If you spill gas all over a gasstations ground, how do you clean it up?
Go into the gas station and talk to the attendant and they will help you through the process.
Which gas stations have vacuums?
The one with the quarter-car-wash? or maybe the one that has the vacuum outside?
How much does it cost to clean up a location after a gas station has contaminated the site/grounds?
I work in the Environmental Field, so I know this one. It takes years to clean up a gas station site. Believe it or not...those fuels do still leak into the ground in those containers underneath the station. The reason it takes so long is because cleaning up fuels is one of the worst environmental hazards you can have as far as contaiminated soil is concerned. First an inspection team most likely armed with a VOC (volatile organic compounds) detector and some sort of remediation unit to clean the fuel out of the soil. This takes a long time to clean, and test again. Soil samples will have to be sent to labs every so often to check until the ground is completely secure again. Gas stations are HORRIBLE on our soils...hence the reason you see an empty lot for years where one used to be...because it's so expensive to clean up, no one wants to clean it to build something else on it. As for price...it's ridiculous...for a remediation unit to clean the ground...usually a SVE (soil vapor extration) unit will be needed and those can cost between $5-50K depending on the size and speed of the unit. As for who you can call to have this cleaned up...any company that does remediation clean up and onsite cleanup. There usually called Phase 1 contractors...and they will take care of everything from there. But again...this is costly. Good Luck! Hope this helped a little bit.
Is it bad for your vehicle to switch gas stations?
No, but it's bad on your pocket book. Use whatever is called for in your vehicle. Using a higher grade than what is called for won't hurt anything, but it won't help anything either.
What gas stations give better mileage?
NO, NO, NO!!! People who say and think that octane ratings correlate to gas mileage are perpetuating a huge falsehood! Octane ratings are strictly a fuels ability to resist knock, ping, detonation or pre-ignition...NOTHING ELSE!!! This rating has nothing to do with the fuel BTU (energy content)! Yes, certain gasoline is more efficient than others. Usually better name brand gas has beneficial injector cleaning additives which in the long run could give you better mileage. One tank is not enough to tell which one has the better additives. One tank IS enough to tell which one has the better BTU. If you try a "super" rated gas (slightly higher octane) lower price (lower BTU) you will get lower mpg. If you car CAN burn regular and the owners manual recommends regular (85-87 octane) then you will increase your operating expenses by putting higher octane fuel in this car! That's what we all seem to want right? higher operating expenses? That's what premium will get you if you don't need it. Premium is strictly for vehicles with a higher compression ratio or supercharged (turbo, roots type supercharger, etc.) intake systems. If you want to waste your money and get the same mileage then burn premium...it won't hurt your engine but it won't do you any good. If you FEEL that it makes your car run better, longer, stronger, faster or any other things that you might FEEL then go ahead; your peace of mind is certainly worth the added average of $230 a year. It won't hurt your car and if it makes your heart feel good then go ahead and waste the money. The gas stations will make more money from you and with their higher profits they will be able to lower the margin for the regular gas for me. Bottom line? Clean your injectors every 10-20k miles (regardless of which gas you use) and burn the gas with the lowest price and highest BTU that's recommended by the manufacturer (regular for low compression and premium for others) 10% alcohol blend will give you less mileage but some vehicles can claim a better cost-per-mile due to the reduced price. Don't fall for the myth about octane means mileage; it just absolutely doesn't!
What's the best gas station ?
I track my mileage with each tank. Union 76 gives me the best mileage of any gas but they are not handy so I end up buying at the Fred Meyer store more often then not. Pretty good mileage from it and it's usually cheaper. Each car has electronics to adjust the fuel mix and how well tuned your system is will make a difference. Only you can determine what works best for your car by keeping careful track of your driving and gas usage. But to make a side by side comparison, you need to be driving the same routes. You can't compare the gas used on a long distance trip to one used around town. The names of the additives are mainly made up. Most refineries make multiple brands of gas. Be sure to watch the octane ratings. Mountain states have 85 octane gas and we're about to get winter blends.
