Simon Sullivan (u/simons28)

Posts

Switched from plastic bags to reusable produce bags last year, finally realizing I was the problem

I used to grab a new plastic bag for every apple or orange at the grocery store, thinking it was no big deal until I counted 40 bags from one trip. Six months later, I still wonder if the cotton bags are actually better or just feel better. Anyone else have that moment where you realized your "small" habit was a bigger deal than you thought?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

simons28•24d ago

The week my solar panels turned against me in July

Last July during that heatwave in Phoenix, my solar setup actually started losing power instead of gaining it because the panels got so hot. I called a guy named Dave from SunDog Solar and he said temps over 115 basically fry the efficiency by like 20 percent. Spent three days running a hose over them just to get basic charging for the AC. Has anyone else dealt with panels tanking in extreme heat?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

simons28•25d ago

Used to spend hours blending layers by hand back in 2015

Now I just crank up the flow on a soft round brush and it looks exactly the same in half the time. Anyone else simplify their workflow as their skills improved?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

simons28•26d ago

Rant: Spent $400 on a self-leveling post hole digger attachment - best and worst money I ever spent

I paid $400 for a hydraulic auger attachment that levels itself on slopes. On my last job in hilly Vermont, it saved me about 3 hours of leveling post holes by hand. But on flat ground, the thing just spins and digs crooked because it tries to auto-correct. So now I only use it on hills and stick to my cheap manual digger on flat sites. Has anyone else tried one of these and found it works better on certain soil types or grades?

3 comments

c/diy-and-home-maintenance•

simons28•26d ago

Bought a $200 moisture meter and honestly it was a waste of money

I picked up a fancy pinless moisture meter from a big box store last month because everyone online says you need one before painting or flooring. Used it on a wall that felt dry and it read high, then a patch of damp drywall read low, so I just ended up using the old screwdriver test anyway. Anyone else find these things more confusing than helpful, or did I just buy the wrong type?

3 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

simons28•27d ago

Got told the PCT is "overrated" by a guy who had only done weekend trips in the Sierras

Ran into this older guy at a gear shop in Bend last Saturday. He was telling me the PCT is just a crowded social trail now and he'd rather do his own thing. I asked him how many thru-hikes he'd done and he said none, just a few 3 day trips. Felt like he was missing the whole point of how a long trail changes you. Has anyone else run into people who trash talk routes they've never actually done the full length of?

2 comments

c/chefs•

simons28•27d ago

The "fresh pasta" lie I heard from a sous at a Brooklyn spot

Guy told me his place makes fresh pasta every morning. I asked what flour they use and he said "all purpose." That's not fresh pasta, that's a lie. If I'm paying $24 for pappardelle you better be using 00 flour or semolina. Anyone else catch cooks cutting corners like this?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

simons28•28d ago

Had a dream week last week - finished 3 rooms in 4 days with zero callbacks

I mean it never works out like that normally. First room was a 12x14 bedroom with this weird angled closet. Second was a hallway and stairs. Third was a small office. Everything just lined up right. No seams fighting me. No trimming issues. Customer even said the pattern matched better than their old carpet from 15 years ago. Anyone else have those weeks where the carpet gods just smile on you?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

simons28•1mo ago

Showerthought: I swapped a laptop's thermal paste with a graphite pad instead.

The CPU temps dropped 15 degrees, but now the GPU runs 10 degrees hotter. I think the pad isn't making full contact on the smaller die. Anyone run into this with hybrid cooling solutions?

3 comments

c/edmonton-home-reno•

simons28•1mo ago

Talked to a neighbor about his old furnace and it changed my mind on replacements

I was chatting with my neighbor in Mill Woods last week while shoveling, and he mentioned his furnace is from 1998. He said he gets it serviced every fall and it still runs fine, which surprised me because I was sure anything over 15 years needed to go. He told me the real thing to watch is the heat exchanger, not just the age, and that a good tech can check it for cracks. That hit different because I was ready to drop like $5k on a new unit without even checking mine. Now I'm booking a service call first to see what shape my 2007 model is actually in. Has anyone else had an older furnace checked and been told it's still got life left?

3 comments