39
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
Set the time on an electric clock that uses household current
Most households today have a microwave. This has a clock you can set. On nearly all of these the clock rolls back to 12:00 and flashes ...
- 2,718
17
votes
Accepted
Remove Broken Lightbulb from holder
Make sure there is no power going to the light, and use a potato. Cut it in half, jam it in and twist(unscrew) to remove.
- 1,783
17
votes
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
Get a mechanical mains timer - they are very cheap and set it for your 8 hr cycle.
It only progresses while there is power, so set it to the beginning of the cycle, plug it in and forget about it.
...
- 271
16
votes
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
Visit antique shops and second hand stores to find an old style electromechanical clock -- the kind with a motor and gears. Put this near the battery charger, plugged into the same outlet. When you ...
- 9,790
15
votes
Remove Broken Lightbulb from holder
TURN OFF THE POWER FIRST!!!
Put the jaws of pliers into the socket and force the handles apart to grip the inside of the socket. Turn the pliers to back out the bulb.
If the friction is not strong ...
- 1,884
11
votes
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
While the other answers here give some good suggestions for answering your literal question, I caution you that they likely won't solve your underlying problem. Knowing the power went out isn't ...
- 281
8
votes
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
Lifehack: Avoid the power cut all together. Connect your battery charger (and other critical devices) to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). It has a built in battery so it will continue to run your ...
- 1,112
7
votes
Accepted
How to prevent static electricity/static current
If you have any non-rubber soled shoes, that's going to be an easy place to start. You don't want to be insulating yourself from the ground if you can help it.
As far as clothing, try not to wear ...
- 691
6
votes
How can I determine the duration of a power outage?
There are two ways that I use.
I use a battery-powered analog clock (with hands) and another similar electric-powered one plugged into the same circuit as the refrigerator. Synchronize them before ...
- 14.1k
6
votes
Stopping a twist timer
The timer was put there by the storage owner so that their electric bill isn't subject to abuse by people renting the units. It also prevents (for instance) people using the units as marijuana ...
- 9,790
6
votes
How do I know how much charge a battery has left?
My take is that the multiplier in the formula is incorrect. For 1.5 volt alkaline batteries it is (voltage-1)*200. For 9 volt alkaline batteries it is (voltage-6)*33.3. A 1.5V battery is exhausted at ...
- 61
6
votes
How can I deal with refrigerator odor when it is turned off for a long period of time?
You should clean out the interior of your refrigerator with a mild solution of bleach and soap. You should only need to do this before you leave for a long time.
When you are using the fridge, unless ...
- 311
6
votes
Accepted
How can I safely cover an electrical outlet, without buying anything?
There's no lifehack for this. Buy outlet covers, they are cheap and importantly, they are designed to be safe in this situation.
Do not, under any circumstances use cardboard: it is a fire hazard. ...
- 6,274
6
votes
How to find out what time electricity got restored?
I have a mains powered digital clock. It has no backup battery and the time is reset when the power comes back on. The display flashes until I set the time, but continues to advance from 00:00 so I ...
- 4,440
4
votes
Accepted
How to use free electricity?
Any energy storage is going to require investment -- and the magnitude of the investment relative to the amount of energy you can store is why power utilities almost never attempt to store energy (as ...
- 9,790
4
votes
Stopping a twist timer
It is somewhat jarring to have the lights suddenly go off when you are in the middle of something, but the timer is necessary to ensure the lights aren't left on long after you are gone.
If you want ...
- 6,655
4
votes
How to prevent static electricity/static current
I have for many years carried a Cross pen in one pocket or another. During dry seasons I've learned to pull it out and carry it in my hand along with mugs, papers and anything else. One zap is all I ...
- 41
4
votes
How can I tell if there was a power cut while I was out?
Get any multimeter and measure the voltage on the battery. Depending on the battery type, the open-circuit voltage can be a great indication of the charge of the battery. Example for 12 V lead-acid ...
- 141
4
votes
How can I safely cover an electrical outlet, without buying anything?
This is a learning moment. You might find some redundancy in my answer.
Have a talk with your elders. Explain that it is a Safety mechanism that works automatically to turn off/deactivate the outlet. ...
- 14.1k
4
votes
How to stabilize a laptop power plug port?
You could attatch a glue-on cable clip to the laptop and secure the cable in it.
Something like this:
The clip's inner diameter should be the size of the power cable so it sits tightly. That way the ...
- 2,976
4
votes
Best ways to use free electricity?
If you have any gas appliances (range/oven, dryer, water heater), replace them with electric ones.
- 6,274
4
votes
Best ways to use free electricity?
Do not know where you are from, but in France, some are able to sell their excess electricity to the state and have the option of purchasing extra electricity from the state at a very reduced price in ...
- 1,192
3
votes
Accepted
How to insert plug into child-proof Schuko outlets?
I haven't found a better way than wiggling the plug. Examine the shutters: they are usually wedge-shaped. Wiggle in the direction of the slope (downhill) while applying a bit of force.
- 6,274
3
votes
How to clean a pager charging port
If it is a delicate connection, I wouldn't ever use sandpaper on it (nor do I think it would help).
Connector problems usually fall in two categories: the pins and the jack do not connect properly (...
- 170
3
votes
Accepted
How to extend the lifetime of a rechargeable battery?
Cell phone batteries (and everything else nowadays) uses Lithium Ion batteries. Unlike previous generations, these don't have a "memory" effect, so there's no need to completely discharge them all the ...
- 1,112
3
votes
Check for electricity in a socket without tools?
There's no completely foolproof way to do this.
You can plug in a lamp or other appliance, but this is prone to false negatives (situations where the appliance won't work, but the outlet still has ...
- 155
3
votes
Best ways to use free electricity?
Depending on where you live, there might be e-bike or e-scooter rental services around. These companies put a number of devices out on the streets in big cities, but collecting all of them to recharge ...
- 2,976
3
votes
Get a rough idea of power consumption in a heater
Run the heater on the lower heat setting and allow time for its output to stabilise.
Move one hand cautiously towards the hot air stream, taking care not to move it too close to the heater, and do not ...
- 4,440
2
votes
Remove Broken Lightbulb from holder
If you can't be sure which switch position turns off the socket (say, with a double switch that lets you control the light from two locations), locate and shut off the breaker for that circuit, or ...
- 9,790
2
votes
How to avoid tripping a breaker
As you suggest, it is probably possible to rewire a standard current-sensing power strip so that the slave outlet is turned off when the master (microwave) outlet is drawing current. Most relays have ...
- 5,918
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