Started using a clamp meter instead of my old voltage tester after a shock scare last March

For years I just used my basic voltage tester on everything, checking outlets and dryer connections. But after a 240v line on a range gave me a nasty jolt because I wasn't catching ghost voltages, I switched to a clamp meter from Fluke. Now I can check actual current draw on compressor starts and heating elements without breaking the circuit. Has anyone else made the swap and noticed fewer callbacks on capacitor failures?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_davis1d agoMost Upvoted

Why would you need inrush current when a good multimeter and some basic troubleshooting skills will find a bad cap every time? You're just adding another tool to your bag when the old one still works fine if you know what you're doing.

black.oliver1d ago

Swapped mine after a compressor locked up and the old meter showed nothing useful.

kai_ramirez381d ago

Oh man, that compressor lockup is the worst. I had the same thing happen to me last year and my old meter was totally useless too just bouncing around all over the place. I ended up grabbing a newer clamp meter with inrush current and it made all the difference finding a bad start capacitor that was the real issue. That cheap old meter I had would have never caught it and I would have been chasing my tail for days. Hope your swap fixed the problem for good.