Hunter Geist, Author at FuelSnap

Kerosene Heating: What You Need to Know

May 13, 2026July 17, 2026

John D Rockefeller is a name that might ring a bell. He was the nation’s first billionaire and the founder of the Standard Oil Company. It was a dominating force in the American oil industry and became one of the first big trusts in the nation. During this time, he was a very big advocate for Kerosene oil. Not only did he personally use it, but he also revolutionized the oil industry by pushing for Kerosene during the early 1900s.

But why do I bring this up? Nowadays, kerosene isn’t as popular as heating oil. However, it’s still used today not only as a way of heating, but also for jet fuel, as it is derived from crude oil. In this article, I’ll be going over what you need to know about it, such as the basics and what’s important.

What Exactly is Kerosene?

Like all fuels, Kerosene is a combustible liquid that is used for heating. It’s got a flashpoint of 100-150 degrees Fahrenheit. But it will also gel when the temperature gets around or below -40 degrees. This is vastly different from heating oil that’ll usually starts to gel around 16 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike heating oil, you can store it in much colder environments.

Back in the 1900s, kerosene lamps were commonly used as a source of light.

There are, however, different grades of kerosene. The two most common grades are 1-K and 2-K grades. They have a few differences and will burn somewhat differently. 1-K, for example, is often known to be cleaner and has fewer toxins and deposits. This makes it more suitable for use in lanterns. However, this tends to be a more premium form of Kerosene. However, 2-K grade is considered the standard and is the form that’s often used for heating with indoor heating and stoves.

What Do You Use Kerosene For?

In the 1800s, Kerosene was used as a form of powering light fixtures. Back then, it was very popular; however, once heating oil entered the market, prices for kerosene eventually dropped as heating oil became more popular. Another killer for kerosene was the introduction of electric heat. As it became more common, the use of kerosene lamps dwindled due to their need for fuel, which electric lamps didn’t need.

In today’s day and age, kerosene is most commonly used for heating and jet fuel. Particularly, high-grade kerosene is the most important ingredient. In the US, we rarely use it as a source of heating. However, some low- and middle-income countries still use it for cooking and electricity.

What Makes Kerosene Different from Other Forms of Heating?

Heating Oil and Kerosene do have their similarities. They’re both used for heat, and they derive from crude oil. However, there are some very important differences between these two types of oil that you must be aware of. Firstly, you cannot switch between the two. This is because their respective systems are not fit to be able to burn the other fuel. Additionally, they’re stored differently and have different storage requirements.

Their different storage requirements stem from their different flashpoints. Heating Oil’s flashpoint is a little higher than kerosene’s, which makes it safer to use. The flash point of heating oil sits at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it much safer to use, especially outside. However, kerosene’s flashpoint is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that kerosene is actually much more dangerous to use than heating oil!

However, kerosene stands out compared to other forms of heating with its lower freezing point. The lower freezing point makes it harder for the oil itself to freeze and gel. Heating oil has a higher freezing point at 16 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes Kerosene more suited for colder environments.

Can Heating Oil Tanks Use Kerosene?

When it comes to what you can and can’t do with kerosene, there’s a very thin line that you have to work with. While heating oil is similar enough to kerosene to be able to be mixed with it, you’re not going to be able to replace heating oil in your system with kerosene. If your heating oil tank is full, and you throw a little bit of it into the tank, then that’s fine. However, filling up an empty heating oil tank with kerosene will damage your system in the long-term.

Kerosene is typically stored in fuel canisters that are blue. This helps differentiate it between gasoline and diesel.

While adding kerosene to your heating oil tank might sound odd, it’s used as a sort of cleanser. This will help clean out any sludge or anything in the lines that could be hindering usage. Adding it to your heating oil also helps as a way to prevent the oil from gelling, as its freezing point is much lower than that of heating oil! Mixing it in is a great way to help your oil maintain its liquid state in the cold weather.

However, if you ever run out of oil, NEVER put Kerosene into your tank. If this does happen, I would strongly suggest going to your local gas station and grabbing around 5-10 gallons of diesel. This’ll hold you over until your next delivery arrives.

Switching from Heating Oil to Kerosene

Making the switch to kerosene from heating oil is difficult. If you want to make the switch, then you’ll need to have an entire system overhaul. This includes swapping out all the parts in your system from heating oil parts to kerosene-specific parts. This not only costs money, but also significant time. If you live in a cold environment such as Alaska, then this is strongly recommended! The cold temperatures up there are ideal for storing kerosene. This is often due to its low freeze point and slightly lower flash point than heating oil!

Most importantly, it’s not as readily available as heating oil, especially in the Northeast. Making the switch to kerosene from heating oil is very uncommon. If you plan on making the switch, then it’s important to know if you have a supplier in your area to warrant making the switch. But if you have it near you, it’s better as an additive.

Conclusion

Kerosene was very popular in the early 1900s. However, it’s been outshined by heating oil and electric heat as the years have gone on. While it has a lower freeze point, it’s more dangerous to use due to its lower flash point compared to heating oil. Its scarcity also makes it harder to come by, which makes it difficult as a long-term heating solution.

However, it still finds its uses in colder environments such as Alaska, and it is used primarily as an ingredient in jet fuel. If you live in the Northeast or somewhere with hot summers, it’s best to avoid using it as a source of heat. But it’s completely safe to use as an additive! If you wish to make the switch, make sure that you have a local supplier that you’re able to order from!

Happy Heating

Hunter

Outdoor Smart Oil Gauge Installations

May 6, 2026July 17, 2026

If you’ve been a long-time Smart Oil Gauge user, then you might know about our outdoor models. Using a Smart Oil Gauge on an outdoor tank is a little bit different from using it on an indoor tank installation. While the installation process is the same for both indoor and outdoor installations, there are still important things to know. Keep reading because I’ll be going over everything that you’ll need to know!

