What Do “Remove-By” Dates on Hanging Hardware Imply?

Look closely at your service station hanging hardware. Do you see a “remove-by” date on it? Wondering what does that date imply?

Dates on Hanging Hardware Imply

The remove-by dates on hanging hardware

Hanging hardware are critical components of a fuel operation. Their function is to ensure safe delivery of fuel in a contained environment. However, like any other service station equipment, they are susceptible to wear and tear and eventual failures.

Using failed hanging hardware is a risk to the safety of facility staff, gas station customers, and of course, to the environment. Even a small leak in hanging hardware can sometimes prove to be too costly.

To warn gas station owners about the potential failure of hanging hardware, manufacturers use remove by dates. These dates are like “best if used by” dates found on food products. They don’t necessarily mean that you cannot consume the product, but it’s best not to use the product after its “best if used by” date has passed.

Okay, but why don’t manufacturers simply specify “expire/expiration” date for hanging hardware rather than specifying “remove-by” date? After all, that will make things much simpler and clearer.

Well, here comes the tricky part.

Although, it’s a fact of life that all hanging hardware will eventually fail at some point, you can never tell for certain that when a piece of hanging hardware will actually fail.

Why is this so hard to predict?

This is because the life of hanging hardware is a function of many variables that simply can’t be pre-determined. These variables include fuel formulations, equipment use, and abuse, fuel throughput levels one-stop and weather conditions among others.

Therefore, manufacturers prefer specifying “remove-by” dates instead of “expiration” dates for hanging hardware.

A gas station owner may choose to continue using equipment even after its “remove-by” date has passed until complete failure, it isn’t a recommended practice. Hanging hardware often does not fail “safely”. And so, using worn out equipment can be a safety risk. It’s worth mentioning here that some hanging hardware manufacturers do not specify remove by dates for their products and may market it as a competitive advantage.

Our products have a longer service life!

However, by not specifying the remove-by dates for their products, they put the safety of their customers (and their customers) at risk.

Therefore, it’s strongly advised to only use hanging hardware at your gas station that come with remove by dates.

Stay safe and operate responsibly!

John W. Kennedy Company is your one stop shop for gas station equipment and supplies. We sell gas station breakaways, nozzle swivels, pipe fittings, service station hardware, shop management systems and everything else you need to keep your gas station operational, safe and efficient. Visit our online store to learn more about our product range.

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