@@bryant38 ...... if it were a DC cap, or an AC not rated for that voltage, or v small chance of bad cap. But aside from user error, v low chance of problem. Given that mains or higher rated capacitors are all labelled clearly...
Grew up in My Dads electric motor repair shop. we stripped out old motors and re used most parts back in the 1970s. one of my jobs was to charge each capacitor with 110vac and then discharge with a screwdriver just as you did there. throw out the bad ones. Also, point the terminal end away from you when energizing because they can explode and blow out at the top
Thanks for doing this video. It had been awhile since I checked capacitors and this brought it all bad. My run capacitor is bad. Simple enough to get a new one and a lot cheaper than a new motor.
Great video. I've watched so many just trying to figure out how to test a capacitor attached to the relay of my lg fridge compressor. Even took it to couple of stores. One said it was good the other...it was bad. So confused. Your deliverance of the test method is the best so far. Thank you and God bless you. If you can also do a video on how to test start relays for a fridge that would be great....that's the next thing I have to figure out.
Thanks for the explanation. I have a 10hp single phase Leeson compressor motor that stopped today, and started buzzing. I'm going to test the caps first.
Very helpful, the capacitor was the problem, had another capacitor off an engine that was sitting in the garage and it tested fine, engine now runs like it should.
When you do the Ohms test, the results you get are due to the following. The capacitor initially takes a charge and therefore shows what is in effect a current reading. When the capacitor reaches the voltage of the internal battery in the meter, the capacitor will be 'fully charged' (as far as that test set up is concerned) then no more current will flow into it and it will show an open circuit (or OL which is not really Overload). It is worth keeping the meter (set to a high resistance range) on the capacitor to see if there is a measurable resistance. This will indicate a capacitor with a poor insulation resistance and which will therefore not hold its charge. The snag with this test is that it is done at about 1 1/2 volts which doesn't stress the capacitor at all. The mains voltage charge/discharge test will only work some of the time even with a good capacitor. If the cap is disconnected from the mains supply at just that moment when the mains voltage passes through zero (it is AC), there will be no charge remaining in the cap. Indeed the size of spark you get will vary according to the moment when the cap is disconnected from the mains. If this mains test is done with a failed capacitor (short circuit in the cap) the results will be fairly spectacular. Take care!
@@RRaucinathank you for this tidbit of info that just solved my problem. The vent hole being blown out. I saw this on my capacitor but did not realize it was an indication of failure. Thanks again.
Very nice and informative, it would be helpful also to comment on the other ends of the testing probes as to which location they should be plugged into....Thank You
I have several meters from top end to crap and I only recently discovered that one or two of them has a capacitor test setting. I had always used the resistance test, needle up and then back to zero. Feeling a bit stupid on that! In my defense, on retesting a bunch of caps judged good by using resistance, the true cap test agreed. Seems like most caps are either dead or good with little in between - especially start caps that usually blow their top.
Hell yeah I've learned capitance.... again..... This time I will remember exactly how to do it on my 87,all the way till time to check my air compressor kicking the the breaker, see ya again then Chris
Nice video. Good thing you didn’t show that part with the 120 v.a.c. cord and screwdriver! LOL. I am a retired electrician and when done safely, electricity is really cool to mess with.
I had no idea about the capacity setting on a multimeter, so that was especially helpful. I had been staying with my older multimeter because it seemed to do everything I needed to, and honestly, it's not auto-ranging, and for some reason, I had it in my head that the non-autoranging ones were better. I guess because it required the user to be more knowledgable. This video has me reconsidering that stance. Any thoughts/recommendations? Thanks!
Thanks Chris. Your video is really good and very informative. I watched 3 other videos and I was doing it wrong and ready for a new CAP (was getting 0L). Now I know my capacitor is good. And God bless auto-ranging meters :)
Thanks. FYI: @2:55, that's not a "u"; it's a lower-case Greek letter "mu", which stands for micro. (Mu has tails that go down below the "u" on both sides, longer on the left.)
