It would almost be a fallacy to say that people are getting what they are paying at the petrol pumps. Bad, adulterated fuel not only reduces the life span of the engine, but it also adds to the environmental woes. And especially with a price as high as above Rs 105 per litre in almost all the cities, checking the quality of the petrol has become extremely important these days.
Thankfully one does not have to be a chemist to check the quality and quantity of the petrol they are filling their vehicles with.
India’s largest oil PSU, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has made an effort to educate consumers about the benefits of clean fuel and how to check the quality of the same.
As per IOCL, one can check the quality of the petrol from the comforts of their home. They only need a filter paper to check and some petrol, obviously.
Steps:
-Take a white filter paper
-Pour a drop of petrol onto the filter paper from the petrol pump you want to check
-Wait for two minutes
-If you do not see any kind of stain or blot on the filter paper after the petrol dries up from the paper, know that you have unadulterated petrol with you.
And if you find some stains on the paper, then you will know that the petrol is adulterated and not good for your engine and fuel efficiency.
Likewise to check the quantity, a consumer can ask for a certified 5ltr jar at any petrol pump to measure.
The density, another important factor of the fuel quality can also be checked, however, it will take some amount of knowledge of the chemicals and some apparatus.
Fill the fuel in a clean 500ml jar. Immerse a hydrometer in the jar filled with the same fuel. Now after measuring the temperature using a thermometer use the ASTM table from where 15 degree density is achieved. Now compare this density with the one entered in the density register. If the difference does not exceed ±30 KGm³, it means the density is right.
In fact, the oil PSUs insist on checking the quality and quantity of the fuel.