"Fill 'er
up?" Some Tips on Pumping Gas
We received this from a Good Samaritan on the internet and
if what he says is true, it would behoove us to follow his guidelines when
filling up our gas tanks these days. (Posted: April 2, 2008). Here's what
he has to say:
I don't know what you
guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are also paying
higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work has been in petroleum
for about 31 years, so here are some tricks to get your money's worth for
every gallon.
Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA, we deliver
about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day we
pump diesel, the next day jet fuel, and then gasoline, both regular and premium
grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000
gallons.
Only buy or fill up your
car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.
Remember, all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground.
The colder the ground, the more dense the gasoline, and when it gets warmer
gasoline expands, so by buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your
gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity
and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other
petroleum products plays an important role.
A 1-degree rise in temperature
is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature
compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast
mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low,
middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby
minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at
the pump have a vapor return, so if you are pumping at a fast rate, some other
liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked
up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less for your
money.
One of the most important
tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason
for this is that the more gas you have in your tank, the less air occupying
its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline
storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance
between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike
service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature
compensated, so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder, if there
is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas,
DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is
being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles
on the bottom. I hope this will help you to get the most value for your money.
SHARE THESE TIPS WITH
OTHERS!
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