Thanks to this video i found the capacitor test function on my multimeter. I was confused as it is such an expensive Fluke multimeter, that there wouldn’t be a capacitor test function on it 😂 Just didn’t recognise the symbol for it. Confirmed that my start capacitor is bad & ordered a new one already 🙂 I found a water well in my backyard of which the motor doesn’t start, the motor only hums, i hope it works after replacing the start cap.
I've found readings on my ESR meter often give different results compared to simple capacitance testing with a multimeter, the two testing devices are complementary. Presumably that unreliability of a single test is one of the reasons HVAC techs simply replace the run/start cap when fixing or replacing motors. No test is perfect.
Can I use the first test or should I say ,will it work to test the capacitor on my pressure washer ? I am not that great with electrical stuff but your video seems straight forward. Thank you.
Amazing video im gonna try to replace the capacitor. I have a Weg w56J 0.5hp single phase motor, but only has one capacitor, how i know if its the run capacitor or the start capacitor? Im worried because every time i connect the motor the house voltage drops from 120v to 80v and moment later backs to normal. I think this isnt normal.
the reason the voltage drops to 80 volts. First a bad connection at the main breaker to the panel. when you try to start the motor there is no back emf and a huge spike of current flows thru the motor winding, until the motor starts and the bemf reduces the current flow. there is a voltage drop is across the bad connection and thats what you see. Yeah replace the start cap. You wont have a run cap without a start cap.
Thanks for the nice video and re-education, Another good way if you have to test live is use a switch and a piece of fuse wire but still make sure its discharged before touching afterwards
Thank you Chris , Great videos , I have a problem that you may be able to answer my Frigidaire affinity atf 705b stopped working during a cycle , and i went through the the normal things that typically goes wrong like , door lock , main front control board, computer board, checked all wires for short or breakage, ( all ok ) , but when i looked at the run or start capacitor it didn't have any marking on it numbers or writing , so don't have a clue what reading it should have , so how do i check if its ok please, thank you if you can help .
Just a quick note Make sure when discharging the capacitor that you are using an electrically rated insulated screwdriver !! Like the one he is using ...other wise it could jump through the handle
My wife had her friends over for a party while I was gone and someone stole my Fluke meter, When I complained she blamed me, I divorced her and recently picked up a mint Fluke meter at a garage sale for 20 bucks, Win Win!
Wives ughhh... I went away for a weekend, and my wife told me she was going to have a garage sale while I was gone. Awhile later I was complaining that I couldn't find my Fluke meter. It turns out she sold it at her garage sale for 20 bucks. She blamed me, saying I never told her she couldn't sell it, or not to sell it. I divorced her
Very helpful video; my pool pump has a Genteq 25 uf 2-pole capacitor; the wires from the pump are black and were disconnected from the capacitor by my electrician when he removed the capacitor; I bought a new Genteq 25uf capacitor; I don't know which wire to connect to which connector on the capacitor; does it matter what wire goes to what connector?? Thank you. Steve
@@chriscraft77022 copy that hell i finally start taking rides in mine again boom theres goes a tcking noise from under passenger valve cover . I guess i will fix it when i get some time to busy working right now .
you seem to be a service tech who was taught by his daddy or uncle. I remember when i was trying to learn about motor caps and how to test them. I went to a bunch of appliance and motor parts stores and tried to ask how to test caps. no body was giving it up. they either did not know or understood the value of that information. It took me a while but I finally learned how to test them and understood the value of that information too. that knowledge helped me pay my rent and foot many many time over. And you know, if a customer knows hows and whys of a breakdown you won't get the service call. it blows my mind to think why people would devalue their knowledge. the only reason you make 80 to 200 or more per hour is because of what you know. but when you give it away it is worth nothing.
Jack I understand your thought process here, but believe me when I say this. 99 percent of people are shit scared of electric, and you could show them every trick in the book, and they still would not try it. So chill man 🙂
If the cap is disconnected from everything, the current will not flow to ground. It flows from one cap terminal to the other so it doesn't really matter if you're on concrete or not. The cap can still be very dangerous. You must discharge it before touching it with your hands or meters. A BIG TRICK is to discharge the capacitor like the book says; leave it laying on the bench and come back a little later, maybe a day later, and it will still knock you on your ass. A big capacitor does not loose all it's energy with a single quick short circuit. Short it every time before you handle the cap.