The Outdoor Model Smart Oil Gauge

Tanks that are located outdoors will often be exposed to the elements of fluctuating temperatures and weather. For this, we have an outdoor model of the Smart Oil Gauge. This only comes in the Duo. The Duo has a stronger seal than the standard model, which makes it harder for moisture to get inside the device. But you’re probably wondering what makes it an outdoor unit. The outdoor model uses a special sealant that makes the device more suitable for outdoor use.

This is an example of an outdoor 275 gallon tank. They come in all shapes and sizes, but tend to look like this and have a similar layout.

If you plan on using the Smart Oil Gauge on an outdoor tank, you MUST buy the outdoor model. Especially with the standard model, its seal is not as strong as the outdoor duo. We’ve since discontinued the standard outdoor Smart Oil Gauges because the outdoor duo gauges are just that much more effective. But if you still have a standard outdoor model, then simply applying Teflon tape around those top threads will be much more beneficial and provide a better seal for the standard device. You can buy the outdoor model on our website here.

Underground Tanks

It’s important to understand that the gauge is not compatible with underground tanks. Notably, this is because the gauge sends its signal in a cone shape and not straight down. Most underground tanks have two pipes sticking out of the ground. Installing the Smart Oil Gauge on one of these pipes sounds good on paper. But, because of how the gauge sends the signal, this won’t work. The cone-shaped signal will bounce off the sides of the pipes, resulting in only full readings. These pipes that stick out of the ground are too far from the tank itself. So the Smart Oil Gauge will not be able to properly send the signal down to the oil level.

Condensation and Temperature-Related Spikes

When installing the gauge outside, you might sometimes get some moisture on the sensor itself. This is produced when the temperature outside fluctuates, causing the oil in the tank to warm up. When the oil starts to warm up, it’ll cause moisture to be produced and build up on the sensor. This will cause the gauge to have trouble sending out the ultrasonic signal properly. This happens semi-often, so it’s a good idea to check the bottom sensors for moisture at least once a month. If there’s moisture on the sensors, simply wiping them clean with a paper towel or tissue will do the trick! This will help the gauge be able to read accurately again.

The temperature outside can also play a major role in the readings that the Smart Oil Gauge provides! Most commonly on outdoor tanks, when the temperature falls below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the gauge might give you a fill alert and a spike in reading. This is because long-term exposure to cold temperatures can cause electronics to not function as normal. This is not just for the Smart Oil Gauge; most electronics that have long-term exposure to the cold will have performance issues. So, on outdoor tanks, be aware that during long-term cold temperatures, you’ll see spikes in level due to these cold temperatures.

This is an example of temperature related spikes. You can see that they shoot up to the maximum reading. This is often due to the cold outdoor temperatures.

However, if you live in an area where cold temperatures are the norm, such as Alaska, you might see yourself having a hard time with the readings. This is because in certain parts of Alaska, temperatures below 20 degrees are normal, especially during the winter. Those consistent cold temperatures might cause the gauge to not read properly.

Outdoor Tank Readings

Another thing with outdoor tanks is that their readings can be a little odd. This tends to be caused by the temperature outside. Depending on how hot or cold it is outside will cause the oil in the tank to either expand or retract. This causes the level to fluctuate, and you’ll see what looks like a “wavy” effect on the graph. This won’t affect your overall usage data, but it can be a little strange to see on your graph at first. Plus, if you have no idea what it is, then it can definitely cause some concern. But don’t stress! This is completely normal!

This is an example of what the waviness looks like on the tank graph. As mentioned above, this won’t affect your usage data.

Distance from the Router

Now, the Smart Oil Gauge needs to have a strong connection to the WIFI to be able to upload to the app. But on some outdoor tanks, the gauge can have trouble connecting and uploading. This is often due to the distance from the router. The farther the gauge is from the router, the harder a time the gauge will have connecting to the WIFI. The home’s outer wall also dulls the WIFI signal. If you have an outdoor Roth tank, sometimes the metal hood will make connecting to the WIFI a lot harder for the gauge. The steel cover adds another surface that the WIFI signal has to go through.

The best thing to do to ensure that the Smart Oil Gauge has a strong signal to the WIFI from outside is to have an access point as close to the gauge as possible. However, if the router or closest access point is on a floor above or far away, your next best bet would be to get a WIFI range extender. You can get a good one on Amazon for $15. We recommend this extender in particular. It’s easy to set up and reliable.

Batteries on Outdoor Smart Oil Gauges

Like all models of Smart Oil Gauge, the batteries do need to be changed. However, it’s important to know that the batteries on outdoor units don’t always last as long. This is because the weather and temperature outside affect the battery life. This can often be because the temperature outside will fluctuate a lot. Due to this, the batteries will need to be replaced more frequently. The batteries will need to be changed roughly every 6-12 months on average. You can buy the required batteries on our website here.

Concluding Thoughts

The Smart Oil Gauge is an amazing tool to have on your outside heating oil tank! However, there are some minor differences compared to installing on an indoor tank. Outdoor installations are often more exposed to the elements and fluctuating temperatures. But you’ll still be able to look at the gauge on your phone’s app just as you would with an indoor model! Those extra things that you needed to know are important for gauge functionality and being able to navigate the gauge on the app.

There are a couple of additional things that you need to know when you’re planning on installing the Smart Oil Gauge on an outdoor tank. They’re all listed in this blog post here, so feel free to come back to this and reread it or review it if you ever need a refresher!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

What are the Different Types of Heating Methods?

April 29, 2026July 17, 2026

In 2026, there are a lot of different heating systems that you can use to heat your home! Now that Spring’s here, it’s the perfect time to research heating systems! While some of these systems cannot be added to your home, you might have some of these already and just aren’t utilizing them! Otherwise, if you’re looking to move and are house hunting, here are some different heating systems to keep an eye out for!

