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Tips on Pumping Gas

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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 11:48 AM
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Post Tips on Pumping Gas

I got this email yesterday and thought it would be good to share with my fellow gas guzzlers, I posted this in the GX sub-forum and got alot of remarks so I'll share it in this forum as well.

You can take this info for what's its worth but I'll certainly be entertained on hearing people's thoughts on it.


TIPS ON PUMPING GAS (Good information)!

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but in California we are paying, 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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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 01:42 PM
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Since the tanks are buried in the ground, there will be little if any change in temperature during the day. If the tanks are above ground that might be useful advice.
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 03:24 PM
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oon most pumps it says temperature adjusted to 15 degrees well on most of the major companies
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 07:36 PM
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There is no slow mode (in my case). No matter how lightly I press it, it's still spews out really fast and I can't get the exact change I want... sometimes.
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 07:44 PM
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we dont pump our own gas in nj
but i have worked as a gas attendant
everything you said was wrong except the stirring part. the evap controls on the car handle the vapors. the temperature under ground stays pretty constant, only the nozzle would change the temp of the fuel, which is less a factor. the trigger doesnt have three speeds per se, the more you press the more comes out. sure, you could go slow, but then, you face the same problem of more time to allow vapors to leave your tank and go to the gas station! so that was pointless.

you want better gas useage? dont get gas with ethanol in it. oh ****, the corn lobby already got that in . too late. unless we rise up and fight the corn lobby
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 08:17 PM
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Yeah I've been seeing some places dropping prices a little bit and i'm seeing 10% ethanol stickers on the pumps. Forget that, not for me thank you. Injectors are expensive.
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 08:45 PM
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Interesting tips...

Never noticed the high med. low level thing though. Will keep it in mind next time along with the other stuff.

Gas in Los Angeles is .....Last week I was paying 3.40. Now its 3.20, Next month it could be anything. Very unstable.
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 09:02 PM
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there isnt a choice anymore was my point, 10% ethanol is already in all of it. surprised they haven't put the stickers on the pumps yet [but i assure they were pumping into your tank already]
yes its bad for : fuel lines, filter, injectors, engine, gas mileage, for the environment [corn being used for it currently]

premium is 3.10 ish in south jersey, one of the cheapest places to get gas in the country, if not the western world [less iraq and such]. how come your cali gas is so cheap? please dont tell me you put regular in the car... come on, you dont do you
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by llcoolpass
premium is 3.10 ish in south jersey, one of the cheapest places to get gas in the country, if not the western world [less iraq and such]. how come your cali gas is so cheap? please dont tell me you put regular in the car... come on, you dont do you
Here in Cali reg is the price of your premium... So regular it is for my ES it runs fine on it...
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Old Jan 24, 2008 | 11:41 PM
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I run my ES on 89 octane which is plus I think. Reg is 87 and Prem is 91.

The Chevron I go to is a very cheap one I found which the prices are surprising to me.

In most parts of Los Angeles I see prices well over 3.40-3.60 a gallon. My 3.20 is just a result of me shoppin around a bit.
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Old Jan 25, 2008 | 04:07 AM
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I'm not the author of what was written above. I received it as an email and passed it along. Note I'm from MA.
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Old Jan 25, 2008 | 08:32 AM
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Its funny that I was reading this on my ppc pumping gas at bj's lol.
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Old Jan 25, 2008 | 07:10 PM
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just to mess with your mind, I know a gas station nearby that sells regular for $2.679/gal @ this very moment
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Old Jan 25, 2008 | 08:12 PM
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^Yea its that one that closed down last summer right lol.
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Old Jan 25, 2008 | 08:19 PM
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There is a old Mobil station not to far from here that still has its 1.05/9 sign up its been out of buisness a long a** time
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