CNG fuel source

  Even before I start working on the car, I need to make sure I have a CNG source.  My nearest public "fast fill" CNG station is 61 miles away in Milton, FL.  Here is a link to great web page showing CNG stations both public and private.  This is one of the biggest problems with CNG vehicles...CNG vehicles need "fast fill" stations, but not many companies will build "fast fill" stations until there are a bunch of CNG vehicles.  As a consumer it seems our best hope is companies converting fleet vehicles to CNG and sharing their stations with the public.  Waste Management is doing a great job converting garbage trucks to CNG and installing fast fill stations open to the public.  I have heard rumors they will be converting the trucks serving Fort Walton Beach in the near future.  There is hope.

 Another option is to install a home fill station such as a Phill. 

The station is a compressor pump with an input of less than one pound of pressure and an output of about 3500 psi.  The flow rate is very slow at .42 gallons gas equivalent PER HOUR.  If I get home at night about 6 pm and leave the next morning at 7am, this unit will pump about  5.5 gallons.  This is definitely enough for most commuters, but if you forget to refuel you will have problems.







  Unfortunately my home does not have natural gas, so I have contacted Okaloosa Gas to see how much it will cost to install a gas line to my house.  There is natural gas main about a block away, so hopefully it won't be too expensive.  When we do install gas to the house, we also plan on installing a tankless hot water heater, gas stove top, and gas grill.  Living in a hurricane prone area, a natural gas generator would be nice, but due to funding limitations we will wait.