Are the bags of ice sold at gas stations clean/safe enough to be used in drinks?
I have never had bad ice so you should feel that it is safe till otherwise.
Does it matter what gas station you use for gas?
As long as you’re using a top-tier gas it really doesn’t matter what station or brand you use. The various brands don’t have their own refineries, so one local refinery is most likely providing fuel that is sold at a number of stations, from cheap to expensive. The only difference is the additive package, and that is either added at the point of delivery or as the fuel is loaded into the tanker. Do a little research and find out who has the best additives and use that.With the 525i I had to either use only Chevron Supreme or BMW’s own expensive additive in order to maintain a replacement warranty after the engine was partially disassembled and cleaned for a carbon buildup problem. That warranty has long since expired, but I trust BMWs advice and continue to use the same fuel that has served me well all of these decades. That car has well over a quarter million miles and runs like a dream, and the engine is nice and clean inside and out and has never had any major work (after that carbon recall 20+ years ago, that is…) On the Mazda I mostly use the fuel over at Costco (top tier) and that car hasn’t given me a lick of trouble in the 4 years I’ve owned it. That motor, too, is clean as can be.Just like it is not wise to run your tank near empty, especially on an older car, for fear of sucking up whatever debris has accumulated at the bottom of your tank, I’ve been told that it is also not wise to fuel up at the same time that a station is getting its delivery. In the case of your car, the debris should be caught by your fuel filter(s), but why plug them up sooner than necessary? At the stations, their filters will catch any debris, but why take the risk?
How much does it cost to remove gas station tanks?
About two years ago I was considering purchasing a defunct gas station and was researching how much it would cost to eliminate any concerns about the buried gas tanks. I was not interested in running a gas station just use the building for a storefront and workshop. I was surprised to learn that if you are decommissioning a gas station you may not have to remove the tanks at all. I came across a series of EPA reports describing different methods of reclamation. They tested what happened if the tanks were removed vs leaving them in place. Based on their data bacteria in the soil does a better job of cleaning up contamination than removing the tanks and the dirt and shipping it somewhere else to be processed. The procedure if I remember correctly is you pump the tanks dry and fill them with inert materials like sand and clay. Then monitor the soil and ground water around the tanks. Do a search on the EPA website for gas station clean up or something like that. I decided not to purchase the property because it was too far away from where I wanted to live to be worthwhile however I did determine the cost of cleanup and decommissioning would not be an issue.
How do I drive more customers to a gas station?
Without knowing more about your specific location, I can only provide you with general suggestions.A good food service can result in customers lining up to get in, especially if you concentrate on what local people like the most. Get some ideas from local family cooks. Every neighborhood is different, and everybody in the neighborhood knows who cooks the best (whatever it happens to be). For example, we have a convenience store in our rural area that soaks chicken in buttermilk before they cook it. Most people order by phone and drive by to pick it up. There is always a line.Another trick is to have a sale on one or two things every day. Make the sale products unrelated, because lowering the price on one item way result in the sale of a companion item with a higher profit. One day it might be 1/2 gallon milk and a Snickers candy. The next day, honey buns and potato chips. Don’t have a sale of a soft drink and potato chips because they normally go together anyway.Check your bathrooms every hour. Clean up messes, deodorize and remove graffiti immediately.Don’t allow young males to congregate in your parking lot. This scares women away faster than anything I can think of, and be sure you have enough outside lighting.Don’t cover your windows with signs and products. This is another thing that keeps people from coming inside, and keep your pumps in order and your driveways free of litter.Do something your competition will not do. Teach your employees courtesy, and don’t allow ANY supplier to control your inventory. Buy what you need, but no more than you can sell until the next delivery, and remove products that don’t sell, but don’t put up a ‘junk’ table and get rid of it that way.Get to know your customers. No loyalty program in the world can compete with remembering someones name. I will go back to where I am recognized and treated courteously, regardless of the price.I hope this gives you a few ideas. If you join us on LinkedIn at “Convenience Store Supply Chain Management” you can learn more, and qualify for a free PDF copy of my book, “Retail is Detail”.