Boiler Systems

These are the most common types of systems for homes in the United States. The only other form of heating that matches the popularity of a boiler system is a Furnace System. This is Hydronic Heat. When using Hydronic Heat, it’ll be through the use of hot water or steam.

For a boiler to heat properly, the hot water and steam usually go from the boiler into the home using baseboard radiators. Your system will draw oil from the tank into the furnace. The furnace heats the water using the oil, which then gets sent into your home through the use of radiators.

This is a water boiler system. Steam systems tend to be more complex.

However, two types of boilers tend to exist. They are water and steam boilers. They function virtually the same. However, steam boilers tend to run a bit hotter than water boilers. But on the flip side, they tend to be less reliable and efficient. They also tend to be much larger than water systems.

Like furnaces, boilers are designed with specific types of fuel in mind. For example, there are different types of boilers for heating oil, propane, and natural gas. You can interchange them, but it’s usually harder to change from one to the other. Natural gas furnaces are also typically more expensive than heating oil and propane furnaces.

Furnace Systems

Similar to boilers, these systems are some of the most popular systems to heat your home in the United States. But Furnaces do have a couple of differences from Boiler Systems. The major difference is that a furnace will heat air and not water. Once the air heats, it pushes through the air ducts in the home. That then results in heat.

Due to furnaces heating with air, they’ll often have a flue pipe that pushes air through the chimney of your home. But you should make sure that this flue pipe is cleaned annually when you have your system maintenance. Neglecting to clean it annually can become hazardous.

Newer furnace systems will often look like this. It’s very important that these are regularly maintained.

Furnace systems will often operate with the use of convection currents. The heated air will pass through the ducts in the many rooms of your home. Plus, there are also return ducts. These return ducts will draw cold air back into the furnace to go through the heating process again.

Heat Pump Systems

These are a bit more uncommon than Boilers and Furnaces. However, they are getting increasingly more popular! But unlike the above-mentioned systems, heat pumps don’t require a fuel to be able to heat the home. Heat pumps will pull air from outside and extract the heat from it. The pump will then push the air into your home. It functions similarly to air conditioning.

But the nice thing about heat pumps is that during the summer and spring months, you can actually use them as an air conditioner! When using it as an air conditioner, it does the opposite of what it does in the winter months. It’ll extract cold air from outside and push it into your home, cooling the house!

This is an air source heat pump. You’ll see this type more often than ground source pumps.

Unlike most heating systems, where there’s only one functional style to it, heat pumps have two different styles to them. These are known as air-source and ground-source heat pumps. Air-source systems will tend to sit outside as a single unit, while ground-source systems will be a network of pipes underground. These units will tend to take hot air from the outside. But ground-source heat pumps will gather the hot air from underground.

Radiant Heating Systems

Unlike the previously mentioned methods of heating, radiant heating is more unique. Unlike a system in the basement or garage, radiant heating is a network of pipes installed when the house is built. These pipes are typically installed under the floorboards and in the walls. However, this isn’t easy to implement or install into a pre-built home.

With the use of electricity, radiant heat systems will transmit heat from the floor using its system of pipes. Due to this, you’ll get the ability to “zone” how the system distributes the heat. This’ll allow you to set specific rooms to be warmer than others, giving you the option to provide more heat to rooms in the house that tend to be colder.

You can see in the above picture that the system is being installed before the floorboards are put on.

While this is a fantastic way to heat the home, maintenance for these systems can be a little tricky. Having one of these systems serviced is very difficult! The complexity of the system itself makes it hard for the average HVAC technician to service the system. You’d need to get a specially certified technician to be able to service this particular system.

Solar Paneling

This is another form of heating that’s also growing in popularity. Solar panels will absorb the heat from the rays of the sun and transfer it directly into a space where it’s stored for use later. What’s interesting about solar panels is that if the solar panels can’t produce enough heat to be stored, there’s a backup system that’s used to provide additional heat to the panels that they can’t normally produce.

Solar heating can also distribute the heat in a multitude of different ways. Radiant Flooring, air ducts, radiators, and hot water baseboards are all ways to distribute the heat around your home! While you don’t get to choose how it’s distributed, it is based on your current or previous systems.

This is an example of where you’ll find solar paneling. Usually it’s on the roof of your home.

But maintenance can vary based on a few different variables. The installation site, overall design, and installation all have an effect on maintenance. This is due to the fact that specific systems need to be maintained a certain way. Solar panel systems need to be properly maintained to avoid breaking down and ensure that the solar panels are working as they should.

Wood-Burning Stoves & Fireplaces

Now these are a little bit more old-school. But they’re very useful, especially as a secondary heat source. These are typically installed in the home when it’s being built. They also tend to be installed either in the basement or the living room area. They both run on burning wood.

Gathering wood for these can be either expensive or time-consuming. While you can tend to buy wood in locations such as gas stations, Lowe’s, or Home Depot, you can also manually gather firewood. However, if you’re not in an area with a lot of forests, then gathering wood might not be an option for you.

Average fireplace will often look like this. The stone surrounding is designed to catch ash and char and prevent it from hitting the wood floor and starting a fire!

But wood-burning stoves and fireplaces will burn HOT and will be able to provide an ample amount of heat for your home. If you have cats or dogs, you might notice that they like to curl up by the fire often. My dogs sure love curling up by the warm fire during the winter!

What is the Best System to Use?

Which system is best is completely up to you! Depending on what you already have at home, it might limit your options. But based on reliability and maintenance, boiler and furnace systems are clearly the best. Most HVAC technicians will be able to service these systems without issue. These tend to be the most well-known systems out there in the United States.

But that doesn’t mean that radiant heat, solar paneling, heat pumps, or fireplaces aren’t reliable systems. I’ve had personal experience with a wood-burning stove, and it’s great! It always keeps the house warm, especially when you stock up on wood during the summer! All of these systems are great and will effortlessly be able to heat your homes!

