The Smart Oil Gauge Duo is our newest addition to the Smart Oil Gauge family. But there are some differences between the Duo. Notably, the first and most obvious difference is the design. The Smart Oil Gauge Duo has a bit of a sleeker design with a two-piece grey cap compared to the larger bulky white cap of the standard Smart Oil Gauge. You’ll also notice that the sensors are different as well. The Duo has two sensors while the standard Smart Oil Gauge has one. Unlike the standard Smart Oil Gauge, the Duo doesn’t have an 8” blind spot that struggles to pick up the oil level in the top 8” of the tank after a fill. This is because the Duo has a dual sensor on the bottom of the device. One sensor sends and the other receives the signal. This makes the Duo’s operating range 0”-72”!
The Standard Smart Oil Gauge has an 8” blind spot at the top of the tank. This means that when you get an oil delivery, the Smart Oil Gauge will have a bit of trouble sending the signal properly. So the signal will tend to bounce around the top of the tank a lot, resulting in the gauge reading less oil than what’s actually in the tank. What the gauge will read with the blind spot will depend on your tank size. With a 275-gallon tank, for example, the gauge won’t be able to read more than 235 gallons at most. You can find more information on the blind spot here.
Smart Oil Gauge Duos also can be used on both indoor and outdoor tanks. Despite them being listed for indoor use only, the Duos can be used on outdoor tanks due to the natural seal that the two-piece cap creates. Meanwhile, the standard Smart Oil Gauge has a specific model for outdoor use, the Duo only has one that can be used on both indoor and outdoor tanks. This can make it very helpful if you have an outdoor horizontal tank. You’ll be able to install the Duo on the tank and not have to worry about the larger-than-usual blind spot!
One of the more important things to keep in mind however is tank compatibility. Unlike the standard Smart Oil Gauge, the Duo is not compatible with tanks with a 1.25” fitting. This is because the Duo cannot fit in the adapter of a 1.25”. This, unfortunately, means that the Duo is not compatible with tanks that have a 1.25” NPT fitting.
The interiors of the Duo and the standard gauges are also both different as well. The standard Smart Oil Gauge has two boards that are connected on the bottom via pins and a pin port. This can be troublesome to troubleshoot if they get disconnected from each other and require you to troubleshoot the gauge at the tank location. However with the Duo, the interior is all stored in a “trashcan” like structure that holds everything and sits in the gauge’s piping. This makes troubleshooting exceptionally easy! You can bring the interior of the device inside and troubleshoot in the warmth of your home, rather than sitting at the tank location to troubleshoot. This is much more appealing for cold winters where you’ll no longer have to wait outside to troubleshoot!
The Smart Oil Gauge Duo is a very useful device and is currently our most accurate gauge! If you have a horizontal tank or want to know what your tank’s level is at all times, then the Duo is for you! Overall the Smart Oil Gauge Duo is the right way to go and will allow you to keep a much better track of your heating oil!