I don't know what you 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
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. 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 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.
DO SHARE THESE
TIPS WITH OTHERS!
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