h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well here we are, over £5 a gallon for petrol even more for diesel. I can remember when £5 would fill my tank, and be enough for me to drive back and fore to work every day, a round trip of 34 miles? (and NO I am not that old

Anyway, I found this little ditty on line, and thought it might help us suffering motorists.......

Tips on pumping fuel.

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..

Only buy or fill up your car or lorry 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 fuel, when it gets warmer the fuel 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 petrol, 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 fuel you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Fuel evaporates faster than you can imagine. Fuel storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.


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 fuel is being delivered, and you might pickup 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!
Smudger.
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Hi Smudger

I'm frustrated by this but more so about the attitude of people jumping in front of each other in order to get at it!

Aye! You get to see the real side of human nature when situations like that happen. I remember the three day week and fuel shortages back in the early 70s?
You got to see the real side of folk then

Smudger.

And history seems to be repeating itself doesn't it? Do we ever learn?

Websailor

I read in the news today that no matter what happens, the price of fuel will never drop back down again! It seems as if the government want us all to give up our cars and revert back the days when it was the rich that could afford to own and drive a car!

As all they have been doing over the the years is increase the road tax license as well as the cost of fuel in every budget
Smudger.

Before my time the 70s, but I can imagine.

It would be nice if we were all environmentally green and could do without our cars, but some people live in the countryside!

Dear smudger,

I missed you on this thread!!

AS I no longer drive, the price of fuel does not actively affect me. But it horrifies me. As your next reply says, it would be wonderful if we could all drive "Green" cars. I suppose that I am now nearly doing that I have a wheelchair - which is pushed by friend-power(!!!) and a scooter, which is operated by electric power!!.
Talk to you soon.

Go well,

christioane
Alsoran80

Aye! I was following a bus in the bus lane one day, (when driving my ambulance)and the amount of black smoke coming out the back of it, was choking all of us in the ambulance
To think, that the bus lanes are there in an effort to stop pollution! That bus was causing more damage to the environment than a thousand cars would

We are due to change our car with the Mobility Scheme in September, and we have picked one already, that does 50 MPG
Smudger.

I see the price of petrol has dropped below the 90p a Ltr, thing is though, the last time the price of a barrel of oil was as low as it now, we were paying around 70P a Ltr? So why are we still paying so much for it now
Smudger.

Hi, Smudger, the simple answer is they know people need it and will pay. The electric hasn't come down though. Our bills are astronomical as we are here all the time. At this rate I shall have have to got out for the day for a free ride on the buses to keep warm, as lots of pensioners do round here!

Hope you and Mark ll are ok in this cold weather.



Websailor

Aye! WS, we are the same being stuck in the house all day! We have just changed over supplier for gas & electric, as our old one increased their prices by 30% even though we had signed up to a deal where we were assured No Increases until 2010

Also here in Scotland, the price of petrol goes up the further north you go, up to 15p a Ltr more
Smudger.

We haven't got gas, but we have an open fire and storage radiators. The latter are way past their use by date which probably puts the electric up, but getting them changed is too much bother. I think we will wait till one packs up (it must be well over forty years old!!)

Take care,

Websailor