Tips on pumping gas into your car...

[havasu]

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... 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.
Credits goes to the respective Owner

 

[UserNameTaken]

Good post.

Also keeping your tank half or more full cools your fuel pump better.

 

[havasu]

Good post.

Also keeping your tank half or more full cools your fuel pump better.

It is also what we should all practice as preppers.

 

[Bacpacker]

Never gave thought to the temperature thing. Makes perfect sense though. Mornings it will be whenever possible

 

[Tirediron]

In this part of the world the pumps all have a sticker that says volume corrected to 15 C . I wonder how that is actually accomplished,

 

[Neb]

In this part of the world the pumps all have a sticker that says volume corrected to 15 C . I wonder how that is actually accomplished,

You don't want to know.

I studied material science engineering in addition to electrical engineering and physics when was in college. Energetics was 2.5 years of study. It was intense calculus and some of the most painful equations. I used to joke with my professor calling it "metals cooking class".

I don't Even want to go back to my books and remind myself
.

Ben

 

[lonewolf]

I have topped up my tank when it reaches the half way mark for the last 25 years, at least.
when you live in the middle of the countryside and all the available filling stations are small rural ones it makes sense. they can run out and not get a delivery for days.
I never knew about the temperature thing but as we are morning people thats when we do it, I dont know if our pumps have the 3 speed thing , they only seem to go one speed.
I do know about the tanker delivery and do not fill up immediately after the delivery. I will come back another day.

 

[Tommyice]

I always knew about the temperature and filling up in the morning. When I had a gas gauge I never let it get too far below half.

As for the “settings” on the pump handle…well, I live in NJ so I was blessed with cheap gas and a person to put in for me. Now, thanks to Christie, all I have is someone to pump it for me. The gauge will be fixed in a week or two, and the service consultant said to try and run it low before coming in. I get to play gas tank chicken.

 

[Hooch]

Great information! Thanks!

 

[Tirediron]

there is a flaw in the only use the top half theory, Gasoline or the crap they call Gasoline goes bad fast, so you end up with less than decent fuel mixed in with the fresh, at least once a year the tank should go down to 1/4 or less all you have to do is postpone any disaster until you go back to your regular fueling plan.

 

[Tommyice]

there is a flaw in the only use the top half theory, Gasoline or the crap they call Gasoline goes bad fast, so you end up with less than decent fuel mixed in with the fresh, at least once a year the tank should go down to 1/4 or less all you have to do is postpone any disaster until you go back to your regular fueling plan.

I also do this. I also keep a Jerry can reserved for truck. Usually the first tank after it’s been run low is a premium brand—Shell, Exxon, etc—they contain more detergents than the discount stations. That was a suggestion from a friend who owns a station.