# Your life-hacks (formerly known as tips & tricks) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267 "2024-07-15T12:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/201 "2026-03-13T01:57:00Z")
(bear in mind I am NO expert) … but the way I’d play this: use lots of old newspapers … and see if you can spot where the dripping is coming from and work your way back from there … you might even “line” the tubes with newspaper and then go upstream … ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/202 "2026-03-13T02:00:33Z")
Thank you for mentioning the capacitors. The only thing I ever do to the outside unit is hose out the leaves — I’ve no guts around caps. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/203 "2026-03-13T02:28:24Z")
This is a stretch: is it possible condensate from the A/C is working it’s way into the old dehumidifier and leaking out from there? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/204 "2026-03-13T12:46:57Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > One should also mention that the size of capacitors used in HVAC equipment has everything it takes **to kill you** … easily hours after you turned off the power to the unit … Just what I was going to say. I took an a/c class decades ago, and this was one thing that was drilled into us. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/205 "2026-03-13T20:48:44Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > This is a stretch: is it possible condensate from the A/C is working it’s way into the old dehumidifier and leaking out from there? So today I removed the little sump pump, cleaned the floor, disassembled the pump and cleaned it, etc. I then discovered the source of the water leak. It wasn’t coming from the sump pump, furnace, or A/C unit. In the second pic in my previous post, you’ll see the water heater on the left. Water is dripping from the pressure valve! Not sure how to fix that. [![](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55145884281_8d5b4d9f16_w.jpg) ](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55145884281_8d5b4d9f16_w.jpg) (And sorry for the off-topic.) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/206 "2026-03-13T22:03:47Z")
Give this a look-see and see if it helps; it seems legit. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-3lp4FSPScU/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Stop a Water Heater Relief Valve from Leaking (Easy Fix or Replacement)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3lp4FSPScU) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/207 "2026-03-16T23:55:02Z")
To remove the pit from an olive, push the _blunt_ end of a chopstick against the _pointy_ end of the olive. This is the only way to get the pits out without smashing the olives. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/208 "2026-03-17T13:58:26Z")
I have my own method for removing the pit from a halved avocado, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else without caveats. So consider yourself warned. There’s a popular method where you swing a big kitchen knife, hack into the pit, and twist it out. That works pretty well, but you’re still swinging a large knife with some force, so there’s potential for accidents, and the pit is often somewhat difficult to remove from the knife. What I do is, I hold the half with the pit in my non-dominant hand, then take a smaller pointy knife in my dominant hand and carefully twist the point into the pit. Here’s why I wouldn’t recommend this-- it sounds like an accident waiting to happen: the knife could slip off the slippery surface of the pit and stab the hand holding the pitted half, right? But here’s the thing-- I use _very little_ forward force with the knife. Even if I did slip, I’d be fine, since I’m using so little forward force. Avocado pits are softer than they look. It’s very little effort to twist the knife in until one gets enough purchase to twist the pit out. Then just fling the pit off the point of the knife into the garbage. But again, if you do try this, be careful and do so at your own risk. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/209 "2026-03-17T14:11:26Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > And I’ve found a cheap way to give it a little bit of flavor: A reply to an ancient post, but… “barman’s friend”, a cocktail/mocktail your boss will not fire you for. Add a dash of Angostura Bitters to iced water with lemon. Somehow even more refreshing than plain water. It is alcohol based, but a dash is not enough to get anywhere near drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/210 "2026-03-17T14:32:14Z")
I need to revise that old post. 🙂 So at work I drink one Mountain Dew Zero and one Gatorade Zero each day. To get more mileage out of them, I tried mixing each with water. I discovered that a 50/50 mix of Mountain Dew Zero and water tastes fine. Even a 20% MDZ / 80% water mix tastes fine. This allows me to get plenty of water while only consuming one MDZ. But… I can’t say the same for Gatorade Zero; a 50/50 mix with water just doesn’t taste good for some reason. So I drink it straight. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/211 "2026-03-17T14:38:42Z")
The biggest safety tip to any pit removal method is to hold the avocado with a towel. Unless you’re doing a Conanesque swing/stab it’s unlikely you’ll penetrate to flesh. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/212 "2026-03-17T14:44:27Z")
Even easier than any knife trick is to hold the avocado in both hands and push the back of the avocado with your thumbs, as if you’re trying to turn it inside out, and the pit will rise up and pretty much plop out all on its own. A little flick with a knife or spoon is enough after, if the pit is a bit stubborn. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/213 "2026-03-17T15:09:06Z")
Hmm…I’ll have to try this method. The only downside I can imagine is if you want to get nice-looking slices it may squash the avocado too much. But maybe not. And of course if your goal is making guac it’s a non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/214 "2026-03-17T16:10:37Z")
I’ve never had any trouble working with avocados. I use a paring knife to cut it in half, working it around the skin so it splits into two halves with the pit in one one. I scoop the flesh from the un-pitted half with a spoon, then stick the tip of the paring knife into the pit and lever it out. If it doesn’t pop out easily I use the spoon to scoop out the pit. I’ve never cut myself doing this; it’s just a matter of being careful and not forcing things. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/215 "2026-03-18T14:19:58Z")
My husband mixes Mt. Dew, A&W, and fruit juices with water all the time. His reasoning for the pop is that he doesn’t like too much fizz, and he doesn’t like his juice too sweet. It doesn’t sound good at all to me. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/216 "2026-03-21T22:18:17Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Also has the added benefit of not having a handle jutting out so you have some shelf space in front. Not a problem with an over-the-range microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/217 "2026-03-21T22:45:38Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Not a problem with an over-the-range microwave. Over-the-range are a major problem for shorter types who dislike the risk of sloshing hot food in our faces. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/218 "2026-03-22T10:04:04Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Over-the-range are a major problem for shorter types who dislike the risk of sloshing hot food in our faces. This. I’m tall and my wife is short. I would never allow an over the range microwave in our house. I even find them dangerous, and I’m 6’3". [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267.md?page=10)