I don't know if this is a repost or not or how true this is but I just wanted to pass this along



"TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

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 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 co ld. 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. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are creat ed while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the 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 worth 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, 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. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money. "

 

wow thats interesting thanks for those tips! very much appreciated.. gas is so freakin expensive =(..

 

Meh.... thanks, but I doubt it even makes much of a difference besides for the don't-fill-up-while-the-truck-is-there thing. Even still, don't the gas pumps pickup from the very bottom of the storage tank (where the dirt settles) anyway?

Interesting tips on the fill when half-full/half-empty but if carrying that extra fuel/stopping and spending time to fill up almost twice as often would probably waste more time and gas than you would save anyway.

The whole filling up slow thing makes sense but if there's a line of 2 or 3 cars in each row behind you they're not going to be real happy when it takes you 2x or 3x as long to fill up.

Maybe all these tips combined could make somewhat of a difference. Would it get me a free gallon or something though? Doubt it.... this article would probably excite one of those people who ask, "is it ok to put 87 in my car if the manual recommends premium?"

You didn't write it, so don't get offended, I'm just skeptical until someone can prove me wrong. It may make a huge difference and be a big deal to that Kinder Morgan Pipeline company, but like he said, they delivery 4 million gallons a day which could result in hundreds or thousands of wasted gallons or whatever. On average we probably fill up with 15 gallons a week... how much extra gas can we get out of it in a fillup?

Thanks.

 

also fill up either very late at night or very early in the morning, i've noticed if you go to a double sided pump its normal speed if you're the only one at the pump. but as soon as the other side gets used, you can feel less gas coming thru, and you'll hear it but the meter won't change the pace it is going at.

 

I love the people that buy nice expensive cars and when they go fill up they put in the cheapest shit. It's like WOW, are the two extra dollars per fill up going to break the fucking bank? Is it really worth it to go against what the manufacturers recommend?

I've actually experimented with this and my car says MINIMUM 87 octane. Well I've been putting 91, and one day I decided to try 87. I immediately noticed that my car felt sluggish, and by the time I went through the tank it yielded about 40 miles less than what I usually get. No different driving pattern, and same commute.

/end rant

 

I don't know about where you guys live but In Canada by LAW gas pumps have to comply with the Canada weights and measures act and must be certified every few years, they must also correct the volume of fuel to a standard temperature of 15c, so even if it is +40c is still get the same volume per dollar. I do not see why it would be any different in the US.

 

Interesting.

I already knew about the temperature part from Physics class which is why I try to fill up late at night or early in the morning.

Didn't know about the fast vs slow mode. Guess I'll have to give that a try during the next fill up.

 

This is just silly. Burying something in the ground stabilizes its temperature. And the mass of a UST is big enough that the temp isn't going to change significantly overnight. I call shenannigans.

Maybe, but I bet we are talking milliliters, at best.

I agree with this, but for a different reason - More empty space in the tank = more moist air that can condense = water in the gas.

This has been shot down many times. The pickups for the pumps have multiple filters, and there's no reason to believe they're not effective.

I know you're trying to be helpful, but much of this has been busted before. A much bigger issue is that many stations fail their weights and measures checks (uncaibrated pumps) so if I were to do anything it would be to look around for a recent sticker while I was standing there.

Also, ever notice that the cheap gas always has 10% ethanol added, year around? As we've all learned with E85, ethanol = less mileage, so don't buy the discount swill.