Happy Heating,

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge: Battery Replacements

April 22, 2026July 17, 2026

Replacing the batteries in your Smart Oil Gauge is important for its functionality. The Smart Oil Gauge requires two 3.6V SAFT LS14500 batteries. Most wireless devices need some sort of battery to power the device. However, unlike your cellphone and portable gaming consoles, the Smart Oil Gauge doesn’t have a rechargeable internal battery. The batteries in the Smart Oil Gauge need to be replaced semi-often. But it’ll ultimately depend on how often your gauge uploads.

When to Replace

The Smart Oil Gauge has four stages for the battery life. These are “Excellent“, “Good“, “Fair” and “Poor“. You should start planning to replace them once the battery life starts reading “Fair” on the app. However, even with a reading of Fair, the gauge can still last a couple of months before they reach “Poor”. Once they reach poor, you’ll want to replace them. I would suggest ordering a replacement set around the time they read “Fair”, so you can replace them when they start reading “Poor”! We sell them on both our Smart Oil Gauge and FuelSnap websites.

This is what you’ll see on your app when you need to change batteries. Looks like the office tank needs new batteries!

However, even if they say “Poor,” you’ll still have a good couple of months on them before they die completely. That’s why it’s good to have an extra set on hand! This makes the whole process of replacing them much easier and seamless. The SAFT batteries also have a ten-year shelf life. So even buying an extra set to have on hand will be helpful as well, and you won’t have to worry about them going bad!

Battery Compatibility

As I mentioned previously, the Smart Oil Gauge uses SAFT LS14500 3.6V batteries. We do sell these on our website, but you can also get them at a local battery store if you have one nearby. We’ve had the most success with these batteries in particular. However, other brands such as EEMB and Elexjar don’t work as well and have caused issues for our users in the past. For that reason, I would avoid those batteries altogether.

These are the required SAFT batteries that the gauge uses.

It’s also very important to know that the gauge cannot use standard AA batteries from Duracell, Energizer, or Rayovac. This is because these batteries are only 1.5 volts and will not be able to power the unit, but will be able to power the LED light. So when the gauge stops uploading and you try to troubleshoot this, you’ll tend to only get one flash, and the gauge won’t be able to enter any of the config modes.

How to Replace the Batteries

Replacing the batteries in the Smart Oil Gauge is easy. Think of it like replacing the batteries on a TV remote. For the standard model, all you have to do is slowly take out the battery box. Then, you’ll want to locate the three ridges and the battery warning sticker on the back. Once you’ve found those, you’re going to want to push down on the ridges and push forward. This will cause the battery box to slide open, and you’ll be able to take out the batteries in there and replace them with new ones. Then, after replacing the batteries, close up the battery box and turn the gauge back on. You’ll then see an updated reading on the app! If you want to watch video instructions on how to replace the batteries, you can check it out here.

But on the Smart Oil Gauge Duo, it’s significantly easier. All you have to do to replace the batteries on the Duo is to unscrew the cap and press the little battery top. It should pop right open, and you can swap out the old batteries with the new ones. Afterwards, simply put the batteries back in, close it up, and it’ll come online with a new, up-to-date reading!

The Battery Life

While this doesn’t always happen, sometimes it can take 24-48 hours for the battery life to update on the app. This is because when you change the batteries on the gauge, it’s technically in sleep mode. After you’ve done this, the gauge has to connect to our servers to upload the new battery information. It does this every 24-48 hours. So sometimes it can take 24-48 hours for the battery life to completely update on the app. The batteries on indoor units will tend to last 1-3 years on average.

Now, the battery life can get a little bit funky on outdoor tanks. This is because the outside temperature can cause the battery life to fluctuate a lot on the app. If your tank is outside, then you’ll see that there’s going to be a little bit of battery level fluctuation. Due to this, you’ll see the batteries fluctuate between “Good”, “Excellent”, “Fair,” & “Poor”. Now, don’t worry about them being bad. On outdoor tanks, this is normal due to the temperature outside. I suggest always having a set on hand in case the gauge stops uploading. If that’s the case, they might’ve died, and you’ll simply have to replace them. This also means that the batteries on outdoor devices won’t last as long. They’ll likely last anywhere from 6 months to a year.

Modifying the Gauge

The Smart Oil Gauge is designed to be completely wireless. We do not have plans to make a wired device at this time. DO NOT modify the gauge’s battery compartment in any shape or form. Not only does this void the warranty, but it can also damage the components of the Smart Oil Gauge. If you connect a wired AC adapter to the Smart Oil Gauge’s battery and plug it in, this puts the gauge at risk of short-circuiting during a power outage or a brownout.

Additionally, modifying the gauge in any way will make it harder to troubleshoot the device. In instances like this, if the internal components are modified, not only will it affect our troubleshooting procedures, but if the device is ever sent back to us for us to look at, we will not be able to work on it in our offices.

Conclusion

Replacing the batteries on the Smart Oil Gauge is simple to do! Replacing the batteries will only tend to take a couple of minutes to get your gauge back to normal! By following not only the instructions in this article but also the ones on our YouTube channel, you’ll be able to replace the batteries with no problem!

Plus, with the additional information I’ve given you on the batteries, not only will you know the nitty-gritty details about the batteries, but you’ll also be able to know what to do and what not to do when replacing the batteries!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge vs Float Gauge

April 15, 2026July 16, 2026

The types of heating oil gauges have vastly improved over the past couple of years. The Smart Oil Gauge has been a great help to a lot of users, especially in environments where the tank is hard to get to! But what about the float gauge? Does it still match up to its popularity? How does it compare to the Smart Oil Gauge? Well, don’t worry, I’ll be covering all of that here!

