Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Tips on Filling Fuel in 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 VEHICLES 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 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.

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