Gasoline is a refined form of crude oil, which most people know, but there are a lot of aspects of gasoline that most people are blissfully unaware of. There are some really interesting facts about gasoline that most people don’t have any idea of. In fact, some of the myths about gasoline are actually completely inaccurate, but the truths can be just as fascinating, if not more so. Here are some unusual things that you can learn, that you can then stump your friends with, at your next trivia night.

Things You Should Know About Gasoline

A lot of people think crude oil comes from fossilized dinosaurs. This is completely inaccurate. One of the biggest sources of crude oil is actually from pond scum. The oil that bubbled up from beneath the surface of the earth was later eaten by the bacteria that formed pond scum. In order to get the oil out of it, the pond scum must be pressure cooked. Bet you never look at your mother’s pressure cooker the same.

Evening is the best time of the day to buy gasoline. It’s true! Gas pumps measure how much a gallon is by volume, and since gasoline becomes a bit denser as it cools, you will actually get a bit more gas if you head to the pump during the nighttime hours.

When Americans first found crude oil, they didn’t know what it was for, so they industriously bottled it and sold it to the unsuspecting public as a health tonic. Yum! If your gas cap is old and loose, you can lose as much as a whopping 30 gallons of gas a year simply from the vapors that escape the cap. That’s a lot of gas to just let go of.

Having your windows open when you are driving at a high speed can cause so much drag, you can lose as much as 10% of your vehicle’s total fuel economy. Next time, stop waving your hand in the breeze and kick on the vents. Gasoline is not an easy recipe to put together. Depending on which brand you buy, you are buying anywhere between 150 and 1,000 different ingredients mixed in with your gas.

There are enough pipelines for fuel within the United States to make it halfway to the moon.
Now that your mind has been filled with useful, interesting, and confusing facts about gasoline, go stump your friends and see which facts they get right!

You probably don’t think much about the fuel oil you use during your day to day life. You don’t think about it until it becomes hard to get. We use fuel oil for many different areas of our daily lives. It’s used for power in our cars, heating our homes and powering appliances and machines. Have you ever wondered where all this oil is coming from?

Fuel oil is derived from fossil fuels. Fossil fuel, to put it bluntly, is the material left from the decomposition of living organisms. These living organisms have been buried deep in the earth for millions of years. The earliest oil wells were in China around 347 A.D. Oil pits were near Babylon around 4 thousand years ago and asphalt was made using the oil. Asphalt was used on the buildings of Babylon. Little by little, more uses for this oil were discovered. It was discovered that oil was flammable and a good source of heat for cooking and warmth. Whale oil was also used for this purpose.

The demand for fuel oil increased with the spread of oil lamps and the invention of the combustible engine. Not much thought was given to the amount of fossil fuel available for consumption until the energy crisis of the 1970’s when many people began to realize that fossil fuel was not an infinite source of energy. It was realized that there will come and end to the supply of fossil fuel. Different sources of energy needed to be found.

Fossil fuel is found almost in every country. Did you know the top 3 oil producing countries are Russia, the United States and Saudi Arabia? There are also fossil fuel reserves in Venezuela. The Middle East supplies about 80% of all readily available oil. 90% of all the fuel used in today’s vehicles is met with the use of oil. And 40% of all energy usage in the United States is petroleum.
Many different kinds of energy sources are being investigated to relieve the dependency on fossil fuel. Solar energy, energy from the wind, water generated power and electric powers are all viable options. In the meantime, manufacturers of cars and other engines that need fuel oil are working to become more energy efficient. Not only does this help stretch the fossil fuel reserves we have but cuts the costs to the consumer.

Oil is oil, right?  Wrong.  There is heating oil, kerosene, diesel gas and gasoline, which are all fuel oils.  Although all these fuels start out the same, they have different compositions once they have gone through the processing phase.  Have you ever wondered what would happen if you used the wrong fuel in your car or your furnace?

Let’s start with your car.  Perhaps you have a diesel engine in your car and you pull up to a pump.  For whatever reason, you grab the wrong nozzle and fill the car up with regular gasoline, put the nozzle back and drive away.  Now what happens depends on how much diesel fuel was left in the gas tank before you added regular gasoline.  If the ratio of gasoline to diesel was low, there might not be a noticeable difference.  But if the gasoline ratio is high, you probably won’t get very far.  The emissions system will start to malfunction.  The engine will run noisy and rough.  All that gasoline is damaging your diesel engine.  The best thing to do if you use the wrong fuel oil is to not even start the car.  Have it towed to a garage and have the tank drained.  It is almost impossible to put diesel fuel in a car with a regular gas engine.  The nozzle for a diesel engine is much too large for the gasoline filler neck opening.

What about using gasoline or kerosene in your fuel oil tank for your furnace?  Another big no, no.  Number 2 heating oil has been formulated to work with a furnace and the ignition point of the furnace.  Other mixtures of fuel oil will have varying ignition points.  The result can be a fire.  Gasoline and kerosene are faster burning fuels and the result can be disastrous.