The Float Gauge

These are some of the more popular gauges used on heating oil tanks. Float gauges come standard with every heating oil tank. They might look a little different depending on the tank, but ultimately, they will all function the same. They function with a bobber on the end of a metal arm or a string. This bobber will connect to the top of the gauge, where there tends to be a meter or glass/plastic cylinder. This cylinder or meter will help determine how much oil is in the tank by marking it on the cylinder itself.

This is what the inside of a standard tank looks like with the float.

Most importantly, when you’re using a float, you must know your tank size. This is because the float doesn’t know what tank size it’s reading for. Most tanks will be 275 or 330-gallon tanks, so more likely to have one of those. But if your tank is a different size than that or larger, then it’s important to know the size of your tank. This is so you can estimate how much oil you have in your tank. Knowing what size your tank is will help the overall accuracy of the Smart Oil Gauge.

The Smart Oil Gauge

The Smart Oil Gauge is a wireless tank monitor that works off your WIFI network. It takes readings and then uploads those readings to our cloud servers, where they’re then visible on the app! Once the gauge has been successfully set up, you can go ahead and install it on the tank. However, make sure you enter all the correct tank details and information before you go to install the gauge onto the tank. This will help ensure that the gauge is reading properly. But if you don’t see your tank size in the available tanks, go ahead and reach out to our support! We’ll be happy to provide you with a custom-sized ID! Just make sure that you have your tank dimensions handy!

But unlike the float gauge, the Smart Oil Gauge requires a strong and stable 2.4ghz WIFI connection. If you have a network that’s mainly 5ghz, you should still have an inherit 2.4ghz connection. However, I suggest going through the Smart WIFI Method to lock the gauge onto 2.4ghz. You can find this process here. This will allow the gauge to be able to upload to our servers without any issues!

These are the major differences between our two Smart Oil Gauges. It’s important to understand which device fits your specific needs.

There are, however, multiple models for the Smart Oil Gauge. The standard Smart Oil Gauge is a single-sensor device that has an operating range of 8-72 inches. This is because the standard model has a little bit of sensitivity at the top of the tank when the tank is full. This’ll make it read less oil at first after a fill-up. You can check out our in-depth article on this here. However, the Duo Smart Oil Gauge has a 0″-72″ operating range. This larger operating range makes it more accurate when you get a fill-up. However, you cannot install this gauge onto a tank with a 1.25″ NPT fitting. This is because the gauge’s sensors cannot fit in a hole of that size with the adapter. If you have a tank fitting with that size, you’ll need to get the Standard Smart Oil Gauge.

Gauge Comparisons

If you’re going to compare the Smart Oil Gauge to the Float gauge, then you must understand what both gauges can and cannot do. Firstly, you can have both gauges installed on the same tank if you have the available fittings. Doing so will allow you to get the best usage out of both!

When using a Smart Oil Gauge, you must know your tank size. This is because the Smart Oil Gauge must be set up for the proper tank size for the device to read accurately and provide correct information on the app. For example, if you have a 330-gallon vertical tank, then you’ll want to make sure that the tank style in the app reflects that tank size. This will give accurate readings and proper usage data if it’s set up for the correct tank size. But if you’re using a float, then you need to know what size tank you have. This will help you better understand the readings you get on the float.

As Float Gauges tend to get older, oil and sludge can coat the bobber of the gauge. This will cause it to be bogged down, which will result in readings that aren’t accurate for the float. While the Smart Oil Gauge doesn’t have a bobber, sometimes oil can splash up on the sensor during a delivery, causing erratic readings. Although this is rare, it can happen. Outdoor Smart Oil Gauges will also often get moisture on the sensor itself, which will result in erratic readings. But this can be cleaned off with paper towels or a washcloth.

Which Should You Go With?

Out of the two gauges, whichever you choose to use is up to you. However, feel free to use both! We actually recommend using both! This tends to give you the best coverage for level readings and usage data.

However, when comparing the two based on accuracy, the Smart Oil Gauge is more accurate hands down. Unlike the float, it’s able to accommodate the curvature of the tank. This gives you a more accurate reading overall for your tank’s level.

The Smart Oil Gauge also won’t be bogged down or coated in sludge and oil! This is because it has no arms or levers that you need to worry about! As long as you have the gauge set up correctly, you don’t have to worry about it being inaccurate!

Happy Heating,

Hunter

Why Are Oil Prices so High Right now?

April 8, 2026July 16, 2026

If you’ve been shopping around for heating oil, you’ll know that oil prices are really high now! At the time of writing, prices are ranging between $4.89 – $5.31 per gallon in Danbury, CT. This is a massive increase over the past couple of weeks. But some states like Vermont and Massachusetts have seen price increases of up to 10% since just last week! But why exactly is this? Well, I’ll be covering those reasons here!

War with Iran

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ll know that the United States is currently at war with Iran. This has caused crude oil prices to soar! This is due to the war disrupting oil supply chains out of the Strait of Hormuz. The oil supply disruptions are also increasing concerns of long-lasting outages. These outages will most likely increase the price of crude oil even more.

At least 20% of the world’s crude oil comes from the Strait of Hormuz out of the Persian Gulf.

Approximately 20% of the world’s oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively closed off the Strait, making it harder for oil to get through to the rest of the world. This not only causes global oil prices to increase, but domestic prices as well. When global prices seem to change, domestic prices will shortly follow.

Increased Price per Barrel

At the time of writing, the price per barrel of crude oil is currently sitting at $111.54. This is due to the current volatility of the market, and prices are subject to an increase per barrel. Most crude oil barrels will tend to hold around 44 gallons of oil. Which averages out to about $2.53 per gallon. However, companies still need to make a profit, and how they calculate that is up to them. Prices have increased by roughly 11%-13%, which has affected global oil prices.