@blackrockcity The light bulb thing makes sense... Does the bulb type matter? Can it be just a 12v automotive bulb, or have to be say a 120v bulb, and if so does the bulb wattage matter at all?
i"m surprised you didn't show the most accurate test, while the cap is in circuit and energized. Use a clamp meter to read the amps on the start winding connection to the run cap and then multiply times 2652, then divide by the voltage reading across the capacitor's terminals which will give you the uf of the capacitor. Compare the result to the cap's label to determine if within specs. Can't use this for Start caps as they aren't energized long enough to take the readings..
Very informative video. need to get a fluke meter it's a must have to diagnose electric systems. Thanks for sharing you are clear in your safety warnings but I wonder how many will find out the hard way concerning discharging the capacitor before testing it.
Frank W Regarding the amount functions maybe. It’s stupid to think that a 200 euro Fluke is the same league as a 30$ unknown brand. That’s like saying a Ferrari is the same as a Lada because they both have a steering wheel pedals and a gear shifter.
@@Engineer9736 I guess if one was going to race every weekend a Ferrari would be fine but if one needed a ride home once or twice then a Yugo would do the job.
@@gfinklea You are paying for the safety provided by a good quality meter. You can get accurate enough readings and a similar amount of functions from cheaper meters, but you risk your own life on the shitty build quality and inappropriate fuses of the cheap meters.
I'm trying to test the caps on an air compressor. One of the caps have resistors soldered into the terminals. Would those resistors cause the uf numbers to be excessively high and out of spec? the other cap is the same model and tests within range, but again doesn't have the resistors. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the video. My washer machine will only spin in one direction. I was told it could be a bad capacitor. Does this sound like a possibility. Will take my capacitor out and try and test it at work and see if they a have a meter that can test a capacitor. I only have a simple multi-meter.
That third test using the ohm meter; you need to discharge the cap also for the small charge that is induced between application of the leads. You wont get a result that is correct otherwise!
I bought a new capacitor that reads around 195 microfarads. The range on the capacitor says 161-193 microfarads. Does that mean the capacitor is bad? I believe the old capacitor reads even higher and neither capacitor will start my 1 hp shallow well pump motor. The motor will just hum and then goes quiet. I am working on the inside of the motor tomorrow checking things out to see if I can get it to run. I already cleaned the contacts on the inside but I broke a wire that was soldered and I got a new soldering iron to solder it back on. I also purchased some contact cleaner to make sure contacts are clean. My tester I believe was showing continuity through the motor contacts after sanding them lightly. If motor doesn't start I'll disconnect pump and try to start the motor without the pump to see if the motor will run.
my problem and suspicion is this capacitor/ washer is not washing or spinning back and forth and its weak spinning back and forth and I want to be certain to change the capacitor whirlpool 6 sense 18kg can it be the mainboard or the capacitor???
The resistance test is not pointless. 1st because it shows if it is shorted or not. 2nd it shows you if it can take a charge or not and 3rd is when you switch the leads it shows you if the cap is discharging and recharging in the opposite polarity. So it's definitely not a stupid test
i have a question. i have a capacitor for my washing machine and it has 2 terminals. my question is are the capacitors with 4 prongs the same thing. it has 2 prongs on one side and 2 prongs on the other side. the reading on mine reads 270-324 mfd 110vac. i saw new ones that look like the 3rd capacitor in the beginning of your video. part number on mine reads 3348058.
As an electromechanical tech for the largest wire production company in the continental U.S. there is a reason techs call that power cord a suicide cord.
1. Never discharge with a screw driver. Put your meter on DC put your test leads on the capacitor and it will drain it, that is the proper and safe way. 2. Put your meter on ohm's and your 9 volt battery in the meter will start to charge the capacitor if's it's good you will see the values going up rather fast depending on the charge of your battery. If it does not go up fast it's bad. I would suggest a stand lone tester the Supco MFD10 capacitor tester if you repair shit from time to time. Or a meter like the field piece SC640 which has the MFD option if your always working you can have one tool that does it all.
