I’m not saying this to be argumentative, but please no one use this method. Shorting out the positive and negative sides of an electrolytic cap through the use of a screw driver is a bad idea. It can greatly reduce the life of the capacitor, not to mention, it can be dangerous. Electrolytics can hold lethal charges long after being powered off. Easy to build, a proper capacitor voltage discharge tool uses an approximately 100R resistor to do it properly. The resistor will slowly bleed off the voltage. There’s plenty of info out there regarding how to make one like on Blueglow Electronics. After discharging the capacitor correctly, the voltage needs to be measured again using a multimeter. Good luck 😊⚡️⚡️⚡️🎶
Thanks for watching the videos first of all. Second, every manufacture that I have dealt with approves of this method to discharge a capacitor. I didn’t make it up. Instead I follow manufacturer guides and Service manuals to perform this procedure. We don’t always have the nenas to go around building tools with resistors and other things you find as a replacement. Some of us are out in the field or don’t have your tools or the time to build the absolute best equipment, but according to the manufacturers, this is an approved method. I have never had any issue nor do I know of anyone who has.
Leave capacitor mounted, Remove connectors, then discharge capacitor preferably with a 100ohm/5watt resistor. DO NOT HANDLE CAPACITOR UNLESS IT IS DISCHARGED FIRST
Big brother is watching. Yesterday i was called to a swimming pool heatpump that had a failed start cap. I had to make several calls to find a replacement and today i get this video pop up. Coincidence? I dont think so.
@kg4lzc use a multimeter, set to VOLTS, set to highest scale, put 1 of your leads onto the C terminal of the CAP, and the other lead to the HERM, the VOLTS reading goes to 0. Than take your meter lead from C to FAN and you will see VOLTS go to 0. Make sure Ac is off when doing this. Once you are done this, you have successfully discharged the CAP.
All in all, a multimeter by its self is not a very useful tool to check a capacitor and when used with a power supply only gives you a little information, mostly it cant tell you if it is good, but it can tell you if the cap is bad.
Do NOT discharge a capacitor this way, folks. That could get you maimed or killed. Discharge one lead at a time through a ground wire. Even then, use caution.
Yeah pls don’t use a screw driver it’s better to set your meter to volts touch one side with the positive and one side w the negative and see the charge drop to 0 on the meter than u can set your meter to check for mfd
@@10minutefix you’re right! I should have worded my comment better and include “I prefer ______” . My apologies. Also I guarantee discharging the cap using the meter works. I just find that telling ppl to use the screw driver could lead them to do it with any cap and not knowing how much charge one is still holding can hurt them as they can hold up to 50 volts and more . And also if you’re repairing a customers system while the customer is looking over your shoulder and although its ok to do I find isn’t professional as they may think you’re mishandling their equipment I’m sure u know how some customers can be really hard to deal with but this is all IMO
No worries. I appreciate you watching my videos. And yes some customers might have a different point of view but that’s why I don’t let them watch me repair the units. Lol.
Besides melting the screw driver and the posts as well as shortening the life of the capacitor itself, the sparks might startle the person and cause harm to the person or the ignition of flammable vapors (of course, if half to full charge only)! Good advice so as not to make it a habit to short any capacitors with bare metals, particularly screw drivers, which are always handy. Remember that your habit might lead to nonchalantly shorting a high capacity and high voltage application capacitors. Beware.
The symbol is a “uf”. If you don’t have it then you can check it other ways but this is the best way. Other ways are not as common and I would not use them.
The range is what ever the microfarad range is on the capacitor. It should state it on it. Plus or minus about 5 microfarads or whatever is posted on the label.
@@Brekstahkid no, not unless it has switchable modes on the same tick. The symbol for capacitor is a curved line next to a straight line, or depending on the meter it might be the symbol for microfarads which is uF
You may be able to test it but you won’t know what the value is. If it stops at 50 but it’s really 300 you won’t know. I’m sure there must be some scientific formula but I have never known it. Try the manufacturers manual of the motor and it might be stated. Sorry.
You could buy a electrolytic cap of the same value and charge to say 12 volts. Then get a resistor 1k ohms ?? and while the meter is connected time how long it takes to discharge, then repeat with the suspect cap and compare. Keep in mind some of the bigger high voltage caps might have internal discharge resistors built in. Or perhaps charge the cap to say 110v and then discharge with a low wattage 110 lamp, It should go bright then dull down as the cap discharges.. Or you could ignore my waffle and buy a cap tester.. :)
