Short measure of heating oil?

Oil_Watcher

Hi all,
New to the forum so forgive any mistakes!
I recently ordered 500 litres of home heating oil and not sure if its the correct amount. I dipped the tank last night before delivery and straight after when I got home. I was out at delivery time. I measured my tank, it's a cylinder 120 cm x 120 high. I measured 38 cm of oil from my check last night to today. I know measuring with a stick is not that accurate but I calculated only about 430 litres using 38 cm. the tank is single bundled.
Please help, are my calculations right? This is the first time I've checked like this as my last lot of oil seemed short too using the same local company. I actually talked them down in price as a national company were quoting 55p a litre and they said 57p at first.

Thanks for any advice.

Ebe_Scrooge

Your calculations sound correct. Volume of a cylinder is Pi * R squared * H - Radius is 60 cm and Height is 38 cm from what you've said. I suspect that the internal diameter of your tank is less than the external, or your measurements are not quite correct - it's very difficult to measure accurately. Also, is your tank a completely parallel cylinder, or does its profile change over the height of it ?

I'd be surprised if the oil company had delivered short - much like a garage forecourt, their pumps are supposed to be calibrated and checked, and I would think it's more than their business is worth to short-change customers. However, I'm not saying it's impossible - if you're almost certain you've been shorted, then it may be worth a phone call to trading standards who may decide to go and do a spot-check on their equipment.

keystone

Think you mean bunded not bundled. A tank can be single skin or it can be bunded - ie tank within tank. Most insurance companies require them to be bunded in case of oil spillage. It can't be single skin and bunded. What do you mean?

What matters here is the calibration records for the meter on the delivery truck. Forecourt pumps also have to be calibrated regularly by law to ensure they are measuring the correct amount. The delivery driver has only the meter on the truck to go by. If the meter is correct then the delivery is correct. If the meter is off then the amount delivered will be wrong.

Your first port of call is a polite enquiry to the company on this matter although I must say your method of measurement lacks a certain degree of reliability and accuracy.

Also I don't think your calculation is correct. Assumning your tank is on its side rather than on end your calculation would be right for a cylinder of radius 0.38m but your cylinder has a radius of 0.6m. So you need to do the calculation for a partially filled cylinder. This is further complicated because if I read your post correctly the 38cm you mention is the increase in height of the oil. So you need to calculate the volume of oil before delivery, the volume afterwards and then subtract one from the other to give you the delivered amount. What was the height of the oil on your stick before delivery and what was it afterwards. Is the tank lying on its side or standing on end?

Cheers

G_M

Oil_Watcher wrote: »

Hi all,
New to the forum so forgive any mistakes!
I recently ordered 500 litres of home heating oil and not sure if its the correct amount. I dipped the tank last night before delivery and straight after when I got home. I was out at delivery time. I measured my tank, it's a cylinder 120 cm x 120 high. I measured 38 cm of oil from my check last night to today. I know measuring with a stick is not that accurate but I calculated only about 430 litres using 38 cm. the tank is single bundled.
Please help, are my calculations right? This is the first time I've checked like this as my last lot of oil seemed short too using the same local company. I actually talked them down in price as a national company were quoting 55p a litre and they said 57p at first.

Thanks for any advice.

As pointed out, it is either single-skinned (unbunded) or double-skinned (bunded). Bunded will make a difference to your measurements.

It is extremely hard to measure the volume inside a cylindrical tank. And using a stick makes the accuracy even harder.

As pointed out, the print-out you should have received of showing the volume delivered comes from a valibrated pump which Trading Standards check (though I don't know how often!).

Negotiating on price is normal. Anyone who just orders based on 1st price quoted is.... well makes me happy as the extra profit that gives the company makes them more able to offer discounts to those of us who haggle!

But as you seem concerned, and found a 'national company' offering to deliver at the same price, why not switch next time?

Oil_Watcher

Thanks for the replies and apologies for text predictor on phone! I meant tank is unbunded, single skin and upright cylinder. It's fairly straight sided at the bottom and tapers only at the top quarter but that's well above the oil level. Yes I realise that measuring by stick is never going to be 100% but I put it in the same spot and kept it straight. 7cm is a lot even if my measurements were slightly out.

Interesting about the metre calibration on the truck, do they have to have these checked by law?

Oil_Watcher

I think I am going to use a National company next time. I plan on getting a summer top up when it's cheap. Will be interesting to see if the measurement is more than 38cm...

Are there any more accurate tools I could use instead of a stick?

Cidersid

Theres no legal requirement for the tankers meter to be checked on a regular basis, i.e. once a year like a MOT. but trading standards do regularly check them. If you look at the delivery note there should be a meter print out and the modern meters have times of start/finish. 500 litres should take 4-5mins roughly to deliver depending on how far the have to pull the pipe out.

Oil_Watcher

That's not good about the legal checks.

I think my ticket must be the old style, it doesn't have any times. The only bit printed is:-
Load no 977 00500l
976 00000l
...the rest is hand written.

I dug out my other old tickets and the last one was the same style, (the one I also thought i'd been short measured on - same driver) yet the order before that the whole ticket was printed except the bit with the figures has been ripped off so I can't tell who the driver was!

Do you think it's worth contacting them or getting trading standards to do a check. Would I get a refund if the equipment was found to be faulty?

keystone

Oil_Watcher wrote: »

...the rest is hand written.............the last one was the same style..........................same driver..............

As it happens it is possible to run an older diesel engine on heating oil although it will wreck the newer common rail stuff - if you get my drift.

Do you think it's worth contacting them or getting trading standards to do a check. Would I get a refund if the equipment was found to be faulty?

I am starting to get the impression that the equipment will probably be fine but that there may well be a driver seeking employment elsewhere having served his penance. Pure speculation on my part of course.

Cheers

Oil_Watcher

Thanks, I just did a bit of research on this after you mentioned it. So Diesel engines eg oil tanker trucks can run on heating oil as virtually the same product? Except its illegal as duty on road fuel is much higher ...

So in this scenario driver starts pump reset to zero does my delivery to 430 litres, then tops his truck off with my oil! I get a ticket for 500l so looks above board. I read there's an additive in heating oil which is possible to check for difference in fuel oil.

Hmmm I definitely need to contact trading standards as could be a huge con including tax evasion!

Cidersid

Hello

so you've come to the conclusion that the delivery driver has robbed you and then the tax man on your ability to measure the quantity delivered? Good luck with that:cool: