Lifehacks Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to bypass life's everyday problems with simple tricks. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
So, this has happened twice. I have a tea/beverage dispenser in the fridge with a tap at the bottom. The lever is not fixed and can spin around. Here is a pic:
Someone leaves the thing too close to the door inside the fridge and when the fridge door closes, it proceeds to push the dispenser lever and I get tea/Kool-aid/water all over the bottom of my refrigerator.
What life hackish things could I do to prevent this from occurring?
If the dispenser always sits on the same shelf in your refrigerator, put a piece of tape (like red electrical tape) on the shelf to mark the "farthest forward spot" that the dispenser can sit without leaking. The let everyone in the house know that the tea needs to be behind that line. The tape should be a simple reminder for everyone.
Adjust either the height of the dispenser or the shelf on the door of your fridge that is hitting it. These dispensers are controlled by the lever on top. Most likely what is happening is that your door shelves are just the right height to slide over the top of the front of spout but compress the back of it just enough to cause the leak. Place a cutting board under the dispenser and then it won't line up so perfectly(imperfectly?).
Update: another thought... how about elevating the dispenser enough that it won't have to be slid forward for a cup to fit under the spout? If the dispenser never moves it will never be in the wrong spot.
I think you need to change your question. I've used one of those jugs before and it is kind of a pain to use in the fridge because you can't get your glass underneath the spout; so your friends/family may be pulling the jug forward to get some juice. Why not fix a small rubber hose on it so they don't have to move the jug? Or perhaps some sort of horizontal funnel. The main idea is that you could put something on it to redirect the liquid out past the fridge shelf so people don't need to pull the jug out to get juice. Anyway, that's how I would approach it. That way your jug could be farther back and you wouldn't get that problem (if my assumptions are correct).
Put a small turntable (lazy susan) under the dispenser, and rotate it away from the front of the refrigerator when you close the door.
Take a blade and cut the lever to be shorter.
Attach a dowel or similar item to the front of the dispenser that sticks out farther than the tab. Attach it at such a height that it also bumps into part of the door. If the dispenser is pulled too far forward, closing the door will actually shove it backwards. (No, I'm not sure how to attach a dowel securely to a glass container that may have condensation on it.)
This could also work with a brim all the way around the dispenser, like it's wearing a top hat.
To reverse the idea, you could attach the dowel to the refrigerator door. However, if the dispenser gets moved, this wouldn't work.
Occam's Razor: The easiest answer is often the best.
Just, I don't know, put a piece of tupperware or something under it.
If you're intent on keeping the lever up, though, string or tape may be able to support it via tension.
