Got this in an email today

[Richard D]

Seems like good advice:

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don't know what you guys 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 other 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.

[SoFlaJet]

1. Thanks for sharing that with us Rich

I posted it on a different website I frequent

[Richard D]

2. You're welcome

The only problem I see with this idea is that there could be some pretty unhappy people if a line of SUV's are all pumping their tanks full with the nozzle set on the lowest setting. That could take quite some time.

[SoFlaJet]

3. you ever notice when you're waiting for a parking spot

at the grocery store and how deliberate the space taker is in letting you in? It's human nature I guess

[Richard D]

4. There have actually been studies done on this . . .

. . . and it's not imagination. People really do take longer to leave a parking space when someone else is waiting for it.

[madokie]

5. I don't think any of that is true

tanks are underground and the temperature where they set won't change by day to night so that temp deal is a no go and all the pumps have filters on them to catch the sediment stirred up. This email has made its rounds many times before even here on the DU and it is all bs. Anyways have fun beating up on me if you like cause this is all bunk, ok.