When my window-unit air conditioner revs its motor, my overhead light dims... then seriously brightens up when the AC slows down. It's annoying. Is there anything I can do? [more inside]
posted by SuperNova on Aug 19, 2009 - 11 answers

Calling all MeFi electricians: why does my light switch make a popping noise, and will it kill me? [more inside]
posted by feathermeat on Jul 1, 2009 - 12 answers

Is it okay to use a window fan during a thunderstorm? [more inside]
posted by MesoFilter on Jun 11, 2009 - 7 answers

What would it take to print a few thousand sheets of paper every other day while completely off the grid? [more inside]
posted by croutonsupafreak on Jun 6, 2009 - 20 answers

Should I keep my camera turned on to save electricity? [more inside]
posted by devnull on May 13, 2009 - 7 answers

What DC voltage does an average LCD monitor use? [more inside]
posted by leafxor on Mar 27, 2009 - 4 answers

Why would someone steal the electricity meter from the outside of a house? [more inside]
posted by sarahmelah on Jan 29, 2009 - 16 answers

Can I damage my laptop by using a power adapter that has a slightly higher wattage than the original adapter? The original adapter was 65W, and the aftermarket one is 70W. The voltage is switchable. My original adapter had a voltage of 18.5V, this one says that if I need 18.5V, I should choose 18V. Any chance of damaging the computer by using this one? [more inside]
posted by leticia on Nov 13, 2008 - 8 answers

How do you control the speed of a 3-phase AC induction motor? [more inside]
posted by spacewrench on Oct 9, 2008 - 2 answers

Having watched Thunderbolts of the Gods, and found it quite eye-opening, I'm wondering if there are compelling reasons to accept or not to accept the possibility that the Sun is made of electrical plasma, rather than being a nuclear furnace.
posted by Tarn on Oct 2, 2008 - 11 answers

Garage circuit breaker keeps tripping... [more inside]
posted by starman on Jul 14, 2008 - 11 answers

I need some new sockets to dip my prongs into. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Nov 8, 2006 - 5 answers

I'm looking for a book that teaches electricity well. The Mims book definitely doesn't cut it - I want something more along the lines of "The Way Things Work" in clarity and accessibility, but I still want it to actually teach the underlying math; i.e., I want it to show me the material in pictures and equations. [more inside]
posted by dmd on Feb 11, 2006 - 10 answers