The little notches you see on gas pump nozzles aren’t meaningless. They have several key purposes. For starters, they allow the customer to pump gas without having to hold down on the trigger. They also prevent drivers from overfilling their vehicles, which can lead to a plethora of issues down the line.
The multifunctional notches also allow gas station customers to choose the rate they want to fill up at, as most have a slow, medium, and fast setting. Most people, out of convenience, choose the latter option. But a TikToker warned against this in a video that’s been seen over 756,000 times.
“I’m fixing to teach all of y’all a life hack right now. You don’t want to put it on the fastest one,” he warns.
The TikToker equates a faster setting with more foam and a slower setting with more liquid. “You get nothing but liquid,” he promises when the slowest setting is activated.
He urges viewers to “try it out” for themselves.
“I’m putting y’all on right now,” he says, adding in the caption that doing this ensures you get all the gas you pay for.
So, is he right?
He is right. The slowest setting is usually the most cost-effective method. Cardenas Auto Group also co-signs the claim that the fastest setting could leave you with less gas than you pay for.
“Pumping at high speeds releases more gasoline vapors, which your nozzle pulls back in with a vapor recovery system most pumps are outfitted with,” it explains. “Pumping at a slower rate releases fewer vapors, which means you’re receiving more of the gas that you paid for.”
Wilson Insurance Services says the same, noting that the slow or medium settings are the way to go. Just steer clear of the fastest setting, the insurance company recommends.
WDYM there’s speeds?!
Many viewers didn’t even realize there were levels to pumping gas, and most of the responses to @original.bori’s video remark on that revelation.
“There’s speeds?!! omg i’m just a girl,” one comment reads.
“I didn’t know there were speeds….” the top-liked comment, with 41,000 likes, says.
“Wait, it has speed humps???” another viewer humorously questioned.
Other small ways to save money at the pump include filling up during the coolest time of day and avoiding gas stations that just received a gas delivery (a big tank truck is a telltale sign that the gas station you are at just received one).
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