Gasoline Prices

Heating Oil Prices aren’t the only prices that are going up due to this. You might’ve noticed prices for Gasoline have increased astronomically as well! Currently in Danbury, prices per gallon are $4.29! Where I live, prices range from $3.89-$4.09 per gallon. Both Gasoline and Heating Oil come from crude oil. Fears of an oil shortage have caused prices to skyrocket for everything that derives from crude oil. This will only cause oil prices to gradually increase.

This is just an example of how expensive gas prices currently are.

How Much Longer?

The president made an announcement this week that the war with Iran will go on for at least another couple of weeks. This is still putting strain on the oil market and making it more and more volatile.

As prices for heating oil and gasoline continue to increase, all we can do is wait for the war to end and the strait to open up once more. This will gradually decrease the price of oil again, and we’ll be back to our normal pricing.

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge: Installation on Roth Tanks

April 1, 2026July 16, 2026

The Smart Oil Gauge is a fantastic tool for keeping track of your heating oil level and usage! One of the most common types of installation for the Smart Oil Gauge is on a Roth tank. While installing it onto a tank that’s a standard steel tank is simple, Roth tank installations have a little bit more to them. These extra steps are crucial for the Smart Oil Gauge to function correctly.

Roth Tank Compatibility

The most important thing to know about Roth Tanks is that the Smart Oil Gauge is compatible with all Roth tanks EXCEPT the Roth 1500L tanks. These tanks are 400-gallon tanks. However, the thing with these tanks is that they have an interior support baffle. This baffle goes across the center of the tank, and when the Smart Oil Gauge sends its signal down to take a reading of the oil in the tank, the gauge’s ultrasonic signal will bounce off this baffle. This results in the Smart Oil Gauge not being able to read beyond a half tank. The baffle itself is used to prevent the tank from collapsing in on itself when it’s full.

Roth Home Fuel Tanks — These are all the different types of Roth tanks! However, you can there’s a very large on on the right. That’s the Roth 1500L. It’s large size makes the internal baffle a requirement during production.

Now, importantly, on Roth 1000LH tanks, I recommend installing it to one of the centermost fittings. This is because, in rare instances, on Roth 1000LH tanks, there are handle indents on the internal tank. These indents are rare. However, installing the Smart Oil Gauge in the centermost fitting will help the sensor avoid catching the handle indents. If the sensor catches these indents, the gauge might not be able to read beyond 2/3 of the tank.

Roth Adapter

Unlike installations on a standard steel tank, the Smart Oil Gauge requires an adapter for installation. While Roth tanks do have standard 2″ fittings, they tend to be raised about an inch or so. The rubber fitting that comes with the tank itself can’t accommodate the signal that the gauge sends. This will cause the signal to bounce off the sides of the fitting and cause the gauge to read full. You’ll need to get this adapter for the install process.

But most importantly, you must get the correct adapter for your smart oil gauge. We have two different Roth adapters. One is for the standard Smart Oil Gauge, and the other is for the Smart Oil Gauge Duo. If you have the standard model, you’ll want to get the CCF-906. But if you have the Duo, you’ll want to make sure you get the CCF-906DUO.

Installing the Roth Adapter onto the Smart Oil Gauge

The Standard and Duo Smart Oil Gauges also have different ways of being installed into their required adapters. The Standard Smart Oil Gauge simply screws into the threads of the adapter, and the eye should line up with the guide cone to send the proper signal.

These are the instructions for installing the standard gauge. As you can see, it’s very simple.

However, if you look at the Duo instructions below, you’ll see that the instructions are slightly different. Pay close attention to steps 2 & 3. This is because the duo requires the insert/guide cone to be slid into the body of the device. This makes it easier for the Smart Oil Gauge to properly send the signal beyond the raised fitting of the Roth tank. DO NOT install the adapter onto the Duo without sliding the guide cone through the metal body of the device.

As you can see, the Duo gauge has a few more steps before being installed onto the tank.

Installing the Gauge onto the Tank

Now that you understand what size tanks the gauge can be installed onto, you’ll need to be able to install it onto the tank. Firstly, you’ll have to remove the float gauge on the Roth tank. This is because the fittings on Roth tanks are organized in such a way that there won’t be an extra fitting to install the Smart Oil Gauge.

After you’ve removed your float gauge, you’re going to want to remove the rubber fitting of the Roth tank. This is because this rubber fitting doesn’t accommodate the signal our gauge sends. This will result in the gauge reading full all the time if left on. But once you’ve taken that fitting off, you can go ahead and install the gauge onto that fitting! No pipe dope necessary! You can watch a video of the install here.

Enjoy Your Newly Installed Smart Oil Gauge!

Now that the gauge is installed, it’ll take readings of how much oil is in the tank and be able to report back level readings and usage data! The gauge is set up for a 4-hour upload interval by default, so you’ll get a new set of readings every four hours from the time of installation! Otherwise, if you want an immediate reading, you can press the button on the top right of the gauge, and that’ll force the device to take a reading and upload it!

Enjoy your Smart Oil Gauge!

Hunter

What to Expect With Heating Oil This Spring

March 25, 2026June 12, 2026

This past winter was definitely a strange one! We’ve had two major snowstorms and even a couple of days where the weather was in the 70s! With the weather like that, it’s definitely been a strange winter for sure. But, with the snow melting and warmer weather around the corner, it’s good to know what awaits in spring! So in this blog, I’ll be going over everything that you need to know to prepare yourself for spring!

Lower Heating Oil Usage

During the springtime, the weather starts to get a bit warmer. This can result in less oil usage overall during this time. The slightly warmer weather typically means reduced need for oil and heat. While you might still turn the heat up a little bit to keep warm, you’re not going to be burning as much oil as you would during the winter. Last spring in Danbury, CT, we averaged 58 degrees Fahrenheit, and by the end of April, the average went up into the 60s.

