In an age of self-serve carwashes and prepaid fuel cards, the gasoline pump seems quaint and relictual. But there are still many people who enjoy collecting gas pumps, whether they display them in their homes, businesses or garages, or resell them for extra cash. And that’s not surprising, given the wide range of styles and ages of these old machines.
Save Big on Fuel Costs: Where to Find Affordable Gas Pumps for Sale
The earliest gas pumps for sale were crude but made getting gas much safer and simpler than carrying around a steel canister of the stuff in one’s hands. The most visible part of the retro-style pump was a large, rotating wheel with numerals on it that ticked off the price and number of gallons consumed. Later, glowing LCDs began to appear on the screens of the pumps. And now, modern electronic gas pumps are divided into two major parts – an “electronic head” that uses an embedded computer to control the pump’s action and drive its displays, connected to mechanical sections containing electric motors, pumping units, meters, pulses and valves that physically pump and mix the actual blend of gasoline to match a customer’s request.
But that feat of gas bartending is no simple task because gasoline expands and contracts a lot as it changes temperature. That’s why the pumps have to be able to do the job in a variety of weather conditions. They also need to be accurate, because the amount of liquid pumped must precisely match the amount ordered by the customer and delivered by the tanker truck.