How many times have you had problems with your home electrical appliances that have caused you a huge inconvenience? Has a dysfunctional washing machine or a broken oven even ruined your day?
There is one forgotten tool that many people have in their toolbox that can help you out. A multimeter is a very useful device that combines various measurement capabilities that can help you to assess what’s wrong with your electronic appliances. If you get to know your multimeter, it can help to save you a lot of money in Domestic appliances repair and replacements for your appliances. TRS-Rentelco has great fluke multimeters.
In this article, we will explain how to troubleshoot faulty appliances using a multimeter.
Get to Know the Multimeter
Multimeters are small portable tools but they are incredibly useful. Also called Volt-Ohm meters, multimeters function as electrical diagnosis devices when something goes wrong. The experts from https://www.gadgetsspy.com/best-multimeters/ explain that a traditional multimeter has an indicator needle hovering on the measurement scale while its digital version directly displays the figures on the screen. Both versions have 2 metal probes; one on the end of the red wire for positive current, one on the end of the black wire for the negative current.
This inexpensive but powerful device allows you to do tests for all appliances, no matter whether it’s large or small. It can be a fridge, an oven, a hairdryer, or an iron. It’s also used to test house wiring. However, if you’re not a professional electrician, using it for appliance repair is just good enough and you can do it yourself. If your electrical appliance stops working, it’s most likely to be a problem with continuity or resistance in the wires.
Use a Multimeter Device for Continuity Testing
Continuity testing, known as the necessary baseline for other tests, should be implemented first. This kind of test is used to check if the flow of electricity is passing through components without any resistance or restriction. You can find out how to use a voltmeter here.
Set the Ohm to X1, and let the probes free. This is when the circuit is open and there is no electrical current, so the multimeter should read infinity. If the two probes touch each other and the circuit is closed, the device should reach ZERO indicating that the current is electrically active. Get the two probes plugged into the broken appliance you want to test. As it is one-directional, make sure you connect the end of the red wire to the terminal and the black wire to the opposite terminal in the right place as they should be. Otherwise, there is no reading or an incorrect outcome. If it indicates OL meaning Open Loop or the reading is towards one, it means the circuit is open and there is no continuity. It’s most likely that the wires in your appliance are broken or damaged. On the flip side, if it displays ZERO, it means your continuity is functioning normally, and the problem lies elsewhere.
Use a Multimeter Device for Resistance Testing
Opposite to continuity, your current may experience a resistance problem, which makes it slow. A resistance testing evaluates how much current is lost when flowing through the circuit which is measured in ohms.
As every part of the appliance has a different function, some parts may work intended with a continuity test reading ZERO whereas some may experience resistance. To conduct a resistance test, first, disconnect the appliance from your main power completely. Set the range on your multimeter to the standard resistance of the specific part of the appliance that you want to test and then connect the probes in exactly the same way as you did for the continuity test. The multimeter should provide a reading lower or higher than the set amount in ohms. A lower reading means there is nothing wrong with the appliance part you are testing, otherwise, it indicates that the part is faulty or dirty with a higher ohm reading.
Use a Multimeter Device for Voltage Testing
You can also conduct a voltage test using a multimeter. As with resistance testing, you need to manually set the expected range where you read lower or higher. Make sure there is no gap between the points being tested and the adjacent wirings, terminals, or tracks.
Power off all current to avoid the risk of an electric shock. When everything is ready, power up the equipment and read the figure displayed on the LCD screen. Since damaged test leads or probes can be hazardous, do not ever use them for mains voltage testing. As it could be dangerous when doing this test by yourself, asking for assistance from a professional electrician is highly recommended.
This small device does not deserve to be left in your toolbox. Now you know how to bring your broken home appliances back to life with this small device, take it out the box, and let it do its job!
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