MORE SUMMER TIPS FOR Y'ALL... In the spirit of my last Public Service Announcement/journal entry, here's another Blog that gives you tips on how to pump gas at the local station and save money. Yes, much like everything else in life, there's an etiquette/unofficial rule on how to fuel up your vehicle without wasting precious gas in the process. My sister e-mailed me this message (back in um, 2008), much like the previous one that's linked to at the beginning of this entry. Anyways, read on if you don't wanna get completely screwed over by the exorbitant gas prices in this country (the good ol' U.S. of A., that is)...

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TIPS ON PUMPING GAS (Good information)

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline....but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. 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 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 through the pipeline. One day is diesel, the next day is jet fuel, and the day after that is 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 the ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline. When it gets warmer gasoline expands, so if 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 play 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 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 or HALF EMPTY. 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.

Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

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SINCE IT'S SUMMER and finally getting hot like hell, just thought I'd share this public service announcement with y'all. My sister actually e-mailed me this last September, so sorry for the delay (Good ol' copy and pasting)...

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CANCER & AIR CONDITIONING IN YOUR CAR----REALLY IMPORTANT INFO!

Very interesting! My car's instruction manual says to roll down the windows to let out all the hot air before turning on the A/C. WHY?

No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before. We wonder where this stuff comes from but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer-causing incidents. Many people are in their cars first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, 7 days a week.

As I read this, it makes me feel guilty and ill. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Guess it's not too late to make some changes.

Car A/C (Air Conditioning) MUST READ!!!

Please do NOT turn on the A/C as soon as you enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car and then turn ON the A/C after a couple of minutes.

Here's why: According to research, the car's dashboard, seats, and air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car). In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause
Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. It can also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 milligrams per square feet. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 milligrams of Benzene.

If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 milligrams, 40 times the acceptable level. People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale - in quick succession - excessive amounts of the toxin. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver... What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

So friends, please open the windows and door of your car, give time for the interior to air out and dispel the deadly stuff before you enter.

Thought: "When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others."

This is what snopes.com says. It is not the air conditioning in the car but the Benzene-producing agents that cause cancer.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/benzene.asp

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