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An old tech in Reno asked why I still test capacitors with a meter, and now I can't stop wondering
I was at a supply house in Reno on Tuesday and an old tech named Walt saw me pulling out my multimeter to check a run cap on a fridge. He said, "A meter tells you the number, but your ears tell you the truth." He went on to explain he hasn't used a meter on capacitors in 20 years, just listens to how the compressor kicks on and feels the lines. Half of me thinks that's wizard nonsense that'll bite him on a tricky job, but the other half remembers the two caps I misdiagnosed in the past 6 months because I trusted the reading over the sound. So where do you all land, meter every time or trust your gut and ears after enough years?
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the_robin7d ago
Combine both: meter the cap cold, then listen to the compressor start, since heat and load hide weak caps a meter can't catch.
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