Friday, March 21, 2008

Gas Information YOU Need to Know

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS (This is from an e-mail my father-in-law sent me - C.F. Bear)

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 through 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. 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. 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.

7 comments:

Pat said...

Good stuff, though I don't understand the half empty/full one.

C.F. Bear said...

I guess the lower your tank is the more air space there is, and thus equals more evaporation?

Dan said...

Is the email actually written by your dad, or is it a forward?

C.F. Bear said...

It was forwarded to him from some guy he worked with years ago while in California. Sarah was born in Fresno. Today is her birthday in fact.

Mighty Tom said...

Happy birthday to your wife.

A posting from you about gas info is more like a warning

Gas info you need to know..

Steer clear of Cedar Falls

60 miles

Keep on West side if possible

T-Clog you know..

We know this gas INFO - our noses have decoded such info long ago!

Dan said...

People seem to go CRAZY in the effort to penny pinch at the pump. It seems a bit silly, considering Americans' general disregard for the fuel efficiency of their vehicles and long commutes.

C.F. Bear said...

I hope it helps. If you don't care about saving money at the pump then pay no mind to this post.