Hey love the video . I have a question . On my kobalt 8 gal air compressor it is a 120 oil less compressor. The capacitor I was going to replace the start cap is a 250 mfd 120v the run cap is a 6mfd but does say whither it 120v or 230v I’m trying to match it up with one to buy. What should I do? Both caps are a two wire connectors male spade.
The voltage rating on a capacitor is simply the maximum voltage it can withstand before the smoke comes out. You could use a 230V capacitor in place of a 120V unit. You just don't want to use a capacitor with a voltage rating lower than what you removed. It's slightly easier to manufacture a 120V capacitor than a 230V unit (for the same mfd), so you might find that package size or cost may be different.
On the capasitor setting, the on I have goes up the .OL in both directions. One side is higher than the other. So I guess this cap is bad? The resistance test goes up then .OL, jist like the cap test, but higher numbers.
@@chriscraft77022 thanks. Curious if discharge would reduce the newly capacitor to be able to hold charge effectiveness when actually replaced to washer. I don't know know why it creates a single spark, as I think that new capacitor would have unlimited charges in it anyways, like a car battery. I guess capacitor is not like a car battery but holds a charge, but why only a single charge why not more like a battery? Thank you Chris Craft.
My air compressor (single phase motor) starts and runs fine, but..... I have multimeter with capacitance reading and run capacitor is in the tolerance (nominally 40uF +-5% and i measured 40,2uF) . My start capacitor dont have tolerance labeled and is 100uF nominally but i measure 186uF. Is it something to be concerned about? It looks like new, no swelling, discoloration, smell etc.
Хобби
Do not EVER put 120VAC across a capacitor !
🍪🍪🍪🍪already done it What was supposed to happen that didn’t?
If you apply 120v for too long, it can explode. Wouldn't apply for more than a second or so.
Lol, what?
@@bryant38 ...... if it were a DC cap, or an AC not rated for that voltage, or v small chance of bad cap. But aside from user error, v low chance of problem.
Given that mains or higher rated capacitors are all labelled clearly...
@@iainburgess8577 how do I check
Grew up in My Dads electric motor repair shop. we stripped out old motors and re used most parts back in the 1970s. one of my jobs was to charge each capacitor with 110vac and then discharge with a screwdriver just as you did there. throw out the bad ones. Also, point the terminal end away from you when energizing because they can explode and blow out at the top
This video made the difference after watching 2 other capacitor videos. Thanks Chris
man brother you are my HERO! After looking at 9 videos you are the 1st person/video that made sense
Thanks for doing this video. It had been awhile since I checked capacitors and this brought it all bad. My run capacitor is bad. Simple enough to get a new one and a lot cheaper than a new motor.
The best that I've seen on YT. Nice job Chris and thank you.
Great video.
I've watched so many just trying to figure out how to test a capacitor attached to the relay of my lg fridge compressor. Even took it to couple of stores. One said it was good the other...it was bad. So confused. Your deliverance of the test method is the best so far. Thank you and God bless you.
If you can also do a video on how to test start relays for a fridge that would be great....that's the next thing I have to figure out.
Got yourself a new sub. Your explanations are clear and straight to the point. 👍
Chris you're the man. Thanks for the best explanation on the internet 👏
Best explained video yet. Thank you
I have that same meter and never knew of that setting. Big thanks for that one !
Excellent. Concise and to the point. You don’t waste people’s time. Congrats!
Thanks for the explanation. I have a 10hp single phase Leeson compressor motor that stopped today, and started buzzing. I'm going to test the caps first.
Thanks, I like the way you explain everything about capacitors and how to read capacitance.
Good video,please keep them coming!!!
Right on..now I know how to use my Fluke multimeter to read microfarads
Great video man thanks, keep up the good work.
Well done ! God bless you Chris !
Thanks out all the videos yours helped the most!
I have watched dozens of videos this is the best thank you 🙏🏿
Very helpful, the capacitor was the problem, had another capacitor off an engine that was sitting in the garage and it tested fine, engine now runs like it should.
