Changed my tune on using a multimeter for capacitor checks

I used to just swap out capacitors based on looks alone, like if the top was bulging or it smelled burnt. Last Tuesday I was at a job in a basement laundry room in Oakville and a dryer motor was buzzing but not turning. I finally broke down and used my Klein multimeter to test the run capacitor, and the reading was way out of spec even though it looked perfect. That small step saved me from swapping a good motor for no reason. Has anyone else had a cap pass the eye test but fail the meter?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_chen5h ago

Funny you mention it because I did the exact same thing last month with a fridge compressor cap. Looked mint, no bulge, no nothing. Meter said it was 12 microfarads instead of 45. My first thought was "well, maybe my meter is junk." Swapped it anyway out of spite and the compressor kicked on like a champ. Still havent cleaned the meter probes though. That's next on my list of things to procrastinate about.

charlie_stone722h ago

12 microfarads instead of 45"? That's wild, I would've blamed the meter too.