interesting tips on filling your vehicles with petrol...

[KI11Z]

Tips on Filling your Vehicles...


This is a Message received from a friend:

I don't know what you guys are paying for petrol... but here in Durban, we are also paying higher, up to 47.35 per litre. 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 litre.

Here at the Marian Hill Pipeline, where I work in Durban, we deliver about 4 million litres in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel; the next day is jet fuel, and petrol, LRP and Unleaded. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 litres.

ONLY BUY OR FILL UP YOUR CAR OR BIKKIE IN THE EARLY MORNING OR LATER IN THE EVENING WHEN THE GROUND TEMPERATURE IS COLD. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the denser the fuel, when it gets warmer petrol expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening.... your litre is not exactly a litre.

In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the petrol, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products play an important role. A 1degree 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 vapours that are created, while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours 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 TANK IS HALF FULL. The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank, the less air occupying its empty space. Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine. Petroleum storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the petrol 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 litre is actually the exact amount.

ANOTHER REMINDER, IF THERE IS A FUEL TRUCK PUMPING INTO THE STORAGE TANKS, WHEN YOU STOP TO BUY, DO NOT FILL UP - most likely the petrol/diesel is being stirred up as the fuel 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 maximum value for your money . . . Alex

[Flaps]

I love it when you try to fill up using a dodgy nozzle. Took me over 5mins to fill up with 10L coming back from Goulburn. I could only pull the trigger about 2mm otherwise it would "CLICK!!!!!" oh how I love that click...

[tobes]

Bah, I'm not convinced that the actually ground tank temp and hence the temperature of the fuel delivered to the vehicle varies much during the day. A few metres of damp soil and a concrete cap seem like pretty good insulation to me.

There would possibly be a little heating in as it passes through a warm bowser but at a busyish servo this would be minimal as well. It doesn't really matter what the temp of your car's tank is as you pay for what comes out of the bowser not the volume that sits in the tank afterwards.

Tobes

[99gti]

I actually had to double check to see if there was a return path in the bowser and was supprised to see that there is one.

[gerhard]

There is a return pipe to suck vapour, to prevent it from swirling around the outside of the pumps and cars, thus lessening the risk of explosion.

But I agree with Tobes, the dialogue about temperature is rubbish when applied to underground tanks. It takes months to increase the temperature of the ground a couple of feet down, and you only pay for the volume of cold fuel that passes through the bowser. Most suburban service stations seem to be filled at night, and the truck trip from the refinery to the SS would not allow the fuel to heat up by any significant margin.

Perhaps in SAf the tanks are above ground, and that could definately increase the temperature of the fuel, giving some credence to the story.

But if this issue is your biggest concern, you definately need to get a life

[Brisben]

I think some of his points are valid, he obviously has been in the game a while, however I bet the saving is not worth writing home about especially when you have to consider.

Price variations at each petrol station.

Air density of when your actually driving, is it hot or cold outside?

Most importantly how hard you drive your car !

[Preen59]

All fairly realistic statements. Thanks Alex.