Btmnk21

iTrader: (1)

Wow...just when you think you've heard it all someone needs a poll to decide whether they should use common sense?

You know those signs with those things called letters, that form things called words? Stuff we learned in 3rd grade- well try reading them sometime. I am pretty sure at gas stations they say shut off the engine. I mean they could be lying about the danger, but I don't see why they would be.

Good luck with not blowing yourself or others up.

Lil4X

While the danger would appear to be small, the immediate area around fueling and vapor recovery is technically IEEE rated as a "class 1, division 1" space that requires only UL explosion-proof electrical devices within it.

That means electrical devices must be sealed in a housing under a slight positive pressure (excluding any sparking device from the atmosphere), utilize a "cooling device" such as a flame arrestor that would cool a flame front below ignition temperature before arrival in the protected area, or that the devices must be "intrinsically safe", meaning that it can't draw more than a few milliamps, rendering it incapable of producing a spark.

I'm no longer current on the precise limits here, but a cell phone probably falls outside these requirements. Given the variety of types and features available on phones today, I wouldn't count on your phone being safe to operate in a space filled with explosive vapors in close proximity to the filler neck. You could easily be the first to arrive at the scene of a really nasty explosion. I'll defer to folks like xfirechief here who have real hands-on experience.

herbvdh

When your cell phone rings it is either a vibrator or the speaker that notifies you that the phone is ringing neither component sparks at all. I have spent many years around electronics and components and yet to see a part spark they mostly heat up and smoke a little bit.

salimshah

Ok, if you smell gas (natural gas) as you enter a home, would you be willing to use your cell phone, from within the house, to call for help.


The point we are trying to make is, even if the risk is .001% or less, it is not worth taking as the consequences of failure is extreme. If people have done this in the past and had no accident, please do not try to convince others that it is harmless.

My personal opinion is that it unsafe for a driver to step out to the car with the engine running. When the vehicle is turned off, and as the driver steps off the vehicle, even then there should be "2" things to prevent roll off. I know it is excessive, but remember basic driving education.


Salim

biff44

Well, was a little board this morning and searched on google for gas fueling explosions.

Did not find any caused by a car engine running while refueling. Found a lot of boating explosions where the boat blew up while starting the engine, though. Obviouslys, a boat is a little different where the gas fumes can be confined in a large compartment. I guess this proves it can happen in a car too, but since the car is more open it is probably statistically less likely to happen there.

Did not find any hits where a cell phone caused a fire during refueling. Have found some hits from fire marshalls etc warning against cell phone usage for two reasons-microwave transmitted output causing a spark, and the potential for a spark if you push any of the buttons.

Found a lot of explosions where someone left the nozzle, got into the car, got out, and touched the nozzle. Typical: "wedged a cap in the nozzle to keep it running...got into car to warm up....woman behind me blowing horn...gas spurting out onto the pavement...exploded the moment I touched the nozzle".


Plenty of goof-ball type explosions "theif ran over gas pump and caused explosion", etc.

tfischer

Google has spoken.
End of this discussion.

The G Man

Sure, next time you gas up, have it cigarette while you are waiting

SteveInCal

Not that I recommend it, but a cigarette cannot light gasoline fumes. I used to work for an oil company and one of the safety officers gave us a full demonstration. No matter how hot you get the cigarette, it will not get hot enough to light gasoline fumes. The lighter, that's another story;-)

tfischer

Yes, but since absolutely nobody would smoke inside a car, having a cig while refueling means that the lighter must be utilized once the driver is outside the car.
Boom!

Grumpa72

True story. Years ago, I read of a person that, somehow, fell out of an airplane at 10000 (ten thousand) feet without a parachute. That person survived the fall and, despite wide spread disbelief, it was confirmed that this happened. I really don't remember the particulars but I do remember the story since I am a pilot. Now, using our Brainiac's question as a basis, would I leap 10000 feet out of an airplane in the hope of duplicating this feat?

I can only hope that when you Darwin award losers (look it up) are refueling your vehicles with the engine running, that you are in another county/city/state when you do this. Seriously, how lazy can you be? How cold/hot can it be that the two minutes you spend without the engine running is cause for you to worry about freezing/boiling to death. I spent four years in Alaska when I was in the Air Force and I never worried about those 2-3 minutes.

Moderators, can we suspend this discussion due to stupid people?

biff44

Here is a guy that did some actual experiments, and the conclusion is that a lit cigarette is more than hot enough to explode gasoline vapors:

http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae1.cfm

tfischer

Why should we believe some "scientist" and his "laboratory" experiments and his fancy theories??? (I, for one, have never been a big fan of the Fe-CuNi digital thermocouple thermometer anyway.)
We seem to have plenty of real world drivers right here on this site quite willing to experiment at actual gas stations with actual gas fumes and real world ciggys.
We'll just trust them to let us know when they explode in a fiery conflagration (to be redundant).

mandyfig

My Costco gas attendant will not allow cars with engines running while filling up...so, no choice. I would however shut down the engine while filling up anyway.

SteveInCal

What I watched was an actual demonstration by a Safety Officer from a major oil company. He held the lit cigarette over a container full of gasoline fumes that were proven to be within the explosive range with an LEL gas detector. Then he drew on the cigarette to get it as hot as possible. Nothing happened. I'm an engineer and I'm all for experiments, and perhaps it's possible, but not from what I saw.

iKenn

iTrader: (1)

Well the Hybrid turns the engine off but its still on. So i dont know which to pick