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Gasoline/petrol pumping tips


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I received an email, and I thought I would share it here. Normally I don't do something like this, and most others don't either, but this is advice everyone needs.

 

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

 

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are paying up to $3.75 to $4.10 per gallon. My line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of 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 is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, 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 that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so 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. You should be pumping on low mode, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the 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 worth for your money.

 

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is 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. To have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do.

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Some of those tricks I already knew. But a big waster of gas is when people don't plan their trips. If they are driving around town and doubling back and stuff, that could easily add another 5 miles to one's journey.

 

Anyways, I have a better solution, I have a Trek mountain bike. Uses ZERO gasoline. Granted, it's only useful if I am going somewhere by myself, but using it from time to time sure keeps my gas tank from seeing that dreaded "E" as often.

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  • Site Moderator

A couple of things on the list I already do and have been for a long time. About the only driving I do during the week is back and forth to work so about 20 miles a day, so I'm only using less than a half tank of gas per week. I usually fill the tank early Sunday morning. Unfortunately, where I go, the nozzles only have one clickable position.

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Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so 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.

 

They store gasoline in underground tanks where the temperature is usually always cool. Any difference would be very very slight.

 

Filling up in the morning

 

 

There's a ton of ways to save on gas, and a few I know of is to not idle your engine. Newer cars don't need to idle, and it only takes about two minutes to warm up, so it's probably a good idea to tough it out and be cold instead of waiting for the heater to be warm (something my boyfriend hates doing :lol: ) Keep your tires inflated correctly, and your engine running well, and keep all the heavy crap out of the car. Don't buy premium if your car doesn't need it, that's a big way to save. Also not being a lead foot (also my boyfriend) can help.

 

Or buying a Prius works out too. XD I never thought I'd like my boyfriend's car until I saw the huge difference it takes to fill up my Nissan compared to his. o_O

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  • Site Administrator

Snopes take on Tips on Pumping Gas

 

Anything that looks like a chain email is likely to be on Snopes already :) Overall, the article is that most of the items are in dispute - they may be valid but they may not be relevant, and the amount of impact they have is uncertain.

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Here's a few more:

 

 

1). Get a GPS and learn to use it- if you have to routinely find addresses, it will save you many, many miles of driving around looking.

 

2). Keep your oil changed on schedule- proper lubrication makes your engine run more efficiently and will last longer.

 

3). Keep your vehicle tuned up- again, an engine that is properly tuned will run more efficiently and will last longer.

 

4). Keep your tires properly inflated- the drag of tires with low pressure will lower your gas mileage and wear out your tires prematurely.

 

Those four steps will save you a lot of money- not just on gas but on wear and tear on your vehicle.

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