the_charlie•14d agoMost Upvoted

Had to pick between a $40 capacitor tester and a free multimeter reading

I spent 20 minutes trying to diagnose a dead fridge compressor with just my multimeter before I caved and bought the dedicated tester from the supply house. Which one of you guys actually trusts the multimeter for capacitance readings on those big run caps?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkera2214d agoTop Commenter

Lol "peace of mind" and "capacitor tester" in the same sentence. That's like saying I get peace of mind from my check engine light. But yeah, you're spot on about the warm start cap thing. I tried reading one once right after it popped and my meter just flashed "OL" at me like I was an idiot. The worst part is when you finally get a reading and it says like 47 uF on a 45 cap and you stand there for five minutes wondering if your meter is lying to you or if that cap is really fine. At $40 it's cheaper than a new compressor and way less cussing.

the_parker14d ago

You ever actually try to get a capacitance reading on a start cap with a multimeter while it's still warm from running? It'll jump all over the place and drive you crazy. That $40 tester is probably worth it for the peace of mind alone, especially on those big run caps where being off by a few microfarads means the compressor won't kick on right. The multimeter can work in a pinch if you discharge the cap good and let it cool down, but it's just not consistent enough for my taste. I'd rather spend the money once than waste 20 minutes guessing.

annas8712d ago

Lol I feel you on the "is it really fine or is my meter lying" dilemma. I finally broke down and got one of those cheap component testers off Amazon for like 30 bucks and honestly it changed my whole approach. I used to waste so much time pulling caps, waiting for them to cool, trying to get a stable reading, then second guessing myself. Now I just clip it on and if it says 45.2 uF on a 45 cap I know I'm good. The big run caps are the worst though, I had one that tested fine cold but was actually bad under load. That cheap tester paid for itself the first time it saved me from putting a borderline cap back in.