This post is on a very different topic than what I’m usually posting about, but it really made me think and laugh and I wanted to share it.
This first part came from an email that was being forwarded around my family. Make sure that you read my brother’s response at the bottom!
With gas expected to reach
$5 per gallon by summer, these tips that I received from a
friend might come in handy
TIPS ON PUMPING GAS
I don’t know what you guys are paying for
gasoline…. but here in California
we are paying up to $3.75 to $4.10 per gallon. 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. You should be pumping on low mode,
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 of the 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.
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.
To have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas
buyers. It’s really simple to do.
Here’s my brother’s (Brian) response to the above email.
So, maybe a better approach to gas rather then worrying about the when to fill up, which station is going to save me a net $0.50 and an overall monthly increase expenditure of $20, which realistically we all have to spend (if you honestly don’t, I have $20 I can give you, just give me a call. I’d be happy to share.), is understanding the real financial impact of $20 a month that we could easily justify in going to a movie, upgrading a cable package, buy a new pair of shoes that really are not necessary, drinking a few less coffees a months, etc and even more than that being
a.) thankful that we are not paying $8 a gallon, as much of Europe is paying today
b.) then even above that be thankful for that fact that we have this amazing resource in the form of a car that allow us to traverse great lengths of land to partake in more greater life giving activities and be closer/”closer” to family, friends, activities, work that make us live into activities truly far more important than the $20 a month that once again realistically will just sit in our bank accounts gaining us at best 5% interest and not really being used to add to the true values in life
c.) and above that be grateful that we are in a place in the world to where we even have the financial situation to even have the choice to buy a car and then the choice to fill it up with gas. And then drive places safely, on nicely paved roads, and with enforced traffic laws.
Just spinning some thoughts. Sorry for the fact that decreasing stress and increasing life will in theory ultimately lead to living longer and therefor in the end cost you more money 😉
I hope you are all doing great, loving life, enjoying the rain, and smiling to strangers.
With love,
Brian