This is a graph that shows the usage per day on average based on the outside temperature. However, as you can see, the size of the house contributes to it as well.

Using the above chart, you can compare the size of your home with the temperature outside to determine how much oil you’ll burn. If your home is on the larger side, you’ll naturally burn more oil daily. As you can see in the chart, if your home is 4500 square feet and the temperature is 40 degrees outside, you’ll average around 6.7 gallons of oil a day.

Temperature Outside

The most notable thing that happens when it comes to the spring is that the temperature will get warmer. Warm temperatures typically mean a few things. Firstly, it naturally means that the need for heating oil starts to go down. This also brings the price down. This is because the demand for heating oil is going down, causing oil companies to decrease the price to incentivize people into buying while the price is low.

With Spring around the corner, soon we’ll start to see weather like this!

However, while temperatures during the day are going to be warmer, temperatures at night can still be cold. So, while during the day you might have low usage, there’s a chance that you might have some usage at night as it gets colder. So don’t completely shut off your systems yet!

What You’re Using Heating Oil For

What you use heating oil for during spring will depend on the temperature and weather. While we don’t have a strong idea of how this spring will pan out, we can at least be prepared. Typically, with heating oil usage during the spring, you’ll often see it being used for both heat and hot water. Hot water is more common as it tends to be warmer during the day. But at night it can still get cold! So you’ll likely have some heat usage at night!

But if you don’t have one already, and plan on using your heating oil for both heat and hot water, getting a Smart Oil Gauge will help you track your usage! It’ll track your usage daily and provide you with information as to how much you’re burning by the day, week, month, and year! If you’re interested in learning about both our Smart Oil Gauges, you can check out the blog post on the differences between the two!

Conclusion

What to expect out of heating oil this spring will be different depending on your individual circumstances. Usage will be determined by the temperature outside and the size of your home. What you use heating oil for will depend on your personal preferences. However, be prepared for some warm days and cold nights as the temperature can fluctuate often in spring.

But make sure you don’t forget to enjoy the new spring weather! After the brutal winter we just had, we deserve some nice weather now! With the help of your Smart Oil Gauge and knowing how much oil you’ll plan to burn, you’ll be prepared for the upcoming spring and summer months!

Happy Heating,

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge: The Setup

March 18, 2026July 16, 2026

Getting your Smart Oil Gauge set up is very important for its functionality. Without ensuring that the Smart Oil Gauge connects to your internet properly, you might not get any sort of readings or uploads shown in the app. There are a couple of ways to connect your gauge to the WIFI. However, which process you’d prefer to do might depend on your preference or which one you find easier. I’ll be going through each of those processes here and how to do them!

The App Process

Our process on the app is very in-depth and takes you through the steps of getting the gauge set up. But before starting this process, you must have your WIFI password handy, as well as physical access to the gauge. Doing this will make this process a whole lot smoother. From here, you’ll select your sensor. This is where you choose between the standard Smart Oil Gauge or the Smart Oil Gauge Duo. After choosing your device, switch off the sensor. This is so that we can ensure we start from the beginning. Once the gauge has been turned off, go ahead and switch it back on, and the gauge will flash once. If it didn’t, press “No, it didn’t flash.” There will be options for troubleshooting the gauge from here. But if it did flash, type in your password after selecting “Yes, it flashed”.

After that, you’ll type in your WIFI network password for the network your phone is currently connected to. Once you’ve typed in your password, hit “continue,” and then you’ll put the gauge into config mode. Doing so requires you to press the button on the top right once for two seconds (counting one-one thousand, two-thousand), and the light should start blinking once per second. Your phone will see the CCF network pop up. Tap it so the gauge and your app can make a connection! The gauge should now be online! If not, check your WIFI password and then try again!

After you’ve successfully gone through the app process, you’ll answer various questions about your tank’s size, location, and much more. This will help set up your gauge for the proper setup and tank sizes.

The Alternate Process

This process takes you through your phone’s WIFI settings, rather than the app. It’s easy to understand and straightforward. It requires you to go to your phone’s WIFI settings rather than the app. For example, on IOS devices, simply click on Settings and then WIFI. This will bring you to your WIFI settings. However, on Android, this is a little different. You’ll need to go to “Settings” and then select “Connections”, then select Wi-Fi, and you’ll be in your WIFI settings.

Once in your WIFI settings, you can start the process of getting the gauge set up. Like the app process, you’ll want to press and hold the button on the gauge for a full two seconds (counting one-one thousand, two-one thousand, then letting go). The gauge should start blinking once every second. If it does, you’ll see a network showing up in your WIFI settings that says “CCF########”. The number that follows the CCF network is the gauge’s serial number. You’ll want to join that network by typing in “smartoil”. If you’re on an IOS device, you should immediately be brought to a screen that says “Captive WIFI”. On Android devices, you might get a prompt with an option that says “Connect only this time”. After connecting to the CCF network, go to your preferred web browser and type in the following IP address to get to this screen: (192.168.4.1).

Once on the login screen, you’ll see your WIFI network listed there in blue. Select it, and then you can type in your WIFI password. From there, type in your WIFI password and fill in your email address. You’ll then see a prompt that says “WIFI Configuration Complete”. You should receive an email shortly after requesting that you finish up the setup process.

WPS Config Mode

The WPS config mode is a specific config mode that will provide a secure connection between the Smart Oil Gauge and the router. However, this process can only be done if your router has a WPS button. Usually, this button will look like either a lock, a globe, or even just say “WPS” on it. Typically, this button is on the back of the router. But sometimes, the button is on the front of the router. Once you press this button, you’ll see the router start flashing. From here, you’ll want to press and hold the button on the top right of the gauge for three seconds. This will cause the gauge to start blinking three times a second, and it should be able to connect to the router.

This is a breakdown of the WPS process. It’s the shortest setup process.

