wasting diesel fuel

37 chief · Apr 24, 2020

I filled my transfer tank yesterday, with 90 gallons of red died diesel. I removed the tank and set it down on boards. I don't keep it in my truck because of the extra weight. Walking by it a few hours later, diesel running out on the ground from the fill cap. Probably pushed out over a gallon from the looks of the wet spot on the ground. The tank is black, and real hot yesterday, and today also. I can see where that could be a problem, if someone orders 500 gal of warm diesel. It goes through the meter at 500 gal, when it cools you have a lot less diesel. Another thought you fill your tractor tank up in the morning, as the day heats up so does your diesel, giving you extra fuel. Is that possible? Next time I will not fill my tank so full. Stan

john in la · Apr 24, 2020

A fuel tank should never be filled over 90% full especially a above ground tank.

Yes one of the down falls of buying fuel retail is you pay for gross gallons.
When you buy fuel in bulk by the trailer load such as a jobber or wholesaler you pay for net gallons.
Net gallons is how many gallons the fuel would be gross if it was 60 degrees.
So in the summer you get more than what you pay for but in the dead of winter you get less than what you pay for.

Stephen Newell · Apr 24, 2020

Any fuel will expand when it heats up and will come out if the tank is filled to the top. It's why they ask you not to top off a gas tank on a car or truck.

Ronnie Budd · Apr 25, 2020

(reply to post at 04:23:55 04/25/20)

Retired fuel hauler here. It was true in the old days, way back when meters were mechanical only, that you might get more or less than you paid for due to temperature changes. But ever since meters have been digital and computerized, the gallons delivered are automatically temperature compensated to 60 degrees standard. You do actually get what you pay for, no matter what the season. The fuel does contract and expand with temperature changes, but you get all the gallons you pay for today.

Bob Bancroft · Apr 25, 2020

A fuel supplier I had used for years suddenly refused to fill my gas tanks as they were "too dangerous"! Yet, at the same time, I found a diesel tank running over. Obviously filled too full, then it warmed up. I decided they were too dangerous, and found another supplier. Which wasn't easy, if you want to deal with a local company with local control.

showcrop · Apr 25, 2020

It tells right on my delivery ticket that it is volume compensated for temperature.

Sprint 6 · Apr 25, 2020

I was unaware that bulk fuel delivery truck meters are temperature compensated. Around here, the fuel station pumps have stickers saying they are not temperature compensated.

NEKS · Apr 25, 2020

I don't know if I would put much trust in them temperature correction devices on tank wagons. Pipeline terminal loading semi's yes. If you have a tank wagon with five compartments and one is half full (in winter) and then you fill one out of bulk storage. Then go to the farm and empty the half full one first then start on the other. I would think the temperature would very a lot between the two.

roy prins · Apr 25, 2020

The cold gallon has the same amount of BTU,s as a warm gallon - it all gets hotter when you burn it -- just my thoughts -- Roy

Russ from MN · Apr 25, 2020

I built a new stand for dads fuel tanks many years ago, gas and diesel side by-side, and I painted the tanks aluminum for that reason. The delivery driver said the gas tank needed to be red, but he was satisfied when I stenciled GASOLINE on the end in big red letters, that might not pass now. People don't realize how much gas evaporates on a hot sunny day, and a dark red tank only makes it work. Our neighbor has a roof over his tanks, that is the best. Someone posted a link to a test of gasoline evaporation on u tube, it's very good, even non-ethanol evaporated a lot. Diesel probably doesn't evaporate very much, but a little, certainly expands with heat!

dzc3 · Apr 25, 2020

I had a friend that served with Rommel in North Africa, he said the tanks were fueled at night when it was cold, and that they could get more run time during the hot part of the day. He had lots of interesting stories about daily life in the German Army.

OldFarmTractor · Apr 25, 2020

Always good to know the thermal expansion constant for the liquid you are discussing.

A typical value of the coefficient of thermal expansion for diesel fuel is 0.00083 per degree Celsius (0.00046 per degree Fahrenheit). Using this value, 1.000 gallon of diesel fuel at - 7 ?C (2 0?F) will expand to 1.037 gallons at 3 8?C (100?F)

Google the <coefficient of thermal expansion for XYZ> and do a bit of math.

Leroy · Apr 25, 2020

In my 67 years I have never heard of that.

Leroy · Apr 25, 2020

Nothing on the pumps about this.

showcrop · Apr 25, 2020

(quoted from post at 05:57:06 04/25/20) In my 67 years I have never heard of that.

Leroy, your fuel dealer has been telling you about it on every delivery for probably twenty years.

Crazy Horse · Apr 25, 2020

Leroy ..... assuming that you're 67 years old, I won't put any of the blame on your mom and dad about never telling you about it. Difficult to comprehend now, and even more difficult when you're just a little feller ... ha!

Case Nutty 1660 · Apr 25, 2020

almost everything changes size with heat or cold,, iron fuel, water, power lines you name it it expands or contracts,, that is the reason there is a fill line on fuel containers,, think its like 10% left for expansion,, if you live where it gets Hot and Cold watch the over head power lines,, hotter it gets the more sag they will have the colder the tighter they are,, they have a formula when stringing wires,, such and such temp so much sag, I have made the mistake of filling fuel tanks to full when it is cooler and then it gets hot and yupper pushes it out,, the SR-71 Black Bird leaks fuel out of the fuel tank joints when sitting on the ground aka "Cold" when its flying at speeds it seals them up tight,,

Bill(Wis) · Apr 25, 2020

I had a friend who served in the German Army on the eastern front. He said they just kept all their engines running 24 hours a day from November through March. Just added fuel and oil. He joined the army at age sixteen and at the end of the war he was a Hauptmann (Captain) commanding a company of panzers. His daughter graduated from West Point and served in the US Army as a Military Police officer.

the tractor vet · Apr 25, 2020

It is what is called SWELL . Ya want the most bag for your buck fill when cool . Wife has a bad habbit of filling the mower can FULL in the morning and ever though some is taken out and placed in the mower and the modren age can is sealed back up they will puff like a balloon and start leaking and one even split open at the seam. due to SWELL. Had a friend that ran tanker hauling fuel and gas , He never bought a gallon of gas or diesel . He would drain off the Swell at night when he came in of what ever he was hauling that day . He would load in the cool of the morning and by the time he dumped the same amount as he loaded at the customers he would cokme in in the evening and drain out 20 to 100 gallon EXTRA FREE fuel . Some times he would just pull in and drop off a couple 55 gallon barrels of what ever he did not have room for at home .

Leroy · Apr 26, 2020

It has been several years since I had fuel delivered but they never did but was only gas, never had a diesel.

wasting diesel fuel

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