When you do the Ohms test, the results you get are due to the following. The capacitor initially takes a charge and therefore shows what is in effect a current reading. When the capacitor reaches the voltage of the internal battery in the meter, the capacitor will be 'fully charged' (as far as that test set up is concerned) then no more current will flow into it and it will show an open circuit (or OL which is not really Overload). It is worth keeping the meter (set to a high resistance range) on the capacitor to see if there is a measurable resistance. This will indicate a capacitor with a poor insulation resistance and which will therefore not hold its charge. The snag with this test is that it is done at about 1 1/2 volts which doesn't stress the capacitor at all. The mains voltage charge/discharge test will only work some of the time even with a good capacitor. If the cap is disconnected from the mains supply at just that moment when the mains voltage passes through zero (it is AC), there will be no charge remaining in the cap. Indeed the size of spark you get will vary according to the moment when the cap is disconnected from the mains. If this mains test is done with a failed capacitor (short circuit in the cap) the results will be fairly spectacular. Take care!
Bad start caps nearly always announce themselves by blowing out the vent hole. run caps die peacefully and need a good tester.
Initially I got a reading then nothing but OL which had me confused so you definitely cleared things up for me. Thanks 🙏🏽
@@RRaucinathank you for this tidbit of info that just solved my problem. The vent hole being blown out. I saw this on my capacitor but did not realize it was an indication of failure. Thanks again.
Bro! Thanks for tutorial!! It’s helps!!
Practical teaching -the best , thanks Chris for those graded tests methodically verified . Perfect 👌
Also, you can test each termination to the frame of the cap to be sure there is no current path between them.
Thanks. You helped me a lot 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
It's not seeking the GROUND It is seeking the SOURCE.
Very nice and informative, it would be helpful also to comment on the other ends of the testing probes as to which location they should be plugged into....Thank You
Very beneficial and informative video. Thank you!
Its a good actually very good video to learn. Thank you very much, Sir. Syed
I have several meters from top end to crap and I only recently discovered that one or two of them has a capacitor test setting. I had always used the resistance test, needle up and then back to zero. Feeling a bit stupid on that! In my defense, on retesting a bunch of caps judged good by using resistance, the true cap test agreed. Seems like most caps are either dead or good with little in between - especially start caps that usually blow their top.
Best video on testing capacitors that I've seen so far. Subscribed. Thanks!
Hell yeah I've learned capitance.... again..... This time I will remember exactly how to do it on my 87,all the way till time to check my air compressor kicking the the breaker, see ya again then Chris
Great job Chris, I learned a lot from your video, thank-you for sharing .
Nice video. Good thing you didn’t show that part with the 120 v.a.c. cord and screwdriver! LOL. I am a retired electrician and when done safely, electricity is really cool to mess with.
have you seen the video where the guy shows you how to make a 220 outlet anywhere?
@@chriscraft77022 no. I’ll have to look it up.
I’ll send you a link later.. I’m at work.. I want to know a retired electricians opinion on it
I had no idea about the capacity setting on a multimeter, so that was especially helpful. I had been staying with my older multimeter because it seemed to do everything I needed to, and honestly, it's not auto-ranging, and for some reason, I had it in my head that the non-autoranging ones were better. I guess because it required the user to be more knowledgable. This video has me reconsidering that stance. Any thoughts/recommendations? Thanks!
Thanks Chris. Your video is really good and very informative. I watched 3 other videos and I was doing it wrong and ready for a new CAP (was getting 0L). Now I know my capacitor is good. And God bless auto-ranging meters :)
great video, i learned something new
Always use a light bulb to discharge a range cap, then you can get an accurate reading and its safe. 👌
Thank you Chris. I have been testing my capacitors incorrectly.
Very helpful, thanks.
Thanks. FYI: @2:55, that's not a "u"; it's a lower-case Greek letter "mu", which stands for micro. (Mu has tails that go down below the "u" on both sides, longer on the left.)
Thanks Chris. I had no idea that -|(- meant capacitance. Every video I see always shows uF on the multimeter.
Great video. Thanks
Thank you for sharing!
