FAQs of Fuel & It's Shelf Life

FAQs of Fuel & It's Shelf Life

Gasoline and diesel fuel are commonly known to be comprised of crude oil. If you’re working with fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas, you may already know a bit about how fuel starts deep in the underground before it winds up in large storage tanks located under the gas pumps. Gasoline undergoes an entire process of refinement before it’s ready to disperse to customers at the pumps. When tangling up in the process of how all this works, sometimes we have to remind ourselves that these fuels have a shelf-life and can’t sit in our vehicles or gas cans indefinitely.

FAQs of Gasoline

Whether you work with fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas, or if you’re simply a consumer who drives and fills up frequently, there are many factors that play into the eventual full gas tank in your vehicle. Are you an expert on fuel and did you know these tidbits of facts?

  • What makes up gasoline? This one’s pretty widely known… the bottom line is that gasoline and diesel are made from crude oil. Refineries and blending stations introduce additives and ultimately finish up the process before it winds up in underground storage tanks at places that utilize fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas.
  • What makes up crude oil? Crude oil is a fossil fuel originally derived from ancient oceanic microorganisms.
  • Does gasoline contain animal matter? No. gasoline and diesel fuels are actually vegan. Though they contain microorganisms from millions of years ago, that doesn’t mean any actual recently living critter is a part of the mixture.
  • What’s up with diesel vs. gasoline? Though places utilizing fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas offers both gasoline and diesel, the two forms of fuel are a little different. They both start with crude oil, but their differences begin in the refinement process.
  • Is crude oil continually being created by the earth? The short answer is no. There’s a limited supply within the earth and the world’s crude oil supply is estimated to ultimately run out. Hearing all the headlines about alternative fuels and renewable energy shouldn’t come as a surprise since we’re living on a limited timeline.

The list of FAQs extends beyond the obvious and basic questions. Any current driver today knows that when they stop at a station and fill up, that they’re fueling their vehicle with a refined liquid. Most likely don’t dig too much further into the logistics of how it all came to be.

When Gas Goes Bad

Gasoline and diesel fuels travel through quite a process to wind up in your car or even lawnmower. Once the fuel leaves a pump, such as one that requires fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas, that’s not the end of the story. The refined oil cannot sit in a canister or car’s tank forever. These substances are subject to a shelf life. So, if your old red gas can (adorned by 15 years of cobwebs) shows up during your next garage overhaul, don’t consider it hitting the lottery to fill up the lawnmower.

  • Why should anyone worry about gas going bad? - Simply put, if you wait too long to use the gas, fuel system components can sustain damage. Different machinery that requires gasoline may suggest various acceptable timeframes to hold gas. Check the item’s manual for recommendations.
  • Gasoline, if properly stored, lasts 3-6 months - The timeline depends on how long the gas sat in the underground storage tank at a place that performs fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas. Fuel stabilizers may lengthen the shelf life a bit.
  • Fuel stabilizers extend the shelf-life - Speaking of fuel stabilizers, adding them to your gas can could add another whopping 1-3 years to its life expectancy. This is because the petroleum-based additives mixed in with the gas slows oxidation as well as compound evaporation.
  • How can you tell if it’s bad? - One simple way to find out if your stored gasoline turned south on you is to pour some of your old gasoline into a glass container. Look for a sludge color or separated layers and dispose of that gas if you find the stored stuff to look dark or sediment-filled. If you see layers in your old sample, that means the ethanol has separated from the gas layer (if it’s an ethanol gas sample).
  • Disposal - If you discover you need to get rid of old gas long forgotten in your shed until now, do NOT simply dump it down a drain or pour it out! Check with your city waste or fire department to see how you can properly discard the old gas.

Right now, it’s hard to operate in your daily life without having some involvement in gasoline or diesel. If you hopped into your car or truck and it’s not one that operates on alternative fuel, you’re affected by the gasoline lifecycle. Even if you’ve spent a Saturday at home mowing the lawn, unless that mower is electric or battery-powered, you’ve had your hands in the gasoline lifecycle.

Fossil fuels are limited and we’re seeing alternate energy more and more. But for now, most people are still deeply entrenched in the lifecycle of gasoline…. Whether you’re a part of a place involved in fuel pump repair in San Antonio, Texas or not.

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PumpTex, Inc. was founded in 1997 in the back of a garage with the dream of bringing a new level of customer service to the retail petroleum service industry. Over the years, we have grown to become a valuable resource to our customers. Many consider us to be the first responders of the retail petroleum service industry!

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