GAS PRICES!

[tombogan03884]

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."

My Dad used to haul gas, when unloading the gas comes out of the hose with force like a fire hose.
Any sediment, water, or other crap in the bottom of the tank WILL be stirred up.

[GasMan]

Some of these tips while good in theory in alot of cases are unnecessary. At most of your high volume gas stations such as Walmart, Sams, Costco, Qt etc.... the tanks are never aloud to get low enough to have to worry about things being stirred up. The reasons are the same for the major oil companies if there is vapor in the tank the evaporation is slightly increased. Most of these high volume stations never let there tanks get that low.

Also fuel unloaded is only done so at these type of stations by gravity. There is not any outside force other than gravity controlling the pressure of the fuel. They don't get stirred near like people are thinking. There are also particulate filters at each of the pumps to keep solids from entering the vehicle. This is why you generally hear about water in fuel not particulate.

While filling up in the morning while ground temps. are low again is only going to be possibly noticed by those in Southern areas and then in the summer.  Those in northern climates will never know the difference. There are also steps taken to help the evaporation rates in summer time. They are indeed regulated but generally at the state level. This is one of the reasons people will notice a decrease in mpg. in the winter vs. the summer. As a result summer spec. gas usualy costs more. 

GasMan

[JC5123]

Ok here is a question for you petroleum gurus:  When purchasing fuel for long term storage (I rotate and cycle through about once a year with all my gas cans) Is it better to get summer spec gasoline, or winter?

[PegLeg45]

I am in no way an expert on gas prices just one of the many thousands of people who work for an oil company. I do see and hear more than the average person but only because it is what I do day in and day out.  I can't speak for other areas of the country but I do know here the price change on gas happens only once per day. Some of the local business may delay or advance the time in which they post the fuel prices but I would be concerned if the price changed multiple times in a 12hr. period.

I can't explain prices in other countries there are to many variables that I am not familiar with.  The amount of import vs. domestic production, tax issues, pipeline infrasturcture, transportation cost and consumption rates are just a few of the variables that are different everywhere you go, there are many more.

( Phil,  thanks for the welcome. I'm glad to be here!)

I think what it is here is the wal-mart and a couple of the other larger chain companies have folks in cubicles somewhere running spreadsheets on what time of day is optimum for higher sales volume and on what days this can be capitalized on by adjusting prices.

[GasMan]

It does depend slightly on the regs. where you live but generally speaking summer gas. Winter gas is generally formulated to be more prone to evaporation due to a higher rvp allowed in winter fuel. Rvp or vapor pressure is a measurement of the evaporation tendencies of the fuel.  The higher the rvp the more prone to evaporation. Hope this helps.

GasMan

[Sponsor]

[GasMan]

I think what it is here is the wal-mart and a couple of the other larger chain companies have folks in cubicles somewhere running spreadsheets on what time of day is optimum for higher sales volume and on what days this can be capitalized on by adjusting prices.

Again I don't know the specifics in your area but here if a station is changing the price of fuel throughout the day to match times of increased traffic vs. actual fuel prices I would be a little concerned.

[PegLeg45]

Again I don't know the specifics in your area but here if a station is changing the price of fuel throughout the day to match times of increased traffic vs. actual fuel prices I would be a little concerned.

I don't do business at either place any longer because of the frequency of price shifts. I buy from a locally-owned and operated station with non-ethanol gas.
I have considered sending a letter of inquiry to the state agriculture commissioner (overseer of gasoline-related issues) and asking about the price change frequency. Now that it is fresh in my mind, I may just get to it.

*As a side note, the state of Georgia levied considerable fines over the few years after hurricane Katrina due to price gouging. There were so many complaints that it took the commission several years to investigate them all.

[Timothy]

I response to what BillT posted about the temperature of the fuel.  I just read an article debunking this myth as inaccurate.  Their premise was that the tanks are stored underground and just about anywhere on old Tera Fir-ma, the temperature of the earth below 50" of depth is a constant temperature and will have little effect on fuel being more dense at lower morning temperatures.

In other words, as Gasman has stated, it ain't going to give you more gas in your tank.

Most of the fuel myths you hear are bogus.  I'm no expert, just someone who pumped gas in another life.  Stations have two grades of fuel in tanks, lo-test and hi-test and any octane delivered in between is a percentage mix of those two grades.

We can't buy anything that doesn't contain at least 10% ethanol here.  I've never concerned myself with it.  If I had a high end restored muscle car I'd worry.  For my daily transport, I don't really care where I buy gas.  It's like a proctological exam these days anyway.  

Hold your breath, it'll be over soon enough...the exam I mean!  Gas prices have only begun to go up my friends.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112266/gas-savings-tips-that-don%27t-actually-work?mod=series-e-article

[Big Frank]

My mom was watching the news and called me up. Gas is $3.65 and going up again tomorrow.

[billt]

I response to what BillT posted about the temperature of the fuel.  I just read an article debunking this myth as inaccurate.  Their premise was that the tanks are stored underground and just about anywhere on old Tera Fir-ma, the temperature of the earth below 50" of depth is a constant temperature and will have little effect on fuel being more dense at lower morning temperatures.

While that may be true at depth, there is a lot of near to the surface piping that feeds the gas pumps at these large Mini Mart Stations, of which many are covered by thousands of sq. ft. of concrete with piping leading to all of the pumps just several inches below the surface. Out here in Arizona in the Summer it can easily reach 112 degrees plus during the heat of the day. The fuel in these pipes are several degrees hotter than the fuel in the storage tanks themselves. Hotter fuel is less dense.

This isn't going to matter in Fargo in January, but it will in Phoenix in July. It is pretty much common knowledge around here to gas up early in the morning.   Bill T.