gas tips
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Registered User
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Santa Monica-SoCal
gas tips
(not written by me)
'New Gas Tips' (Every penny counts).
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....Here in
California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gal. 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.
TIP #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.
TIP #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. 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 pumps 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.
TIP #3: 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.
TIP #4: VERY IMPORTANT: 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.
'New Gas Tips' (Every penny counts).
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....Here in
California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gal. 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.
TIP #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.
TIP #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. 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 pumps 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.
TIP #3: 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.
TIP #4: VERY IMPORTANT: 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.
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,642
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, OK
Once you get to a certain point underground, isn't the temperature pretty constant? I don't think #1 is really applicable. I doubt the other tips really make much difference when you're putting 11 gallons in your car.
Former Moderator
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,729
Likes: 8
Doesn't account for what your time is worth.
I'd rather pay $0.10 more and not stand around while my tank trickle-fills.
Same goes for filling up at 1/2 tank. I'm NOT going to the gas station twice per week.
I'd rather pay $0.10 more and not stand around while my tank trickle-fills.
Same goes for filling up at 1/2 tank. I'm NOT going to the gas station twice per week.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 0
From: SLC, UT
Wouldn't running to the gas station twice as much and turning the car on and off an extra time just to fill up at half full waste some gas? Would it be more than you're saving? 
How about weight reduction? by keeping little gas in your tank?
How about weight reduction? by keeping little gas in your tank?
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,023
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
#4 is true from my understanding.
#3 - dunno.
#2 - in theory is true, but I'm not sure how much is really lost in a real world application.
#1 - again, in theory true but....nah, ground temp is pretty stable. Those tanks are reasonably insulated from temp changes (plus the large am't of liquid in the tank will also stablize the temp)
#3 - dunno.
#2 - in theory is true, but I'm not sure how much is really lost in a real world application.
#1 - again, in theory true but....nah, ground temp is pretty stable. Those tanks are reasonably insulated from temp changes (plus the large am't of liquid in the tank will also stablize the temp)
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 9,510
Likes: 478
From: Dallas
All legitimate points based on my understanding. However, we're talking about pennies, maybe some nickels here. Factor in other variables like time, convenience, etc. and it just makes sense to get gas when you're empty, pump fast, and worry about more important things in life.
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Registered User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
From: VA!!!!
sooo what tip 1 is sayin is that if i completely fill my gas tank up when its really cold and i mean completely! than it gets hot and the gas "EXPANDS" my gas tank can explode from the explanding gas?????? since the gas wont have no where else to go....
wow that would be cool to watch
wow that would be cool to watch