Gasoline is obviously combustible, and when filling the car it is probably a bad idea to light an open charcoal grill close to the tanks, or wave a blowtorch around. I generally turn the car off before fueling.
However, despite recommendations I can’t really recall any time I tried to “discharge static electricity” before touching the pump. I have never, to my knowledge, ever seen anyone else to this either. I understand how fuel pumps shut off when the tank is full (and the column below mentions Cecil Adams on this topic from 1981, and foamy gas, but not foamy Diet Pepsi). But there is a trigger one can push so that one does not have to hold down the button the entire time one is fuelling. When it works.
In about half of Canadian gas stations (which are almost all essentially self-serve), the trigger is there, but has been disabled. It is the smallest of conveniences, useful in cold weather or when pumping large amounts. When this trigger is not working, it is sometimes implied this is for “vague safety reasons”.
People used to smoke a lot. Did this really cause lots of explosions?
What damage has been caused by not “discharging static electricity” by ordinary car drivers at ordinary gas stations? Do you routinely do this? Can I chew wintergreen Life Savers while pumping gas? Do I dare to eat a peach?
Given the gas cuts off when the tank is full, is it really much safer to not have the trigger and make one hold the button down? Is there a pattern as to when the trigger works or doesn’t? Local state laws, or with certain companies? Seems kind of random.
Any other similar stories, news, anecdotes, pet peeves?
My understanding is that one of the sources of static electricity is people getting back in their car while the tank fills. The they get out of the car and the first thing they touch is the handle at the gas tank, which maybe causes a spark, and if there are any fumes…anyway, there are videos.
Removing the trigger lock prevents people from getting back in the car, unless they thought ahead and brought a cinch strap.
I heard that too, and I remember them saying that it’s less common for this type of fire to happen to men because they’re more likely to grip the car to pull themselves up when they get out. I’ve had a few cars (or rather, tires) that made the shocks so bad, I got in the habit of always making sure I had my hand on something metallic as I got out. The screw in the door handle always worked well.
Stick your gas cap in it. I’ve always heard that’s what people do in states that don’t allow the pumps to have those latches.
Static discharge typically causes somewhere between half a dozen to a dozen pump fires per year in the U.S., which isn’t a lot considering how many millions of cars fill up every day.
The risk of a pump fire goes up in the winter. This is partly due to the lower humidity in the air, and partly due to people wearing wool sweaters and such that will much more easily generate a static charge. The risk is also higher than it used to be in the past due to changes in the rubber that they use for tires (the older rubber was more conductive and would bleed off any built-up charge faster). People will also get back into their car to stay warm in the winter, and will build up a static charge when they slide across the seat to get back out of the car when they are done pumping.
It’s not that vague. If the automatic shutoff doesn’t work for some reason, you spill gasoline all over the ground, which is a rather obvious safety hazard. If you disable the trigger lock, then the only way you are spilling gasoline is if the automatic shutoff breaks and the user continues to hold the pump on while gas is spilling out right in front of them. In some places, laws have been passed that force the gas station owners to disable the trigger lock in order to prevent pump fires. Insurance companies probably also demand that the trigger locks be disabled or they’ll charge a higher rate due to the increased risk of a spillage and/or fire.
Disabling the trigger lock also helps to prevent static fires, but that’s not the main purpose behind it.
Disabling the trigger lock also helps to protect the environment from gasoline spills. But again, the main purpose is to prevent fires from spillage.
I’ve worked in a gas station for over 16 years and everything @saddam1122 said above is true. We get training videos every few months. They include instructions for gas spills, fires, chemical, spills and other emergency plans.
We are supposed to stop the pump if we see someone leave it unattended. I can’t say we do so that often because we are a busy store, and it’s difficult to look out the window and watch people pump gas constantly while doing all the other stuff we’re supposed to “step up” and do. I do tell people that they are required by law to attend the pump. I had one guy tell me that … whatever agency it was … I think the DEQ was not part of the government. I told him whatever they had the power to fine the crap out of him and the store so stay with the pump. People I tell ya.
I have, many times. You just dress for it. You’re only out there for three to five minutes, tops, and if you can’t stand outside for that amount of time at below zero (or colder) temps, you just need to dress more warmly.
My province does not allow the use of clips on the pump handle, and the station attendant will stop the flow of fuel if he or she sees you using your gas cap to hold the handle up. So you have to stand there, holding the trigger, no matter the weather. Just dress warmly in winter, is all.
Questions of static electricity aside, my understanding is that a latch mechanism that holds the fuel valve open is illegal in self-serve pumps. Not sure if that’s provincial (Ontario) or federal, but I’ve never seen a self-serve pump that lets you start fueling and walk away. You can see the vestige of the latching mechanism that would let you do it, but it’s always disabled.
They’re legal in some states in the U.S., e.g. here in Ohio. This time of year, I will begin pumping, engage the latch, and then immediately get in the car to stay warm.
I don’t remember the last time I encountered a pump that didn’t let you start fueling and walk away, here in Illinois (and occasionally in other states within driving distance).
I’ve heard about the danger of static electricity generated by people getting back in and out of their cars. If that’s the main reason the “trigger” is legally required to be disabled in some areas, it makes sense that those areas would be more common in Canada, where it’s colder.
Personally, I always turn off the engine amd never get back into the car while fueling. As @Spoons said, if you’re dressed appropriately it shouldn’t be that big a deal to stand outside for as long as it takes to fill up. But I do find it useful to use the locking “trigger” to let me keep my hands in my pockets in cold weather, or to wash my windshield in not-so-cold weather, while the tank is filling.
See, this is weird to me. Do you drive around with snow pants, coat, hat, scarf, and gloves on? If not, how long do you spend getting dressed before pumping your gas?
Yeah, I live in cold weather. Most of my trips are 1/2 hour or more. I hate driving in a coat though. I have to plan that (I might leave my coat on if stopping for gas). I might start the pump going and go into the gas station to pee.
Yes I know you are not supposed to leave it unattended. I used to be a pump jockey and have pumped my own gas all my life. I have never had nor seen any type of mishap.
I’m Canadian. Cold weather is a reality for at least four months of the year. I dress for the weather. I am not saying this most trivial of conveniences is necessary. But it is inconsistent, I did not realize that some pumps allowed them. I just knew it was there half the time, without obvious reason why or why not.
I told him whatever they had the power to fine the crap out of him and the store so stay with the pump. People I tell ya.