Lost heating oil

Memyself_2

w50nky - exposed kerosene has a distinct odour as I know when our tank was new, and the plumber used the wrong sealing gland tape on outlet pipe. The leak was miniscule but the smell quite powerful. There is no smell when outer bund lid is opened exposing the space between inner and outer containers.
I guess we all like to believe that the public is totally secure when purchasing goods of this nature (fuels of all kinds, whether liquid, gas or whatever).
Cardew raises a worrying issue - we all have to take on trust what is recorded as having gone into our vehicles. From time to time I do a spot check on goods such as groceries that can be weighed on electronic scales, and always find the stated weight correct. I've also checked my electric supply meter against rated consumer devices like kettles and toasters, and get a very close meter reading to the device rating. I've checked my water meter and found that accurate.
Years ago it was known for some rogue coke suppliers to soak the stuff in water before bagging up. The bag would weigh correctly but the customer was paying highly for a proportion of water.
Initially my findings left me feeling cheated, not having any provable evidence, but I didn't like the sour taste it left, so I've had to put it all to one side. At least for about a year (or less if I was short-changed).
Thanks for your observations though.

alanfp

oysterman wrote: »

. The trouble with these plastic bunded tanks is there shape as has been said already, i would have no idea how to work out the contents of it, but i would imagine the shape of the tank is where the answer lies.

I agree - I think the only solution for your peace of mind would be to see if the manufacturer can provide a dimensioned drawing of the internals of the bunded tank. Then we might be able do the calculations, or preferably ask the manufacturer if he has a chart to show depth v. volume.

... and Oysterman, I must apologise - I assumed that we were talking about a rectangular steel tank, where the dimensions could be measured to within 1/4". So you are quite correct in casting doubt on accuracy of a dip with anything other than a rectangular tank (or circular, I guess, though I don't know if you ever get them in domestic premises -I suspect not).

coops228

We also have a titan tank and they tend to be a weird shape. Squat at the bottom and rounder at the top. I always watch the driver when he fills the tank to make sure we get to the very top and can't say I have ever been unhappy with them. The printed ticket is pulled from the sealed unit in front of me. Zeroed in front of me too at the start of the filling.
Guess you may well have had an unlucky, and expensive, experience.
We use an electronic measure but also a good old fashion manometer which we find is the easiest way to monitor our fuel usage, and stocks. Simple, yet effective. And no need to open the tank.

ceeekay

Some time last year an heating oil delivery was made to the wrong address, the order was for 900 litres which was paid for and billed as such, the address they delivered too had a delivery some 3 months before and the tank had roughly between 6 to 700 litres of heating oil. They came home and saw their tank had been filled to the top and the advice note/invoice claimed 1000 litres had been delivered, they telephoned the company telling them they had delivered to the wrong house and that there was no way they could have got 1000 litres into their tank. The company wanted the oil back and apologised for the mistake? (mistake, i call it theft) but the person who they delivered it to said no, there was much wrangling and in the end, the person paid for 200 litres of oil at a reduced price to save all the nonesense. The house they should have delivered too was livid and now uses a different supplier.

The lesson of this is always make sure you are getting what you pay for, some drivers do rob people of what they should be getting and sell it on cheap. Stand by the tanker and make sure the meter states exactly what you are paying for, tell the driver that you simply do not trust them :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: even though they may be as honest as the day is long.

Personally if the above had happened to me I would have been onto trading standards in an instant, as it is the company has lost most, if not all of the business it had in my neighbourhood.

Similar thing happened with coal, paying for grade 1 anthracite but getting grade 2.

Treat them all with suspicion, its your money, its your entitlement, honest people will not be offended as they are aware that this goes on.

MartinW868

This response is years after the original posting, but may be of interest.
I have an old rectangular steel tank 1825 mm long x 1212 mm wide, with vertical sides (and therefore a uniform cross-section), and a gauge on the side. A delivery of 500 litres was made a couple of days ago, and the difference before and after delivery in the measured height was 202 mm. Length x width x increase in height = 0.4468 cu. metres (presumably = 446.8 litres).
I cannot see how the discrepancy of 53.2 litres can be accounted for, and would welcome suggestions. [Like other respondants have reported, the delivered quantity was added automatically to the invoice from the tanker].

bobmedley

However, I thought that steel tanks were always on a tilt so water & gunk collect at one end - are you sure your tank was exactly level when you took the measurement?

Johnhowell

bobmedley wrote: »

Heating oil density is 820kg per m3 so by your measurements you got around 366 litres.

However, I thought that steel tanks were always on a tilt so water & gunk collect at one end - are you sure your tank was exactly level when you took the measurement?

Should that not be 366 kg not 366 litres.

The estimated volume of heating fuel oil (446.8 litres) will weight 366 kg.

1 m³ = 1000 litres of volume for any liquid regardless of density. Thus 1 m³ of water will weight 180 kg heavier than 1 m³ of oil.

Cardew

bobmedley wrote: »

Heating oil density is 820kg per m3 so by your measurements you got around 366 litres.

Am I having a senior moment, but isn't he is buying oil by the volume(litres in this case) and not the weight!

If you are correct about heating oil density, then the weight of the oil delivered would be 366Kg for 0.4468 cubic metres(446.8 litres) and he should have got oil weighing 410Kg for 500 litres.

Cardew

bobmedley wrote: »

However, I thought that steel tanks were always on a tilt so water & gunk collect at one end - are you sure your tank was exactly level when you took the measurement?

Continuing!

It doesn't matter if the tank wasn't exactly level.

If the tank was tilted such that the bottom was still covered before delivery. i.e. if, say, the oil covered 50cm on one side and 20cm on the opposite side, the level would have still risen by 202mm(for 446.8litres) on both sides.

Had the bottom not been covered, then the rise of 202mm would have meant less than 446.8 litres had been delivered.

bobmedley

Cardew wrote: »

Continuing!

It doesn't matter if the tank wasn't exactly level.

If the tank was tilted such that the bottom was still covered before delivery. i.e. if, say, the oil covered 50cm on one side and 20cm on the opposite side, the level would have still risen by 202mm(for 446.8litres) on both sides.

Had the bottom not been covered, then the rise of 202mm would have meant less than 446.8 litres had been delivered.

Oh dear, I admit the weight thing is wrong (but if he weighed his tank before and after, he would know if he was short changed:rotfl:)

On the slant theory, he would have to be sure that he precisely hit the same spot twice else there would be a difference that would affect the calculation.

Finally, temperature does have an impact (albeit small) - apparently the volume changes by 1% for every 15% F up or down.