Pro tip: A false alarm call at a big warehouse in Tacoma made me start using a $5 laser pointer for every sensor check.

I was up on a 20 foot ladder for an hour trying to find the beam break on a motion sensor until the site manager came by and shined his keychain laser at the lens, showing me it was just a spiderweb that had tripped the sensor, so now I always carry one in my tool belt to save time.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_emma1d ago

Honestly that's genius, and it makes me wonder what other cheap tools we're all sleeping on. Like, I've used a thermal camera to find overloaded circuits, but that's a huge investment. Are there other five dollar fixes for common problems? I'm thinking like using a piece of string to check for level over long distances, or a cheap magnet to find studs. What's the best low cost trick you've picked up?

mila_harris1d agoMost Upvoted

My favorite is a box of dental floss for emergency repairs. It's stronger than thread, waxed so it slides, and I've used it to pull wires, fix a tent zipper, and even as a temporary fan belt. The real trick is keeping a multi-tool in your car console, the kind you get for ten bucks at a hardware store. That combo has saved me more times than I can count, and it all fits in a glove box.