I’m looking for this video👏👊
Liked and subscribed!
excellent helpful video
thank you
Thanks to this video i found the capacitor test function on my multimeter. I was confused as it is such an expensive Fluke multimeter, that there wouldn’t be a capacitor test function on it 😂 Just didn’t recognise the symbol for it. Confirmed that my start capacitor is bad & ordered a new one already 🙂 I found a water well in my backyard of which the motor doesn’t start, the motor only hums, i hope it works after replacing the start cap.
I've found readings on my ESR meter often give different results compared to simple capacitance testing with a multimeter, the two testing devices are complementary. Presumably that unreliability of a single test is one of the reasons HVAC techs simply replace the run/start cap when fixing or replacing motors. No test is perfect.
good video,thanks
Excellent!
Nice info, thanks
Great vid.
Can I use the first test or should I say ,will it work to test the capacitor on my pressure washer ? I am not that great with electrical stuff but your video seems straight forward. Thank you.
great content thanks
Amazing video im gonna try to replace the capacitor. I have a Weg w56J 0.5hp single phase motor, but only has one capacitor, how i know if its the run capacitor or the start capacitor? Im worried because every time i connect the motor the house voltage drops from 120v to 80v and moment later backs to normal. I think this isnt normal.
the reason the voltage drops to 80 volts. First a bad connection at the main breaker to the panel. when you try to start the motor there is no back emf and a huge spike of current flows thru the motor winding, until the motor starts and the bemf reduces the current flow. there is a voltage drop is across the bad connection and thats what you see. Yeah replace the start cap. You wont have a run cap without a start cap.
@@johnconrad5487 So i replaced with a new one start capacitor but voltage still drops 😔
@@joseph181516 did you read what John wrote to you?
@@johnconrad5487 Start caps will have a high rating, 108 and up. Run caps are usually 10 to 25mf. I have seen some Euro motors with just a run cap.
@@johnconrad5487 The start winding may just be shorted and causing the unusual draw, you dont need a loose connection.
👍👍 mystery gone on how to test
good work
Thanks for the nice video and re-education, Another good way if you have to test live is use a switch and a piece of fuse wire but still make sure its discharged before touching afterwards
Thank you Chris , Great videos , I have a problem that you may be able to answer my Frigidaire affinity atf 705b stopped working during a cycle , and i went through the the normal things that typically goes wrong like , door lock , main front control board, computer board, checked all wires for short or breakage, ( all ok ) , but when i looked at the run or start capacitor it didn't have any marking on it numbers or writing , so don't have a clue what reading it should have , so how do i check if its ok please, thank you if you can help .
Good video
Just a quick note Make sure when discharging the capacitor that you are using an electrically rated insulated screwdriver !! Like the one he is using ...other wise it could jump through the handle
Like your assistant.
Thank you
My wife had her friends over for a party while I was gone and someone stole my Fluke meter, When I complained she blamed me,
I divorced her and recently picked up a mint Fluke meter at a garage sale for 20 bucks, Win Win!
Wives ughhh...
I went away for a weekend, and my wife told me she was going to have a garage sale while I was gone. Awhile later I was complaining that I couldn't find my Fluke meter. It turns out she sold it at her garage sale for 20 bucks. She blamed me, saying I never told her she couldn't sell it, or not to sell it. I divorced her
Very helpful video; my pool pump has a Genteq 25 uf 2-pole capacitor; the wires from the pump are black and were disconnected from the capacitor by my electrician when he removed the capacitor; I bought a new Genteq 25uf capacitor; I don't know which wire to connect to which connector on the capacitor; does it matter what wire goes to what connector?? Thank you. Steve
THANK YOU!
Hell yeah keep the vids coming bro cant wait to see the chevelle videos i know you get that alot im just biased tho lol
I’m trying to get the paint booth ready.. it finally cooled down in Houston, TX
@@chriscraft77022 copy that hell i finally start taking rides in mine again boom theres goes a tcking noise from under passenger valve cover . I guess i will fix it when i get some time to busy working right now .
