Is a capacitor tester better for troubleshooting capacitors than a digital multimeter?

Question

I have a Fluke IV 89 multimeter. I don't know how expensive a capacitor tester would be either.

Answer 1

Of course it is. That's what it was made for.
As you said, the multimeter has multiple uses.

Answer 2

The first answer by Bill Russell nails the physical issues you should know. All I can add is the theory. An electrolytic capacitor is 2 very thin metal foils separated by a gel in a hermetically sealed case. When a breakdown occurs in an electrolytic capacitor the short circuit creates a tiny hot spot where the short occurred in the gel and this creates gas which then deforms the case. It's designed to easily deform so it won't explode if it bursts. When you come along with a multimeter all you are using is a few volts and testing the capacitor will probably show a good reading because you won't replicate the spike that it originally had. This means the deformed shape is the only giveaway the capacitor is defective and given the cost/benefeit when component level servicing, it's best to always err on the safe side by replacing any capacitors that look suspicious.

Answer 3

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RE:
Is a capacitor tester better for troubleshooting capacitors than a digital multimeter?
I have a Fluke IV 89 multimeter. I don't know how expensive a capacitor tester would be either.

Answer 4

A digital multimeter with a capacitance test function is adequate in most cases. You should remove the cap from the circuit first. Electrolytic are the most common types to fail, especially where they are required to charge and discharge at high/fast current rates (filtering in power supplies or coupling heavier loads). The
ESR, or internal Equivalent Series Resistance of the capacitor rises with age, and the snowball effect takes place. The cap will usually fail very quickly under these conditions. The meter will read this as an open cap or the value will be substantially less. In some cases it will short, so an ohm check is in order first. The reading should settle to infinite ohms shortly after the test leads are applied and the cap charges from your meter. Careful not to read the resistance through your fingers! There are some cases where a capacitance meter can be helpful, but if I have a cap in question, I will usually sub another in its place. Cheaper than a specialized cap meter, and in my opinion more reliable.

Answer 5

If you are simply looking for a shorted capacitor than your multimeter will do fine. Put on the OHM range and look for extremely hi readings or infinity.

For actual measurement of capacitance , the multimeter won't suffice but a capacitor tester will cost a bit much.

You can contact www.metercenter.com who may have a capacitor test instrument for you, I use them for other instrumentation needs.

Good luck

Answer 6

digital multimeter has an assortment of functions, and a cap meter is more effective because it measures equivalent series resistance, and capacitive reactance, the capacitor is exposed to a frequency generator built in the cap meter, and measures resonance within the capacitor to determine leakage, usually works well for capacitor values that are 1UF and higher for average cap meters.

Answer 7

depends, if you want a yes no answer is this cap good then yes a cap tester is good, but i believe you can get much more info from a multimeter. especially for electrolytic polarized caps. On a working cap you should be able to read the charge voltage hours or days later. as your meter is across the terminals you should see the voltage slowly decrease. this is because of the internal resistance of the meter.

Answer 8

Capacitance testers require the cap to be removed from the circuit before you test it. Using one would be a major waste of troubleshooting time. Learn to get the info you want from the multimeter.