Questions tagged [electricity]
Hacks to related to electricity: safe practices, electrical work, efficient usage, etc.
50 questions
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How do I power two 3W blubs from a power bank?
A friend of mine has a cupboard that includes two 3W light bulbs (the kind that are meant to look like flickering flames in case it makes any difference). There is a wire out of the back of the ...
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DC Voltage Step-down at High Current
I've asked this question on Electrical Engineering SE but no useful answers there - thought I would try it here instead and see if anyone had a creative solution.
I have a petrol mower with an ...
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How to thoroughly dry a wet socket cube?
My two-year-old son dropped a socket cube (similar to picture) into a bucket of water. I tried to dry it as much as I could, and placed it on a heater. But I'm very hesitant to plug it back into a ...
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Batterifying an alarm clock
I bought an alarm clock, like a Neanderthal, in order to get my phone out of my bedroom. I really like the one I got, but I didn't think battery backup was an essential feature when buying it. How ...
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How to know right power adaptor from monitor label?
A friend gave me his monitor but forgot the power cable.
I want to buy the power wire but I don't know which one is the right adaptor and plug.
Is there a way to know this from the monitor labels (see ...
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How to find out what time electricity got restored?
Let’s say the electricity got cut off and I go to sleep. When I wake up, if the electricity is back, I would like to know what time exactly it got restored.
Is there a mechanism I can set up to find ...
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How to prevent credit / debit / SIM card chip contacts from oxidizing?
I had and have some cards with embedded chips that I rarely use (a credit card, a SIM card and an Estonian E-ID card which is rather complicated and expensive to replace).
When it comes to using them, ...
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Get a rough idea of power consumption in a heater
I have a 2.5Kw ceramic fan heater which recently appears to be outputting less heat than it did when it was new.
My theory is that there are 2 separate heating elements because there are 2 heat levels ...
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Best ways to use free electricity?
We've intentionally oversized our solar panel array to have capacity for an EV we're planning to buy once our current cars punch out. Until then we produce and push back to the grid an excess. This ...
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A better heat & fire resistant suspension hack than the looped elastic fabric I have used here?
A better heat & fire resistant suspension hack than the looped elastic fabric I have used here?
Note:
Currently in Lockdown in a condo in Asia where corona has surpassed Wuhan
Stepping out is not ...
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How to protect a washing machine from weather?
My washing machine is a bit older, it has a steel or iron body (I can't differentiate between iron and steel but I am 100 % sure that it is not plastic).
Actually the tyres of my washing machine were ...
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How to make extender plugs neat?
At place like desk or near bad, usually lots of power plug from electronics charging, fan, lamps, laptops, like from three to ten. Using extender plug is required, but messy. Is there any way to make ...
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How to stabilize a laptop power plug port?
I have previously had the power plug port on a laptop fail because of the continual stress of the power plug, and getting occasionally accidentally pulled, or touched in literally any way, or whatever....
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How to patch up newer style headphone cables
In the old days, you could easily repair headphone cables just by stripping back the insulation on the wire at each side of the break, twisting the bare wires together, and wrapping insulation tape ...
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How can I safely cover an electrical outlet, without buying anything?
How can my grandparents fancy covering electrical outlets over and too near their kitchen sink, without spending money on covers? There are no children or animals in their home. Can they cover with ...
user1869
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How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
I have a battery recharger that shows no indication when the batteries are fully charged. I'm supposed to assume they are fully charged after 8 hours.
If I leave the batteries to charge while I'm out ...
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I can’t change this plug. How to open it while keeping it’s shape?
There’s 0.2ꭥ between this green and this red wire which is almost a short circuit (the ecu confirms it). The shape below is because of the heat of the engine causing the plastic to melt
A good knock ...
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How to prevent my new shoes charging me? [duplicate]
I got already a few ideas from How can I avoid getting static shocks in the winter? .
But I think my question is still diferent in the solution being asked for, as a) I am well aware of what causes ...
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How to prevent static electricity/static current
I had been getting very much of static current to a point where I am afraid of touching things. Even the shock had me overturn my coffee mug on me and my laptop. But now I am afraid of touching a ...
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How to get out broken piece of Plug in switch board? [closed]
I am stuck in a situation my broken plug piece stuck in a switch board while working in office as it is direct connection how easily I can remove it so that it didn't harm me?
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Cut electric switch board
I want to add a new switch and socket to a switch board. How can I cut it without using any machine? I don't know the exact material it is made up of but it can be best described as a 1mm thick sheet ...
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How to prevent NiMH batteries from leaking?
I have a low-power device (2mA max), wherein my NiMH batteries tend to leak. Following the advice of How do I prevent batteries from leaking?, I now have Low Self-Discharge batteries; however, they ...
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Creating a electronic circuit learning kit
I was thinking to create some electronic learning kit like this at home;
I need help to arrange ready to use or easily available items which can help me to make such kit to teach my 4 years old ...
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How can I determine the duration of a power outage?
We recently had several power outages due to late spring storms. None of the outages lasted long enough to worry about food spoiling, but we were home and knew how long we were without power. This ...
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How to insert plug into child-proof Schuko outlets?
