... Set Up a Gas Station

Today a gas station can be a whole complex by itself, equipped with coffee bars, shops and restaurants.

The time invested in building a service station can fluctuate between three and four months, after the concession of all permits and licenses. Building a gas station requires strict environmental and safety guidelines to be followed.

The fuel is placed in underground reservoirs. The capacity of a reservoir varies between 10,000 and 40,000 liters, depending on the zone, size, and selling levels of the gas station. The reservoirs are made of metal and coated by a concrete layer on the outside and a fiber one inside.

For security, every gas station is equipped with extinguishers (depending on the number and types of gas pumps), escape detectors inside the reservoirs, security electrovalves, ducts that free gasoline gases, and computerized blocking systems.

Inside a gas station, it is better not to use cell phones or any other electronic device. It is forbidden to smoke or remain stationary with the engine in motion.

Loading and unloading: Besides the hose that connects the cistern to the reservoirs, there are other hoses used for the extraction of the gases which could accumulate inside. A soil outlet connected to the cistern avoids electric discharges. In case of an emergency, a computerized system interrupts the process.

The input hose: It has a duct in the fuel exit pipe which detects pressure increase when the car deposit overflows. A valve controls the fuel injection and another, situated in front of it, cuts it when the deposit is almost full.

The hose has two filters: one in the outside orifice and another inside the pump. Sometimes, a third is installed at the exit from the reservoir. In an emergency case, a valve blocks the fuel exit, and the outer tip breaks out (e.g., when a vehicle advances with the hose hooked).

To set up a gas station is one thing, to close one is a more complicated one. When a gas station is closed forever, this must be done cautiously in order to avoid environmental risks. All the products from reservoirs must be removed and all the elements are dismantled, like pipes and pumps.

The most important is to eliminate all the gas from the underground system (all the gases from gasoline which might have accumulated).

The reservoirs can just be filled with sand.

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