No I'm not on my phone when I refuel. The title is just to clickbait you all but my question is - if I did, do I run the risk of blowing up the whole petrol station as a result of it?
My initial thought is no, otherwise 1. Lot of people would have done so by now and 2. The warning signs at the stations would be far more alarming colours and text.
So if the answer is no, what is the warning for?
It can. Theoretically.
And you won't be able to afford the damages. Practically.
Phones, especially cheap and or older units, spark when it connects. Petrol fumes are flammable. Things on fire get hot. When things heat up, they become more combustible. When more things combust…
Throw in (please don't) a small child and you've got yourself a very very sad story.
You could have saved that hypothetical child, you monster!
i get sparks when i touch my car
Exhibitionist?
Or Dragon…
And yet someone has deemed it safe to allow / encourage / mandate that untrained individuals interact with hazardous liquids, as an everyday common event.
It's one of the few ways remaining that Darwinism can still act.
not everybody thinks it will blow up the petrol station.
1) Mythbusters tried this myth
2) as did the ABC
AFAIK the risk is that you won't pay attention, and could spill fuel while distracted.
A fault in the phone can lead to ignition, but it's exceedingly rare and if that was the reason they'd ban you from having the phone in your pocket, which they don't. Higher powered radio devices (walkie talkies) may have some potential to make a spark by RF but also rather minimal.
There was an idiot smoking and waiting by the pump while I was refuelling across the bay. Asked him to extinguish his cigarette but he just walked away. It was very dangerous but it also showed how difficult it can be to ignite petrol fumes.
It's a low probability thing definitely, but it's one of those "low-probability catastrophic-consequence" kind of events. Even if it's one-in-a-million occurrence, the one time it happens it's liable to burn people to death. Considering the cost of mitigating that risk (just not being on the phone) it's a no-brainer to do so.
As I recall (think it may have been the Mythbusters episode, I'm not sure) the original ban was because somebody was on the phone BUT, the cause of that fire was a static discharge. However, as they couldn't disprove the mobile's involvement i.e. exploding battery, RF interference etc, a blanket ban was enforced.
Every device that has a switch will make a small spark on the contacts meeting. The reason phones were singled out was cause they used to have buttons and if you were dialing 10 digits while refueling, that’s 10 small spark events near potentially flammable material. Having said that, the starter motor in your car has a +/- 500 amp spark on initial contact inside the solenoid so a mobile, walkie talkie or other motor or switch operated device is probably pretty safe.
Is It Safe to Refuel Your Car While Using a Mobile Phone?
Eleven 7 have cameras. They might catch you locking in fuel from another state
Some years ago I was on a call in a petrol station. Had been sitting in the car for a couple of minutes talking, when I decided I'd get out and actually put fuel in.
Pump refused to work.
Ended the call very shortly after, and put the phone in my pocket, and the pump started working.
When I went in to pay, the attendant told me he has to switch off the pump if he sees someone using a mobile phone near the bowser, as it was company (Shell) policy.
I saw the Mythbusters episode, but surely you'd think this has it's roots in truth somewhere. Maybe it's the old brick-style phones that were a potential issue, and it's now just a hangover 'just to be sure'.
It happens every day(phones used on forecourts)and do we ever hear of petrol station incidents? Hardly ever.
But it does happen - the facts: in the event of a spill or leak, or excess fumes(it is the fumes that burn and cause your death)and in the perfect environment with fuel/air mixtures, a spark is the missing element to an incident. That could be a small flash or a full blown explosion and fire ball making you a very crispy critter, if any of your bits are found again.
The danger where the highest risk is not using the phone as a phone, but more so from dropping and that impact can in a perfect situation cause the spark. A lot a near perfect conditions must be present but that is the risk and as we have seen in the news, batteries and phones do go bang, and can cause a bigger bang, if in a petrol station.
There are many other risks like pilot lights, chargers etc etc, and can every danger be removed one day, probably not, but phones and cars seem to a known killer more than other risks, so there you have it. Car guy, qualified mechanic and certified in fire risk in workshops/service station and military fuel farm installation experience.
Regardless of the risk, I am told not to do it, therefore, I don't do it, simple really.
Irrelevant topic. Total troll thread.
Fuel stations are private property. They have the right to ask you to not smoke, bbq, light secented candles, use gas lanterns or use your mobile phone while you use their property and their equipment. If they had a sign that says you can only wash windows from right to left and you go left to right, they have every right to ask you to leave.
I would say that mobile phone use is the same as on aircraft. It’s not “dangerous” to do it, but it makes the person on the phone about the equivalent of a retarded monkey when it comes to observation. Fueling a car is an exercise in paying attention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjrkwxMhc4s