In Finland (and several other countries), all outlets and extension cords are required to have child protection shutters. They are small plastic covers inside the outlet that are supposed to open when ...
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How to clean a pager charging port
I need help cleaning the connection on a Motorola Minitor (yes, I spelled it correctly) V pager.
Basically my issue is that the connection between the battery and charging pins is no longer the best ...
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Stopping a twist timer
I have a storage shed that has a twist timer so that the lights turn off every hour. Other than replacing or removing the timer (I don't have authorization to do that nor could I turn off the ...
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How to use free electricity?
I've recently joined a utilities tariff that gives me free electricity between 9am & 5pm on Saturdays. While I'm making sure to do all my laundry and DIY on Saturdays, I was also looking at things ...
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Replacing lost power adapter using low-cost alternative [closed]
I guess most people know the issue of losing a power adaptor for one of their devices. In my case I just lost this kind of adapter. I don't see how these adapters should be that expensive to ...
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How can I deal with refrigerator odor when it is turned off for a long period of time? [duplicate]
If I have to go out-station for long time,it is recommended to switch-off the refrigerator if there is no food in there to avoid any electrical accidents.
But,when I open the refrigerator after a ...
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How do you safely charge your laptop in your car? [closed]
Charging your laptop in the car is a great need when you live stray and knowing that really cool looking and cheap adapters are sold somewhere in the world is exciting.
But you wouldn't want to burn ...
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How to extend the lifetime of a rechargeable battery?
Telephones sometimes don't have a replaceable battery, so how do you extend the life and ability to hold a charge of a rechargeable battery in one?
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Remove Broken Lightbulb from holder
The light bulb broke off but the metal portion remains in the holder. What is the best or safest way to remove this bulb from the holder?
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How to avoid tripping a breaker [closed]
I have a microwave (~1200W when running) and a fridge (~600W when starting, rough/approximate measurement) on the same circuit, and whenever they are both running, the circuit breaker (110V, 15A) ...
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Using electricity at night [closed]
In Germany I get offers for reduced electricity rates from 22:00 to 6:00 for private households. The reduced rate is about 20% less than the normal rate.
We're a family of 4 persons, 2 adults and 2 ...
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How to fish electric wire from one end to other end of a long pipe
I have a couple of narrow pipes and couple of bent pipes in my home. I want to bring electric wires from one end to other end. I need simple, cheap & quickest ways to do that.
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How can I hide a cable from a lamp in my room
In my room I have got a lamp and have a frustrating cable hanging against the wall. How can I hide the cable?
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My monitor turns off when fridge starts. How can I stop this?
I just moved to a new flat and I brought my monitor with me. My problem is that whenever the fridge starts, my monitor turns off. This is not only annoying, but I'm concerned that it could cause long-...
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How to jump start a car without another car
There have been a few times when my car battery has died. Luckily, there has always been another car around to jump start me. I've always been scared that there will be a time when my battery dies and ...
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Avoiding static electricity [duplicate]
I've found that often, in the winter, I collect static electricity like nothing else. I'm not sure if its the cold, or my coat, or something else, but it's something I'd rather avoid, if I can.
What ...
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How can I charge my smartphone faster?
Sometimes I get home and need to go out again soon and only have a short while to charge up my phone before I leave.
Any tips or tricks on how to charge my phone any quicker?
I don't want to have ...
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How to generate electricity for free?
Are there any ways of generating electricity for free*? It doesn't have to be 110/220/230V, but for example charging the mobile would be useful.
* - free in terms of money, e.g. without paying ...
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Charge nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries with a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) Charger
I am using a portable wireless shaving machine. It was bundled with a nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery and a cradle + charger. The battery was 1.2v rechargeable one. I can operate the machine with a ...
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How do I prevent batteries from leaking?
I have recently bought a battery powered LED lamp for use on a camping trip.
When I return I would like to have it ready for use at home when the power goes out.
I am concerned that as it will be ...
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Changing a lightbulb high up without a ladder
I have a burnt out lightbulb that's in an open fixture about 15 feet (4.6 metre) high. How can I change it without a ladder or using one of those bulb changer extension arms? I tried the extension arm,...
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How to plug a twisted electrical wire
In the part of the world where I live, some workers carry multiple pieces of long wires in case the power source is far away, so they can connect various wires and reach the plug.
Since most of ...
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How can I test for electrical current through bare wires without a meter? [closed]
Similar to this question, but I'm asking specifically about bare wires, with no socket. I don't want to flip a breaker switch, or blow a fuse.
How can I test for a current in the cable(s) without a ...
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How can I avoid getting static shocks in the winter?
Some days, it feels like everything I touch gives me a shock. Car door, metal sink, even the dishwasher.
What can I do to reduce static shocks?
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How do I know how much charge a battery has left?
I have a box full of batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, and CR2032). I know some are empty because I chucked them in there together with full ones, which was probably not a smart thing to do.
Is there an easy ...
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Check for electricity in a socket without tools?
How can I check if there is electricity in a power socket without a tester or any other specialized tools?
Note: The method should not involve the destruction of the socket or my whole power supply!
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