Basic oil meter for rental property

Westport_belle

all,

Hoping somebody can help. I have a rental property, mainly for short term summer rentals. The property has oil fired central heating. I'm looking for a device that will help me assess heating costs for each rental - essentially some sort of oil meter / usage monitor where I can basically gauge how many litres a tenant has used and charge accordingly.
I've seen a couple online which are fairly hi tech and probably far too sophisticated for what I need it for, so I'm wondering if there are any more basic devices out there....maybe somebody can point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

Billy Bunting

You can buy mechanical oil meters that measure ltrs used but they cost around €200 plus fitting, the cheapest option and one i fit regulary is a electrical hour counter wired to the burner, the oil used per hr is constant so if you know the amount of time a simple calculation gives you ltrs/hr.

MicktheMan

Billy Bunting wrote: »

You can buy mechanical oil meters that measure ltrs used but they cost around €200 plus fitting, the cheapest option and one i fit regulary is a electrical hour counter wired to the burner, the oil used per hr is constant so if you know the amount of time a simple calculation gives you ltrs/hr.

This is what I have and works a treat.

DGOBS

http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/600/horn-electronic-flow-meter-fmt-ii.htm

http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/240/k33-mechanical-flowmeter.htm

Wearb

DGOBS wrote: »

http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/600/horn-electronic-flow-meter-fmt-ii.htm

http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/240/k33-mechanical-flowmeter.htm

First link has min flow of .5L per min. If he can afford that usage, then he doesn't need a meter. Who said "If you have to ask honey, then you can't afford it"
Btw I don't know the answer, probably someone like Joan rivers.

shane 007

Wearb wrote: »

Who said "If you have to ask honey, then you can't afford it"
Btw I don't know the answer, probably someone like Joan rivers.

That was Rolls Royce when asked about the mpg of their vehicles.

DGOBS

Always thought it was the definition of a Yacht, sorry Werb didn't see the min flow rate..opps, was just looking for cheap meters

Wearb

shane 007 wrote: »

That was Rolls Royce when asked about the mpg of their vehicles.

RR sounds about right.
btw a man from a local ethnic group when selling his H-Ace answered that "shur you would get a pain in your face to the gallon" )

www atributes it to JP Morgan.

shane 007

Wearb wrote: »

First link has min flow of .5L per min. If he can afford that usage, then he doesn't need a meter.

The plot thickens..... If you re-read that one, it's 5 - 90 litres/min. Their "low flow" meter is this one http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/246/k200-low-flow-in-line-meter.htm. but even that is 0.1 - 2.5 litres per min. & generally domestic oil boilers would be in the realms of 3 litres/hour.

Wearb

shane 007 wrote: »

The plot thickens..... If you re-read that one, it's 5 - 90 litres/min. Their "low flow" meter is this one http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/246/k200-low-flow-in-line-meter.htm. but even that is 0.1 - 2.5 litres per min. & generally domestic oil boilers would be in the realms of 3 litres/hour.

Hard to see or miss the decimal point on a smart phone. Phone sometimes smarter than the user

It will be difficult to get a meter than can accurately read such a relatively small flow rate.

As suggested already; Hourly running rate will be far more accurate when combined with nozzle size and pump pressure.

gctest50

http://www.bentley-online.ie/aqua-metro-vz04-domestic-oil-meter-296-p.asp

Minimum Flow Rate 1 lph Maximum Flow Rate 80 lph

http://www.dmsltd.com/Braun_-_Domestic_Meters/HZ3_Oil_Meter
Flow Range: 0.18 to 30l/hr Accuracy: +/- 1%

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