AN ACR B737-200 PIC USED HIS MEL'ED APU AT A DOWN STATION IN CONFLICT WITH THE CONCEPTS OF THE MEL REQUIREMENTS BUT INCURRED A DELAY RPT FOR AN ALLEGED FUEL EQUIP PROB THAT WAS CLRED PRIOR TO DEP SDF; KY.

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DURING PREFLT APU WOULD NOT START. AT THE SAME TIME; OPS SUPVR CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO TELL US WE HAD A FUEL SPILL OUTSIDE; FIRE TRUCKS ENRTE; ETC. ACR X MECH MEL'ED THE APU FOR US; AND DURING THE ENSUING ACTIVITY SURROUNDING THE FUEL SPILL (IT WAS A LARGE SPILL; SPANNING THE DISTANCE OF OUR WINGSPAN). I FORGOT TO CALL DISPATCH TO AMEND OUR RELEASE. THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE FUEL SPILL WAS CAUSED BY OUR ACFT; OR THE FUELER. THE ACR X MECH GAVE US A 'CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH' FOR OUR FUEL SYS. WE STARTED ENGS WITH EXTERNAL AIR AND ELECTRICS AT THE GATE AND LEFT FOR SDF (1 HR LATE). AT SDF; I STARTED THE APU OUT OF HABIT AND IT RAN NORMALLY. (SINCE IT WAS HOT AND HUMID; WE USED THE APU TO START THE ENGS AND SAVE TIME LEAVING SDF.) THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED A 3000 LB SPLIT ON THE GND AT SDF; SO I WENT OUT AND HAD THE TANKS DRIPPED. MY FO CYCLED THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR BREAKER AND THE GAUGES INDICATED NORMAL. I CALLED MAINT BEFORE PUSH BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY MAY WANT TO CHK THE HISTORY ON THE ACFT'S FUEL SYS. THE GAUGES/FUEL SYS WERE ALL WORKING NORMALLY AND WE LEFT FOR BWI. UPON ARRIVING IN BWI; THE DISPATCH RPT REFLECTED ERRONEOUS INFO ENTERED IN THE 'DELAY INFO' BOX BY THE OPS AGENT IN SDF. THE DESCRIPTION MAKES IT LOOK AS THOUGH WE FLEW WITH INOP GAUGES/FUEL SYS PROBS; WHICH WE DID NOT. THE COMMENTS ALSO REVEAL WE DID NOT DO AN EXTERNAL AIR START AT THE GATE IN SDF. I REALIZE THIS IS MY FAULT; AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. IN MY DEFENSE; WE DID NOT HAVE ANY RESTRS FROM THE QRH OR MEL NOTES RESTRICTING US FROM STARTING THE APU (IE; NO OVERSPD LIGHTS; OVERHEAT/DETECTION INOP). IT WAS A MISTAKE; BUT ONCE OPERATING NORMALLY WAS USED FOR PAX CONVENIENCE AND COMFORT; AS WELL AS TO TRY TO MAKE UP SOME OF OUR LOST TIME.