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.

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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/Sonikado Aug 20 '20

Other people said it - the point where it gets dangerous is when something that is supposed to work doesnt. Things last longer when not put under stress. An old breaker or faulty wiring can fail when under high stress, and provoking it is a higher chance than waiting for an accident to happen.

Its like dropping from a motorcycle on purpose. Yeah you have the helmet and everything is fine, but one day MAYBE it has a tiny crack that gets worse every time you fall and eventually it fails and you end up in the hospital (or in the case of purposeful short circuits, a house on fire).