Greatly appreciate
you seem to be a service tech who was taught by his daddy or uncle. I remember when i was trying to learn about motor caps and how to test them. I went to a bunch of appliance and motor parts stores and tried to ask how to test caps. no body was giving it up. they either did not know or understood the value of that information. It took me a while but I finally learned how to test them and understood the value of that information too. that knowledge helped me pay my rent and foot many many time over. And you know, if a customer knows hows and whys of a breakdown you won't get the service call. it blows my mind to think why people would devalue their knowledge. the only reason you make 80 to 200 or more per hour is because of what you know. but when you give it away it is worth nothing.
Jack I understand your thought process here, but believe me when I say this. 99 percent of people are shit scared of electric, and you could show them every trick in the book, and they still would not try it. So chill man 🙂
I like electrical work am amazed at how many ppl want nothing at all to do with it. That's good for the techs
Thanks Chris the only thing that bothers me how do i connect a 3phase motor running off a 220v it is a 2.2kw i have te caps but how do i connect.them
Thanks for useful information without the history and the theoretical operation of a capacitor. Hopefully will be repairing my AC for $11.00.
I hope that is the problem.. let me know if it fixes it...
If the cap is disconnected from everything, the current will not flow to ground. It flows from one cap terminal to the other so it doesn't really matter if you're on concrete or not.
The cap can still be very dangerous. You must discharge it before touching it with your hands or meters.
A BIG TRICK is to discharge the capacitor like the book says; leave it laying on the bench and come back a little later, maybe a day later, and it will still knock you on your ass. A big capacitor does not loose all it's energy with a single quick short circuit.
Short it every time before you handle the cap.
I was told to not short it with a screwdriver, but with a tungsten lightbulb that can act as a load and not harm the capacitor.
@blackrockcity
The light bulb thing makes sense...
Does the bulb type matter? Can it be just a 12v automotive bulb, or have to be say a 120v bulb, and if so does the bulb wattage matter at all?
i"m surprised you didn't show the most accurate test, while the cap is in circuit and energized. Use a clamp meter to read the amps on the start winding connection to the run cap and then multiply times 2652, then divide by the voltage reading across the capacitor's terminals which will give you the uf of the capacitor. Compare the result to the cap's label to determine if within specs. Can't use this for Start caps as they aren't energized long enough to take the readings..
Very informative video. need to get a fluke meter it's a must have to diagnose electric systems. Thanks for sharing you are clear in your safety warnings but I wonder how many will find out the hard way concerning discharging the capacitor before testing it.
You can buy a Vici VC99 meter from Ebay for about $30 that is similar to the Fluke Meter
Frank W Regarding the amount functions maybe. It’s stupid to think that a 200 euro Fluke is the same league as a 30$ unknown brand. That’s like saying a Ferrari is the same as a Lada because they both have a steering wheel pedals and a gear shifter.
@@Engineer9736 I guess if one was going to race every weekend a Ferrari would be fine but if one needed a ride home once or twice then a Yugo would do the job.
@@gfinklea You are paying for the safety provided by a good quality meter. You can get accurate enough readings and a similar amount of functions from cheaper meters, but you risk your own life on the shitty build quality and inappropriate fuses of the cheap meters.
I'm trying to test the caps on an air compressor. One of the caps have resistors soldered into the terminals. Would those resistors cause the uf numbers to be excessively high and out of spec? the other cap is the same model and tests within range, but again doesn't have the resistors. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the video. My washer machine will only spin in one direction. I was told it could be a bad capacitor. Does this sound like a possibility. Will take my capacitor out and try and test it at work and see if they a have a meter that can test a capacitor. I only have a simple multi-meter.
That third test using the ohm meter; you need to discharge the cap also for the small charge that is induced between application of the leads. You wont get a result that is correct otherwise!
Thank you ✌🏼😂
I bought a new capacitor that reads around 195 microfarads. The range on the capacitor says 161-193 microfarads. Does that mean the capacitor is bad? I believe the old capacitor reads even higher and neither capacitor will start my 1 hp shallow well pump motor. The motor will just hum and then goes quiet. I am working on the inside of the motor tomorrow checking things out to see if I can get it to run. I already cleaned the contacts on the inside but I broke a wire that was soldered and I got a new soldering iron to solder it back on. I also purchased some contact cleaner to make sure contacts are clean. My tester I believe was showing continuity through the motor contacts after sanding them lightly. If motor doesn't start I'll disconnect pump and try to start the motor without the pump to see if the motor will run.
my problem and suspicion is this capacitor/ washer is not washing or spinning back and forth and its weak spinning back and forth and I want to be certain to change the capacitor whirlpool 6 sense 18kg can it be the mainboard or the capacitor???
