this post was submitted on 30 May 2026
224 points (99.1% liked)

Dull Men's Club

4243 readers
200 users here now

An unofficial chapter of the popular Dull Men's Club.

https://dullmensclub.com/

1. Relevant commentary on your own dull life. Posts should be about your own dull, lived experience. This is our most important rule. Direct questions, random thoughts, comment baiting, advice seeking, many uses of "discuss" rarely comply with this rule.

2. Original, Fresh, Meaningful Content.

3. Avoid repetitive topics.

4. This is not a search engine
Use a search engine, a tradesperson, Reddit, friends, a specialist Facebook group, apps, Wikipedia, an AI chat, a reverse image search etc. to answer simple questions or identify objects. Also see rule 1, “comment baiting”.

There are a number of content specific communities with subject matter experts who can help you.

Some other communities to consider before posting:

5. Keep it dull. If it puts us to sleep, it’s on the right track. Examples of likely not dull: jokes, gross stuff (including toes), politics, religion, royalty, illness or injury, killing things for fun, or promotional content. Feel free to post these elsewhere.

6. No hate speech, sexism, or bullying No sexism, hate speech, degrading or excessively foul language, or other harmful language. No othering or dehumanizing of anyone or negativity towards any gender identity.

7. Proofread before posting. Use good grammar and punctuation. Avoid useless phrases. Some examples: - starting a post with "So" - starting a post with pointless phrases, like "I hope this is allowed" or “this is my first post” Only share good quality, cropped images. Do not share screenshots of images; share the original image.

.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Wife was complaining that my UPS in the garage kept making a clunking sound and then the lights would flicker.

So I went down and watched, and sure enough the lights would flicker and the UPS would clunk. Looking over the voltages I would see a 20v drop and then it would come back. I happen to have a UPS on the 2nd leg of our box so I watched that one, and the voltage never shifted.

Turned off the breaker box, pulled the cover, pulled the breaker in question. boom, clearly it was a corroded contact causing higher resistance, and heat, and causing brownouts.

$8 later were back up and running, and I can sleep safer knowing at least THAT breaker is not going to start a fire.

all 23 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I just realized that UPS batteries need ro be replaced like every 3 years and I'm NOT happy about it.

Meh it's not too bad. I did a bunch need to do some more in about a year.

[–] cecilkorik@piefed.ca 53 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Isn't it nice when the breakers, the things supposed to protect you from a fire, are the ones potentially trying to start one? But yeah, that sucks.

[–] turtlesareneat@piefed.ca 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've heard people talk about replacing them after x number of years for this, also some folks talk about replacing electrical receptacles every 20-30 years too, as it's rated for that lifespan in your walls. I happen to be replacing mine as I go to change the color, but honestly mine are all 26 years old and I'm not sweating.

[–] infinitevalence@discuss.online 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

if inserting a plug feels loose or if they fall out then it needs to be replaced. Otherwise its probably ok, but yes they do have a lifespan. I updated every switch and every plug in my last house because it was from the 1950's.

Backstabbed receptacles are everywhere in my current house, they have all been loose when I went to replace them with modern style. That's a house fire waiting to happen.

[–] timeghost@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I thought that was a photo of a naked person straddling a bench.

[–] muffedtrims@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Them hips don't lie

[–] unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Lol at the old TV trope: Wife complained about a clunking noise. And I said, "Alice!"

I went down there to investigate and it was Garfield the cat, 200 pounds and welding a strut onto a boat and then he beat me with jumper cables

[–] swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Be careful, I think you just doxxed yourself as Jon Arbuckle

[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 6 days ago

Jon arbunckle jumper cables guy confirmed

[–] The_v@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If one breaker is that corroded, what about the rest?

[–] infinitevalence@discuss.online 13 points 1 week ago

I spot checked a few, and they looked fine but I had the same thought. Realistically though if I cant get working in the next week I am going to have to sell the house anyway so this fix was just so it wont burn down right away.

[–] Cursed_Fig@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

That's called "extent of conditon"

[–] Switorik@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

$8 doesn't sound like arcfault pricing.

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Bingo

If youre replacing breakers in living spaces that dont already have to be GFCIs, they should be arc faults

[–] infinitevalence@discuss.online 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I need a job before I can start springing for $60 breakers.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

just changed 20 20amp tandem breakers in my box because they were all leaking and about 40, years old.

total from the store? $900

my wallet: 404 no monies found

[–] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

It's nice to notice a problem, take a look, and immediately see a problem, rather than chasing an intermittent problem.

I had an electrical issue that was an outlet that would have normal voltage until under load. Then it would tank. Turned out the neutral on one of the outlets in the chain had a contact that was loose. Took forever to find and thought I was losing my mind.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Oh! I know this one! Just blow on it.

[–] i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

Yer breaker broke