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Ask HN: What devices should people have in the home but usually don’t?
My example: an electrical multimeter. Check batteries, diagnose broken power cords, check voltage level at the outlet. I can’t imagine life without one.
What should everyone have but most people don’t?
- ksaj 5y agoA dremel. You never need one until you do. And then it's the only tool that will do what you need done.
- troydavis 5y agoA small, multipurpose (type "ABC") fire extinguisher. These work for basically all common types of fires, including grease fires in a pinch (if you don't have a way to starve it of oxygen). Examples: https://www.homedepot.com/p/First-Alert-Tundra-Fire-Extinguisher-Spray-AF400/202248841 https://www.homedepot.com/p/First-Alert-Tundra-Fire-Extingui... ($13) https://www.firstalertstore.com/store/products/First-Alert-Rechargeable-Home-Fire-Extinguisher-HOME1.htm https://www.firstalertstore.com/store/products/First-Alert-R... (larger and rechargeable, $37)
- leephillips 5y agoYes, I always have one. And when I lived in a house I had one on each floor.
- spaceheater 5y agoI have a suspicion that in most cases a bucket of water (or a vase) would be more useful.
- leephillips 5y agoDepends on what’s burning. Fire extinguishers are generally more effective and safer. For some kinds of fires, water can make things worse.
- theli0nheart 5y agoIn life or death situations where seconds count, it’s best to not have to think about a decision tree. You never want to try to put out a grease fire with water, for instance.
- Turing_Machine 5y agoA carbon monoxide detector, especially if you have a gas furnace or gas appliances. Smoke detectors are nearly universal these days, but CO detectors aren't as common.
- dtagames 5y agoA camping style LED light for power outages. One of the good designs out now works as a flashlight or a lantern. I have one in every room.
- timonoko 5y ago20 liter want tank. When the mains burst in midwinter, all pipes and sewers freeze too. Most horrible situation. Mounds of frozen shit and people queuing for hours for government water. And the water must be purified (with 10 drops of chlorine). You can test the water condition yourself, if the inside of the tank feel slimy, there is something growing.