Myth surrounding fuel pump busted
Are you giving some of the fuel you paid for back to the fuel station?
An email in connection with how fuel pumps work have been doing the rounds since the beginning of the year
The email reads: “Recently I came across a very useful tip. I was surprised to know it but had a doubt so I talked to one of the pump technicians and he too accepted it as a fact. I think apart from providing space for the gas generated inside the petrol tank this is yet another reason why we shouldn’t fill the tank to the brim. Many of us are not aware that the petrol kiosk pump has a return pipeline. When the petrol tank (in the car) reaches full level, there is a mechanism to trigger off the pump latch and at the same time a return valve is opened (at the top of the pump station) to allow excess petrol to flow back into the pump. But the return petrol has already passed through the meter, meaning you are donating the petrol back to the Oil Dealer.”
The Record spoke to a fuel station manager who also is regarded a credible source. He prefers to stay anonymous.
“That is the biggest load of nonsense,” he said smiling as he demonstrated to the Record the workings of a fuel pump.
“The pipe running from the main part of the fuel pump to the nozzle is constantly filled to the the level where the the metal part of the nozzle starts.
“Yes there is a return pipeline that is about 2cm deep and 3mm in diameter,” he says as he points out the return pipeline.
“This is where the email is wrong though. As soon as the vehicle tank is full a few millilitres push back up into the return pipeline which has a mechanism that immediately cancels the transaction, meaning petrol stops flowing out. But there is no return valves on the pump that lets fuel back in.
“As a matter of fact whatever petrol is left in the metal part of the nozzle, we lose,” he concludes.
