Question? Fueling with Refrigerator or Furnace Running

When we stop for gas, I turn the fridge off, get us a cold drink, he moves into the filling area, fills the truck, then moves away from the filling area, I turn the fridge back on (unless we only have a short drive ahead of us) and we're on our way.

No big deal.

I err on the side of caution since I don't want to be telling the police or a reporter on the local news about why I didn't realize that gasoline vapors and open flames are not a good combination at a fuel station with the background being a three alarm blaze.

My refrigerator may not be where I'm filling... but someone else using another fuel aisle might be filling up their vehicle, and who knows where their vapors might land.

Desert Captain wrote:
The elephant in the room that has been ignored by everyone so far is the simple fact that there is NO reason to run your refrigeration while fueling, none, zip nada! Do you really think your food will go bad in the few minutes it is turned off? Are you too busy or just too lazy to do so? Read the safety warning posted on every pump, guess what? they apply to every one.... even you. :S

Well put.

I leave mine on all the time. My fridge is on the opposite side of my tank inlet on my truck and it's also 30 feet away.

I've never heard of an actual fire caused by a pilot light on the fridge.

CloudDriver wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

camperdave wrote:
To me it's just common sense, my fridge and my furnace both have open flames that are exposed to the outside air. Seems intuitively silly to have open flames going while I am fueling up. Do what you want, I don't need stats to tell me it's not a good idea.

I've always asked this question when this topic comes up and never get an answer. So......I will ask again.

How do you reconcile the fact that a trucks starter throws a shower of sparks off of the brushes when you turn that key to leave? Also you do realize that the vapor recovery system is working when pumping fuel but not when you leave and turn that key?

A starter motor is enclosed to keep out water and dirt when driving down the road. If it wasn't that way the starter wouldn't work for very long. With the starter a closed system, sparks from the brushes wouldn't be an issue if there is a gasoline spill.

That's a good thought but it's completely wrong. If that were the case they wouldn't sell sealed starters for boats. Fumes travel and lay low to the ground. Guess where your starter is.

Here is a little reading for you.

mpierce wrote:
In over 2 million miles of truck driving, and RV pulling, I have NEVER seen ANYONE turn off pilot lights either at the fuel pumps, or stopping BEFORE they get to the islands, getting out, and turning them off.

Guess you have never been behind me then. The LP gets turned off before I pull up to the pumps. And it gets turned back on again after I pull away from the pumps.

And in your 2 million miles of truck driving, how many loads of petroleum products did you deliver to gas stations per day??? I spent my last 20 years plus before retiring delivering to gas stations. Some times up to 4 or 5 different stations per day. Oh, it was six days a week too. And I've seen it all when it comes to gas stations and truck stops.

Between 1980 and 2008, structure fires, and outdoor/other fires at service stations dropped by 70%, each. Vehicle fires at these properties increased steadily until the late 1990s, and declined through the 2000s. Even with the recent decline, vehicle fires were still 29% higher in 2008 than they were in 1980.”

“An estimated 7,400 fires and explosions occurred at public service stations per year from 1994 through 1998. That means that, on average, one in every 13 service stations experienced a fire. These 7,400 fires caused an annual average of two civilian deaths, 70 civilian injuries and $18 million in property damage.
Of those 7,400 fires, nearly two-thirds (4,620) involved vehicles. Vehicle fires led to an annual average of one civilian death, 37 civilian injuries and $7.7 million in property damage.
Mechanical or electrical problems caused three out of four vehicle fires at public service stations. “

I haven’t seen one of these fires and know no-one else that has so I guess that means they just do not exist, haven’t happened and they are just lying…

it is absolutely silly to believe it doesn’t happen just because you have never heard of it or read about it on RV.net or even through an internet search…

nickthehunter wrote:

wny_pat wrote:
.... It is also a violation to fuel the LP tank while the LP tank's main valve is turned on, which is part of the same fire codes. .... Stupid is as stupid does!

I don't know of any other way to "fuel" a LP tank except with the "LP Tank's main valve turned on" (open)??

There are two valves on a ASME motorhome tank. The main valve feeding the house system has to be turned off to fill. I have never seen any service person not turn it off when fueling!!! I think that is what the OP is talking about, a mounted, attached, motorhome ASME tank. A Dot tank only have one valve and would have to be disconnected from the system to fill it I would think.

2oldman wrote:

wny_pat wrote:
visit your local fire department and ask them to dig out the NFPA code concerning open flame

That was not the OP's question.

The OPs question was ....just looking for something solid, not just hear-say." I do think he will find something solid there concerning this topic. Professional gire stations have access to the actual fire codes, and are required to go thru fire training based on actual fire events.

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

camperdave wrote:
To me it's just common sense, my fridge and my furnace both have open flames that are exposed to the outside air. Seems intuitively silly to have open flames going while I am fueling up. Do what you want, I don't need stats to tell me it's not a good idea.

I've always asked this question when this topic comes up and never get an answer. So......I will ask again.

How do you reconcile the fact that a trucks starter throws a shower of sparks off of the brushes when you turn that key to leave? Also you do realize that the vapor recovery system is working when pumping fuel but not when you leave and turn that key?

A starter motor is enclosed to keep out water and dirt when driving down the road. If it wasn't that way the starter wouldn't work for very long. With the starter a closed system, sparks from the brushes wouldn't be an issue if there is a gasoline spill.