If the Smart Oil Gauge was successful in connecting, then you should be able to go onto the app, refresh the page, and the gauge should show up! From there, you’ll have to go through the tank settings and sensor settings to get the gauge set up for the correct tank size and any other adjustments you’d like to make. To do this, select “My Tank” and then click on the three dots on the top right and configure (Android) or the gear on the bottom left (IOS). You’ll then see a “Tools” screen, where you’ll be able to select and adjust those settings.

Smart WIFI Mode

Now, this process is more of a setting that should be enabled on the Smart Oil Gauge. Specifically, if the network you’re using is both 2.4ghz and 5ghz. On a lot of routers nowadays, there is a setting enabled by default called “Smart WIFI”. Essentially, this is a setting on the router that moves devices from 2.4ghz to 5ghz and vice versa to improve performance. This setting is very useful, especially for high-performance tasks such as gaming and streaming.

Enabling Force WIFI G will keep the gauge locked onto 2.4ghz and prevent it from switching.

However, the Smart Oil Gauge is not compatible with 5ghz. So when the router moves the gauge to 5ghz from 2.4ghz, the Smart Oil Gauge is going to disconnect. If your network supports both frequencies, I would strongly recommend going through this process to enable this setting. This will help your gauge stay connected and upload reliably.

Trying them All

If you’re having trouble going through one of these processes, it’s always a good idea to try going through one of the others! The app process for the Smart Oil Gauge is the most popular one! However, if you’re having trouble going through the app process, then I would suggest trying either the Alternate or WPS processes! These processes will be able to provide another way to try to get the gauge online and set up!

The Smart WIFI Method is only a process to enable the “Force WIFI G” setting on the Smart Oil Gauge. Its steps are similar to those of the alternate process, just a little bit different towards the end. However, please know that this process cannot be done through the app and must be done through your WIFI settings!

All these processes are meant to make the setup for your Smart Oil Gauge much easier! However, I understand that they still might be confusing! So if you’re confused at all during the setup, or still don’t know what to do after reading this article, our support team is happy to help! You can contact our support team from 8 am-5 pm EST, Monday through Friday, at 203-456-1499 option 3. You can also shoot us an email at contact@smartoilgauge.com or support@smartoilgauge.com, and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible!

Happy Heating,

Hunter

The Importance of Heating System Maintenance

February 9, 2026September 25, 2025

It’s currently peak heating oil season, so it’s very important to ensure that your system is operating at peak performance. Your system is the most important tool in keeping your home warm during the cold months of the year. But, with the rising prices of heating oil and systems getting older as the days go by, system efficiency is of the utmost importance. With it being this late into heating oil season, I’m sure that you’ve already got your tune-up. But if in the off chance that you haven’t, I’ll be covering why your system’s maintenance is so crucial. You should make sure to do this every year to stay on top of your system!

Important Maintenance Advice

Before you service your system, it’s important to replace your air filters. You should be doing this annually. However, if you have pets (especially cats and dogs that frequently shed) you might find yourself changing these out more often. These filters tend to fill up with pet hair, dust and dander! But, they also ensure that you have fresh air in your home! So by catching all that stuff, they are functioning as normal! But if you’re unsure how to replace these, you can follow our heating oil season prep guide here, where I briefly touch on it.

This is a side by side comparison for air filters what they look like before and after replacement. The one on the right is the new one while the one on the left is the old one.

Heating System Tune Ups

These tune-ups are often when your HVAC technician examines your system. When they are in your home, they’re looking at possible problems with your system. They’ll want to make sure that there is nothing broken or anything that could be a potential problem in the future.

There are several major areas that your HVAC technician will look at when inspecting your system. During this inspection and tune-up, the tech will replace anything that needs replacement. But here are some of the more common replacements:

Oil Supply Line: The very first thing that the technician will check is the supply line. This is to make sure that oil is traveling through it from the tank to your burner. If it’s not then the tech will replace it, because you cannot have heat without it!

Oil Filter and Strainer: These are more important components of the system. Similar to air filters, these components will catch any unwatched debris that you don’t want in your boiler. The filter will see frequent/annual replacement, because it constantly absorbs heating oil like a sponge. During tune-ups is when you’ll end up replacing it whenever it needs it. This is often due to how quickly they can absorb and store oil.

Oil Nozzle: The burner’s nozzle, is part of the conversion process. Before your oil is converted into heat, it must be atomized by the nozzle beforehand. This converts oil into an ignitable state. The nozzles electrodes are connected to the nozzle and these will typically ignite the fuel that’s been atomized into heat. As time goes on and services happen, the nozzles and electrodes will be replaced as needed.

Additionally, the below list are common parts that will need to be replaced or serviced as time goes on and more services are done.

Belt Checks
CAD Cell Eye, Electrodes and Fan Controls
Heat Exchanger – Performing Combustion Tests
Vacuum Test on Oil Line
Oil Tank inspection
Checking the Flue Pipe
Testing Pump pressure, stack relay and solenoid valve
Thermostat Check

How Important is Annual Maintenance?

Your Heating Oil Maintenance is VERY important. It’s crucial that you make sure your system is working properly. You must make sure that you get your system tuned up or checked at least once a year. This is often because soot can get built up which will back up your system, and make it less efficient.

This is a modern heating oil system. These systems have many interworking components that will need to be serviced annually.

Your Yearly Maintenance

Regardless of whether or not you sign up for an annual maintenance plan, it’s crucial that you get your system tuned up and checked out annually. Especially before heating season! But when you do get this done, make sure the person you’re hiring is a qualified and seasoned technician and someone that you can trust! Make sure you do as much research as possible before hand!

Topping of your tank is smart too! This will help you stay on top of your system and ensure you have fuel ready before the tune up! You can use our site FuelSnap to check the local dealers in your area to see who has the best price possible!

Happy Heating,

Hunter