the gauge to your tank depth, avoid the combo vent alarm trap, and what the job involves.
- 06
Oil tank whistle (vent alarm)
What the vent whistle means and why a silent one is a problem.
- 07
What size is my oil tank?
Identify your tank's size from its shape and dimensions.
- 08
Heating oil K-factor explained
How oil companies use a K-factor to schedule your deliveries.
- 09
When to order heating oil
The gauge level to reorder at so you never run dry.
- 10
Why a 275 tank holds about 240
Why a full 275 gallon tank gives only about 240 usable gallons.
- 11
How long do oil tanks last?
Typical tank lifespans and the signs it is time to replace.
- 12
Oil tank replacement cost
What a new tank runs, what drives the price, and the one-day swap.
- 13
Oil tank removal and disposal
Aboveground haul-away vs a buried tank with testing, permits, and cleanup risk.
- 14
Water in your oil tank
How water gets in, why it harms your system, and how to clear it.
- 15
Outdoor oil tanks in winter
Stop an outdoor tank from gelling when temperatures drop.
- 16
No gauge, no stick: tracking oil
Track your level by usage when you cannot dip the tank.
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Oil tank reading for a closing
Measure and value the leftover oil for a home sale.
Where these numbers come from
Every chart on this site is 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. Real tanks still 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.
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