Each type of fuel oil was designed with a specific use in mind.  Some engines need a cleaner fuel and some need a fuel that will also act as a lubricant, like a diesel fuel.  Any time a fuel oil is used inappropriately you will have a damaged engine and possibly a fire.  Most tanks where fuel oil is put in will have the correct type of fuel listed.  Diesel gas pumps do have a different color nozzle.  The handle is typically green.  And inside the gas tank door it tells you to use diesel fuel only.  Even with all these precautions, take care not to interchange your type of fuel oil.

Kerosene is a fuel oil that is known by several different names including heating oil, boiler juice and paraffin. It is produced through the distilling of crude oil. There are two grades of kerosene which have different levels of Sulphur.  Kerosene is a clear, thin liquid typically used for lighting, heating, for powering aircraft of various types and in heating systems. Kerosene has been used for years and continues to be one of the most traditional sources of providing light and heat, originally in lanterns.  It is still used worldwide for cooking and providing entertainment.

It is estimated that in the United Kingdom, over 1.5 billion homes use kerosene to heat their homes. This is particularly due to its clean burning properties allowing it to maintain an increased level of heat, while being very economical to use as a primary source of heating.  One of the primary reasons for kerosene’s popularity is its availability. Continue reading ‘Uses for Kerosene’ »

At Sterling Oil Company we offer a number of different petroleum products such as kerosene, fuel oil, and various levels of gasoline. You hear of these products quite often in daily life but do you really know what they are? Here is a quick look at each of the petroleum types carried by Sterling Oil.

Probably the most commonly known petroleum product is home heating oil otherwise known as #2 Fuel Oil. The number ‘2’ is actually a class of oil rated by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classification system. It is delivered in a low viscosity liquid (meaning it is not too thick) state and is used widely throughout the United States at just under 7 million households.

Sterling Oil also carries ‘Low Sulfur (LS)’, a cleaner alternative to #2 Fuel Oil. LS is marketed as such because its sulfur content, is at the most, 15 parts per million.  To obtain this lower sulfur standard additional steps are taken during the refining process. It is a big step in the effort to lower emissions and become more environmentally friendly.

Kerosene is probably one of the more versatile petroleum products but is generally associated with lighting (such as kerosene lamps), cooking, and heating. Did you know it is also used as jet fuel and as an ingredient in insecticides? Like #2 Fuel Oil, kerosene has a low viscosity and is derived through the distilling of petroleum. It was the first to be extracted for large commercial purposes in the mid 1800’s.

In addition to all the products above, we also carry three grades of gasoline – regular, midgrade, and premium. The difference in the grade is based on the octane rating of the three. The higher the octane content, the higher the grade. Gasoline with a higher rating is less likely to self-ignite and will burn more evenly. When you are at the gas pump, the gasoline rating of 87, 89, or 91 (sometimes 93) correlates to their level of octane.

Various fuels have been distilled from petroleum for over 2000 years, first discovered by Arabian scientists. Petroleum products are, in short, very complex mixtures. In fact, there are many products we come across in our everyday lives that we do not realize are derived from petroleum, such as linoleum, perfumes, soap, and even vitamin capsules. Sterling Oil is proud of the petroleum products we carry and are proud to be serving the beautiful city of Lynchburg.

Our Very Own Inducted into Worldwide Who’s Who – Mrs. Beeler Hensley’s family business, Sterling Oil, is celebrating its 30th year of business

Donna Beeler Hensley Inducted into Worldwide Who’s Who for Excellence in Business Management

H.Wayne Beeler started the business Sterling Oil Company, Inc in 1983

Our Company is a Family Owned Business and We take Great Pride in giving Fast and Dependable Service to Our Valued Customers here in the Greater Lynchburg Area and Surrounding Counties.

Our Company also has a Service Department We Install a Full Line of Heating and Cooling Equipment which included Heatpumps as well.

So Give Our Company a call at 434-845-0971 and we will be Happy to Serve You

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Heating Oil is also a clean heat that creates no soot, dirt or odors in a properly maintained system. Heating oil has little negative impact on the environment and for every gallon of oil burned, 140,000 BTUs of heat are generated.

Heating oil is a clean, reliable and efficient way for homeowners to keep warm and comfortable all year long.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a K-Factor?

A K-factor reflects your individual rate of usage based on how cold it is. K-factor is determined by dividing the number of degree days by gallons delivered. The higher the K-factor the more efficient your heating system. This is similar to tracking your car’s miles per gallon.

What is a Degree Day?

Degree Days are a unit for estimating the demand for energy required for heating and cooling. Starting from the standard US indoor temperature of 65 degrees, a heating or cooling degree day is recorded every 1° decrease or increase from this standard.

What does Degree Day monitoring mean to me?

Think of it like the MPG (miles per gallon) calculations used for your car. Like MPG, Degree Day monitoring helps determine a particular rate of usage. Our Company tracks the number of accumulating degree days throughout the season and uses this formula based on your usage to determine when you will need another delivery.

Why are annual equipment tune-ups so important?

Annual tune-ups on your heating system will reduce the chance of breakdowns, keep your system running at peak efficiency and will save you money on your fuel bill.