spookycocoapuff

spookycocoapuff t1_j9qwcp7 wrote

You guys are wayyyyy ahead of us then. We have inspections by weights and measures once every 2 years. It used to be once a year but they're "overloaded". We have a yearly inspection by the fire department, but they are only looking for specific issues, and I don't believe flow rates are one of the things they look at.

Fuel levels in the ground are checked constantly and reconciled daily, but fluctuations in temperature have us over or short up to 60 gallons a day, so it's less accurate a representation of how calibrated the pumps are. California leaves it up to each station to stay on top of all the maintenance, but the fines for equipment not working right or tampered with are heavy to make the owners want to have accurate and properly working equipment.

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spookycocoapuff t1_j9llebp wrote

I felt like that at first but reusing the same pieces multiple times an affect flow rates and cause the pump to need to be serviced and calibrated more often.

It often happens and the people that drive away without owning up to it make some stations charge more to make up for others that aren't honest. I've heard some stations charge $1200 for driving away with the pump. This could also be because other parts were damaged.

One way or the other an invoice for anything paid for is necessary for you to keep because once you've paid for any damage, any further payment is hard for the station to acquire without some sort of written statement. If you think you're being scammed - ask for a receipt. Make sure it's specific - parts and labor/description of damage.

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