Problem with foam at the local pump?

[Champy]

I recently went to buy 5 gal of diesel at the local gas station, and it didn't make the right sound going into the yellow plastic container so I stopped and held the nozzle up to see what was coming out........The fuel coming out of the nozzle looked like it was almost all foam. I stopped and went to another station.

Anyone else had this occur?

 

[George2615]

I've always noticed diesel fuel foams as it goes into the tank. I think its because the diesel pumps at a faster speed than a gas pump and the fuel aerates much more. The pumps run at a faster rate to save big rigs time when refueling. They usually need to fill two hundred gallon tanks (one each side). I fill my yellow jugs till it clicks off then fill the 2nd jug. When the second one clicks off I go back and top off the first. It usually only takes another half gallon more to top it off.

 

[5030]

Diesel even foams coming out of my bulk tank when I fill my tractors. You need to be a little more patient and not in a hurry. Life won't pass you by.

Pump you can full, wait a minute and top it off.

 

[Champy]

Alright, so diesel normally foams or flows like this when pumping into containers, etc.........then why would the second station I went to appear to pump in a normal manner (i.e. - less "foamy")? Do major stations get water in their big tanks that would cause more than normal amount of foaming?

Thanks

 

[Jimbrown]

Water has nothing to do with it. It is how fast the pump is pumping that causes it. Unleess you just caught one that was almost empty.

 

[thcri]

Foaming is normal and can come from the additives used. Do a google search for foaming when filling diesel fuel. Here is one link. Open the Pdf file then find foam. They don't say why here but it can happen.

murph

 

[QueBota]

Don't know why but some pumps foam more than others. I try to use the pumps at stations I know that will allow me to fill up my truck completely without too much trouble. I like to fill my truck up to the filler neck when I fill it, easier to keep track of mileage that way. I can normally get another 3 or 4 gallons in my truck after the intial auto click off of the pump.

Dave

 

[pat32rf]

A lot of the foam is caused by tiny burrs in the nozzle or its fittings (downstream of the actual valve),which causes turbulence which causes bubbles. The pump normally has a sight glass in it which should always be full of fluid with no air bubbles, unless the tank is MT or has a leak on the suction side of the pump. Either one should cause the station to take the pump out of service.

 

[dieselalles]

Champy, I don't know if this helps, but I religiously monitor the fuel useage in my 47 gallon equipped Ford Powerstroke Excursion and my 14.5 gallon 2003 VW Jetta TDI. And I've fueled in a variety of different stations all over the Southeast and in Texas. When I fill, I write the mileage on my receipt and when I get home I plug all the numbers into a spreadsheet. So if there was a discrepancy, I'd see it. For example, if a pump dispensed 40 gallons of foam but in reality was only 30 gallons of liquid, it would really skew the numbers. And like you, I've seen some fuel pumps that look like they are pumping pure foam, others not so much. And over the years, I've never seen a difference between pumps that foam up and pumps that don't. My assumption is that the pumps are dispensing pure diesel with no air bubbles, and somewhere between the meter and the the end of the nozzle, the frothing occurs. For me, it seems to get worse in winter about the time winterized diesel comes out.

 

[VT_Hokie]

When you fill your can angle the nozzle close to the side instead of shooting it straight down into the liquid and lay off of the flow rate. This will help with some of the foaming, won't get rid of all of it though. Think of if making suds in you car wash bucket. A fast stream right in the center makes good froth for washing but a slow stream down the side makes less bubbles.

VT