Get the most for your money at the gas pump OT

[Don Coatney]

A friend with a friend in the "oil bidness" sent me this...

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS--GOOD INFO!

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... 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 fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground

Temperature is still cold. Remember that most 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 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 gas 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

[oldmopar]

Ever wonder when you get water in your gas one time but not another. Many years ago I met a guy that worked on a tanker ship he told me when they lost suction they drop the hose in the ocean to get the suction going again. Not sure how much it actually adds to the shipment but something to think about

[martybose]

Ever wonder when you get water in your gas one time but not another. Many years ago I met a guy that worked on a tanker ship he told me when they lost suction they drop the hose in the ocean to get the suction going again. Not sure how much it actually adds to the shipment but something to think about

Kind of sounds like an urban legend to me. These days, if you tried to drop a tanker hose in the water and were spotted doing it, the fines would be huge. Working in a medium-sized shipyard, I can tell you that we go to extremes to make sure that nothing gets into the water, and any hoses used for fuel transfers have to be rigorously recertified every couple of years.

Marty