Tips on pumping Fuel
04-03-2011, 07:10 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Tips on pumping Fuel
I friend forwarded to me a letter from a petroleum engineer on a pipeline that I have shares in. Most of you will already know this but I am passing it on from a good source.
1. Fill up your car before dawn
2. Fill it up on low flow
3. Fill it when your tank is half full
4. Do not fill it when fuel is being delivered
1. Fill up your car before dawn
2. Fill it up on low flow
3. Fill it when your tank is half full
4. Do not fill it when fuel is being delivered
04-04-2011, 07:56 PM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
Fueling Tips
Sorry about that..
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
04-05-2011, 08:39 PM
#4
I fill it when my light comes on, or the morning after oil prices rise before the increase. Filling my tank completely full instead of going a couple times a week saves me time, and my time is money.
04-06-2011, 04:53 PM
#5
Race Director
Sincerely,
Macster.
04-07-2011, 08:19 PM
#6
1. The temperature below ground, >4' stays a relatively contstant 50 to 55 degrees all day long. The reason wineries store their wine in wine caves; free temperature contol. The change in temperature from the underground storage tank to the dispenser to your tank is minimal. The station does however sometimes get screwed depending on the temperature of the fuel in the tanker truck when its dropped.
2. True, especially in Californian where Phase II Vapor Recovery is now a requirement. Although the amount of vapor in a close-to-empty 17-gallon tank condenses into a minimal amount and pumping slow may take longer and gives the vapor recovery system a longer time to suck your vapors out.
3. Underground Storage Tanks (UST's) do NOT have floating roofs. The tanks are cylindrical and lay on their side. To have a floating roof you'd need a constant dimension top to bottom.
4. True!
2. True, especially in Californian where Phase II Vapor Recovery is now a requirement. Although the amount of vapor in a close-to-empty 17-gallon tank condenses into a minimal amount and pumping slow may take longer and gives the vapor recovery system a longer time to suck your vapors out.
3. Underground Storage Tanks (UST's) do NOT have floating roofs. The tanks are cylindrical and lay on their side. To have a floating roof you'd need a constant dimension top to bottom.
4. True!
04-07-2011, 09:44 PM
#7
Race Director
1. The temperature below ground, >4' stays a relatively contstant 50 to 55 degrees all day long. The reason wineries store their wine in wine caves; free temperature contol. The change in temperature from the underground storage tank to the dispenser to your tank is minimal. The station does however sometimes get screwed depending on the temperature of the fuel in the tanker truck when its dropped.
2. True, especially in Californian where Phase II Vapor Recovery is now a requirement. Although the amount of vapor in a close-to-empty 17-gallon tank condenses into a minimal amount and pumping slow may take longer and gives the vapor recovery system a longer time to suck your vapors out.
3. Underground Storage Tanks (UST's) do NOT have floating roofs. The tanks are cylindrical and lay on their side. To have a floating roof you'd need a constant dimension top to bottom.
4. True!
2. True, especially in Californian where Phase II Vapor Recovery is now a requirement. Although the amount of vapor in a close-to-empty 17-gallon tank condenses into a minimal amount and pumping slow may take longer and gives the vapor recovery system a longer time to suck your vapors out.
3. Underground Storage Tanks (UST's) do NOT have floating roofs. The tanks are cylindrical and lay on their side. To have a floating roof you'd need a constant dimension top to bottom.
4. True!
When filling up I use the uppermost setting or the middle setting if there is one.
My observation at the stations I frequent is the uppermost lockable setting is not the fastest fill setting. Squeezing the pump handle to its fully open state produces the fastest filling.
For #4 I always avoided filling up at stations that were undergoing a tank truck delivery. But I don't believe there's that much trash.
My Boxster's in-tank fuel pump failed at over 220K miles and the fuel pump intake mesh (a very fine mesh) had a bit of dirt collected but considering the approx. 9000 gallons of gas it filtered the mesh had plenty of open mesh left.
And the mesh must have been pretty good at keeping the dirt/grit/etc out cause the fuel injectors are original and still working just fine (now with 241K mles). Oh, the Porsche tech who replaced the fuel pump commented that he found very little trash at the bottom of the tank and no signs of any water.
Sincerely,
Macster.
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04-07-2011, 10:16 PM
#8
Re: the nozzle's failure to shut off, the VST brand nozzles were recalled because the latch that holds the trigger open while pumping would stick and override the auto shut off. These should all be out of service or replaced by now.
As far as dirty tanks, I've seen plenty of tank gauges pulled out and the water float (lowest in the tank) is clean for the most part but the occasional few are covered in gunk. Diesel is worst and Biodiesel is the worst!
As far as dirty tanks, I've seen plenty of tank gauges pulled out and the water float (lowest in the tank) is clean for the most part but the occasional few are covered in gunk. Diesel is worst and Biodiesel is the worst!
04-08-2011, 11:07 AM
#9
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
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I started following these rules a couple of months ago and the one benefit I've noticed is that filling up on the slowest flow rate gets my tank actually full and I get 50 to 75 miles further on each tank. When filling up full bore I can never get the gauge past full even trying to top it off. Going slow moves the needle way past full when it cuts off. I'm getting over 300 miles a tank in stop and go driving but I've yet to go on a trip. I never got 300 in town before. I usually don't get much better than 20 MPG in town. The cold air intake sound is my radio. It would be cheaper to to get Sirrius, but not as much fun. 
