testing capacitator with digital meter

[LazyPup]

The three terminal capacitor in the photo is a dual capacitor. Rather than having a separate capacitor for both the fan motor and compressor motor they have built both capacitors into a common canister.

If you examine the top of the capacitor you should find the letters "H" and "F" stamped into the metal housing near the base of the two end terminals. The letter "H" stands for "Hermetic Compressor" and the letter "F" indicates the "Fan motor". The center terminal is then common to both capacitors.

Before you begin testing you must disconnect the main power to the condensing unit, then disconnect the wires to the capacitor.

Technically speaking you should have a large value resistor to short the terminals of a capacitor, but commonly we use a large flat tip screw driver. In the case of the dual capacitor you would first discharge one capacitor then the other by touching a screwdriver from one end terminal to the center terminal, then repeat the process on the opposite end to center. Having done so, you then test each capacitor individually using an ohm meter and the procedure defined above to check from an end terminal to the center terminal to check one capacitor, then repeat the process from the opposite end to center to check the second capacitor.

[Canti]

Gotcha... Thanks alot!

[Canti]

Sorry to bother you again LazyPup, but when I test my capacitor what setting should I set my analog meter to? I use digital meters all the time so I am a little bit hazy when it comes to analog. Is it the Rx10,000 setting or the Rx1 setting? Is it the Rx1 the highest value setting?

Thanks again.

[HayZee518]

R times 1 or R x 1. this feeds the 9 volt plus 1 1/2 volts off the battry into the cap. tripplet meters use a 9 volt plus a 1 1/2 volt battery in its test circuits.