What would we do without dads and their infinite knowledge of little-known home maintenance hacks?
Without this dad, we'd unnecessarily waste water with every toilet flush. In a short DIY video posted to YouTube, Hacks by Dad (@HacksbyDad) shares a dual-purpose hack that helps your toilet bowl refill faster and saves water.
The scoop
The hack is quite easy. Simply open the toilet tank and reposition the refill tube so that water fills directly into the toilet tank instead of down the overflow tube.
As long as the refill tube has a proper air gap between itself and the overflow tube, you are done and have already started saving water and money. If there isn't an air gap, the dad recommends purchasing a new refill tube that ensures a proper air gap.
In a before-and-after comparison video, the dad shows that after repositioning the refill tube to flow directly into the tank, the tank and bowl filled 12 seconds faster. That's 12 seconds of water that would otherwise be wasted, costing both you and the planet more.
How it's helping
Water-saving and other energy-saving utility hacks like this are low-effort ways to lower your household's impact on the environment and your wallet.
Decreasing water wasted from toilets, in particular, is one of the best ways to reduce overall water usage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, toilets are the primary source of water consumption, accounting for almost 30% of the average home's indoor water use.
Older toilet models can consume even more water, with some using as much as 8 gallons of water every flush.
Of course, another way to reduce your household's water consumption is by switching to a newer, more efficient toilet. By upgrading inefficient toilets, the average family can lessen water used for flushes by 20-60%, according to Water Saver.
Transitions to more energy-efficient appliances and other money and energy-saving upgrades can be scary, but there are plenty of organizations out there that can help you — often for free.
Arcadia, for example, is a new tech startup that helps homeowners switch to solar power with $0 in upfront costs. WattBuy is another company offering free, personalized services to help you save money using clean energy.
What everyone is saying
Users in the comments section were thankful for the detailed, water-saving DIY.
"So informative," wrote one YouTube user.
"Best [instructions] ever," commented another.
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