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Just saw this while getting gas. Why is it illegal to get less than 4 gallons? (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by FlyingSquid@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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[-] Texas_Hangover@lemm.ee 48 points 6 months ago

I got curious so I duckduckgo'd that shit.

Link

[-] Jazsta@lemmy.world 89 points 6 months ago

Thank you for sharing the link. Here's the relevant bit from the article:

Most gas stations don’t want to install new tanks just for E15. Instead, they’re installing blender pumps, which mix the ethanol and gasoline together in the right proportion depending on which one you want. But there’s a problem: if you pump E15 into your car, about a third of a gallon remains in the fueling hose when you’re done. If someone comes along, switches to E10, and buys a single gallon for their lawnmower, they’ll get a third of a gallon of E15 and two-thirds of a gallon of E10. That comes to about 11.7% ethanol, and that might be enough to set your lawnmower on fire.

So the EPA produced a new rule: if you sell E15, you have to require your customers to buy at least four gallons of gas regardless of what blend they’re buying. That’s a big enough purchase that the residual fuel in the hose is too small to matter

[-] helpme@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 months ago

I totally won't use this knowledge to try to fuck with Sheetz.

[-] Theharpyeagle@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

So... what are they gonna do if you don't fuel enough? Is it just up to God to not let someone else fuck up their equipment after you've fueled up?

[-] Trollception@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 months ago

Sounds like the warning label is about all they will do. Guess it's one of those situations where if you ignore the label or don't read it you might be penalized?

[-] wolfpack86@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Except the warning is on the e15 and not the standard gas.

So it doesn't matter if I buy 1, 2, 20 gallons of e15... As an e15 buyer I get the chance that it's more gas than ethanol.

The warning of 4 gallons needs to be applied to the non-ethanol blend gasolines, as those are the ones at risk!

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 2 points 6 months ago

and that might be enough to set your lawnmower on fire.

Ethanol burns hotter?

[-] HaywardT@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 6 months ago

No. It does degrade some fuel system components on fuel systems not made for it.

[-] Texas_Hangover@lemm.ee 3 points 6 months ago

It also gums the fuck out of fuel injectors, and you'll notice a drop in gas mileage Dependant on the blend. Its pretty awful shit. I don't know why the hell it exists.

[-] HaywardT@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 6 months ago

I think it exists because people have an unreasonable price sensitivity when buying gas. They will drive miles out of their way to save a nickel a gallon. I also think they don't really have a good understanding of mpg factors. I was told by one guy purchasing it that he gets better mileage on it(which we know isn't true)

this post was submitted on 01 May 2024

364 points (97.4% liked)

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