The resistance test is not pointless. 1st because it shows if it is shorted or not. 2nd it shows you if it can take a charge or not and 3rd is when you switch the leads it shows you if the cap is discharging and recharging in the opposite polarity. So it's definitely not a stupid test
I had a hum and then the breaker tripped. I actually found a broken wire on the capacitor. I am back in business.
i have a question. i have a capacitor for my washing machine and it has 2 terminals. my question is are the capacitors with 4 prongs the same thing. it has 2 prongs on one side and 2 prongs on the other side. the reading on mine reads 270-324 mfd 110vac. i saw new ones that look like the 3rd capacitor in the beginning of your video. part number on mine reads 3348058.
As an electromechanical tech for the largest wire production company in the continental U.S. there is a reason techs call that power cord a suicide cord.
1. Never discharge with a screw driver. Put your meter on DC put your test leads on the capacitor and it will drain it, that is the proper and safe way. 2. Put your meter on ohm's and your 9 volt battery in the meter will start to charge the capacitor if's it's good you will see the values going up rather fast depending on the charge of your battery. If it does not go up fast it's bad. I would suggest a stand lone tester the Supco MFD10 capacitor tester if you repair shit from time to time. Or a meter like the field piece SC640 which has the MFD option if your always working you can have one tool that does it all.
Makes perfect since. Thanks for sharing.
Nice
thanks
On the capacitor in this video, what is the little button thing next to the terminals?
Hey love the video . I have a question . On my kobalt 8 gal air compressor it is a 120 oil less compressor. The capacitor I was going to replace the start cap is a 250 mfd 120v the run cap is a 6mfd but does say whither it 120v or 230v I’m trying to match it up with one to buy. What should I do? Both caps are a two wire connectors male spade.
The voltage rating on a capacitor is simply the maximum voltage it can withstand before the smoke comes out. You could use a 230V capacitor in place of a 120V unit. You just don't want to use a capacitor with a voltage rating lower than what you removed. It's slightly easier to manufacture a 120V capacitor than a 230V unit (for the same mfd), so you might find that package size or cost may be different.
What if the meter reads OL when checking the capacitor. I have an AMES. It reads one Capacitor but not the other.
On the capasitor setting, the on I have goes up the .OL in both directions. One side is higher than the other. So I guess this cap is bad? The resistance test goes up then .OL, jist like the cap test, but higher numbers.
Do I need to discharge a newly packaged capacitor as well if I want to test it? Thanks. Gr8 video. No words but thank you!!!
I would
@@chriscraft77022 thanks. Curious if discharge would reduce the newly capacitor to be able to hold charge effectiveness when actually replaced to washer. I don't know know why it creates a single spark, as I think that new capacitor would have unlimited charges in it anyways, like a car battery. I guess capacitor is not like a car battery but holds a charge, but why only a single charge why not more like a battery? Thank you Chris Craft.
@@educationX Batteries are designed to deliver their energy more gradually than are capacitors.
Muy vien esplicado y sin tando pedo.... 👍👍
My air compressor (single phase motor) starts and runs fine, but..... I have multimeter with capacitance reading and run capacitor is in the tolerance (nominally 40uF +-5% and i measured 40,2uF) . My start capacitor dont have tolerance labeled and is 100uF nominally but i measure 186uF. Is it something to be concerned about? It looks like new, no swelling, discoloration, smell etc.
For the second test, when you're applying live ac voltage to the capacitor terminals, what if there is an internal short in the capacitor?
Now I know. Thank you.
Try a vintage capicaitor test it test caps a full voltages and will check for leaks,can't do that on.a fluke,yes I have both
What do you do if a start capacitor has a discharge resistor soldered in, how do you measure?