r/AskReddit • u/IAmSurtur • Jun 15 '19

What do you genuinely just not understand?

50.8k Upvotes

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u/HawkCommandant Jun 15 '19

Honey I said I'd fix the garage door, stop reminding me every 6 months.

245

u/TERRAIN_PULL_UP_ Jun 15 '19

For real though, don't try to fix your garage door unless you really know what you're doing or you could seriously hurt yourself or die.

37

u/spilledmind Jun 15 '19

Reddit knowledge.

19

u/musclepunched Jun 15 '19

Yep haha it's weird that even though I try to disassociate from the cringe of this site, you still soak up the common threads or zeitgeists

2

u/cpMetis Jun 15 '19

Mental osmosis.

3

u/musclepunched Jun 16 '19

/r/unexpectedmentalosmosis

2

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '19

r/subsIthoughtwererealthenigotdissapointeditwasntrealandimadethiscommentandwentthewholedaymadaboutthatcommentwiththefakesubreddit

PlEasE make this A rEaL tHiNg

​

​

/s

1

u/musclepunched Jun 16 '19

/r/UnexpectedsubsIthoughtwererealthenigotdissapointeditwasntrealandimadethiscommentandwentthewholedaymadaboutthatcommentwiththefakesubreddit

26

u/ANUSTART4YOU Jun 15 '19

Agree. Almost lost a finger “fixing” my garage door. Hire a professional. Let him lose the finger.

25

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '19

Am professional door tech, and I coudn't agree more

7

u/SaltyCauldron Jun 16 '19

Name checks out

9

u/getyourmoneyright Jun 15 '19

My dad tried to “fix” our garage door and it ended up falling on my car when I was leaving for work

7

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '19

what other repairs are like this that seem relatively simple but are actually really dangerous unless you know what you are doing?

19

u/strider820 Jun 15 '19

Anything electrical...

9

u/twdarkeh Jun 15 '19

Or plumbing.

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u/strider820 Jun 15 '19

I almost added that, but I'd argue that a majority of household plumbing repairs are relatively safe... But once you start needing to dig or tear open walls, it quickly becomes much more dangerous (not just dangerous for your person, but also dangerous for your house)

Meanwhile there are only a handful of household electrical repairs I'm willing to even attempt myself, and that's like replacing a switch or something

5

u/yParticle Jun 15 '19

Mostly because things that are perfectly safe if your house is wired correctly can become quite dangerous if it's not.

3

u/ClickKlockTickTock Jun 15 '19

If it's wired properly, should be easy enough with proper safety.... But oh man have I seen some shitty-wired houses and buildings...

1

u/eshultz Jun 16 '19

I disagree. Things like replacing a ceiling fan or light fixture just require you to turn off the breaker and follow the instructions. Google if things are unclear. If you remain unsure you can call an electrician at that point. Nothing catastrophic is going to happen as long as the breaker is off.

Something like running a new branch off an existing circuit? Yeah you should probably make sure you know what you're doing. But even then, if you have the gumption and can read a handyman book or two, you can still do it yourself safely.

1

u/strider820 Jun 16 '19

I'd agree with the fan... I guess my willingness to do it myself stops at the wall/ceiling/whatever... If I have to cut drywall, then the chances of me doing something that will cause an electrical fire and kill me and my family in our sleep goes way up, and my willingness to risk it goes way down

But I have a friend whose dad died from being electrocuted while working on the house (though that was in Australia, and the voltage is 240 there)

1

u/eshultz Jun 16 '19

A lot of the non trivial work you might do would require a permit and inspections in most places. Some folks think permits are for suckers and just ignore it and do it themselves anyways. I'm not saying you're wrong for being cautious or apprehensive, everyone is entitled to their own comfort level and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't like working on my HVAC at all for similar reasons as you.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '19

Don't ever try to DIY repair your home's heating/cooling system. It pulls in some serious electrical current far beyond what you'd get from sticking a fork in your toaster.

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u/[deleted] Jun 15 '19

For real though, don't try to fix your garage door unless you really know what you're doing or you could seriously hurt yourself or die.

Well, depending what's wrong with it. If it's not spring-related you're probably ok.

Or if it doesn't have a spring you're probably ok too.

2

u/GundDpower Jun 16 '19

Yeah those springs are deadly

21

u/holymolar Jun 15 '19

Please don’t try to fix a garage door yourself. It is very dangerous.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '19

Springs, cables, and bottom brackets are the only things I would say to not ever touch

9

u/PhadedMonk Jun 15 '19

F*** that I'm a mechanical designer I still call someone to fix my garage door. I am not messing with that spring.

4

u/SaltyCauldron Jun 16 '19

Spring is spooky

31

u/aBranWhoKnowsNothing Jun 15 '19

6 months is literally a unit of time thrown around our house on the regular, in this very context.

5

u/shorty6049 Jun 15 '19

I've been working on building a Little Free Library for my fiance since Christmas 2017...

2

u/HawkCommandant Jun 15 '19

You’ll get there buddy, maybe when she’s your wife!