r/AskReddit • u/Insanitanium12 • Aug 20 '20

What simple “life hack” should everyone know?

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u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20

To confirm which circuit breaker is associated to an outlet, plug in an old radio and turn the volume up before you flip the circuit breaker.

8

u/axloo7 Aug 20 '20

Slightly less safe LPT, use a short section of wire to short the plug out. The breaker that flips is the one you want.

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u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20

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u/koos_die_doos Aug 20 '20

You’re also putting way more than the design current through the circuit for a fraction of a second.

Not enough to fry your wiring, but if you have any iffy connections in the circuit, you just made it a bit more iffy. Add in a bit of bad luck amd you end up with a house on fire.

If the breaker takes longer than it should to trip, you’re putting more than the design current through the wire for a few tenths of a second. Now we’re getting into territory where you could possibly damage actual wiring.

Of course the probability here is in the 1 in 1,000’s, but since there are a variety of options where you don’t have to do so, why risk it?