Hook Me Up!

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline but here in California we are paying $3.50 and up per gallon. A few weeks ago my sister forwarded me an email from a friend of hers that works in the oil/petroleum industry. He was kind enough to share some inside tips when buying gasoline and gave permission to share those tips. I’ve just started to try them myself but they seem practical and logical. These days I think its worthwhile to give it a shot! So without further ado here are some insider tips when buying gasoline…

For starters, 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 evening almost guarantees that your gallon won’t be exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol, and other petroleum products plays an important role. A one degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. Too bad the service stations do not give back for 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 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 sucked 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 means less air is occupying the empty space left in your tank. For your gas tank, this means evaporation begins occur. 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. Maybe car manufacturers will take a hint!

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. You will most likely end up picking up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope these tips when buying gasoline will help you get the most value for your money.