How to Test a Nordyne Capacitor
Nordyne capacitors are used in heating and air conditioning units. Capacitors may be single or dual capacitors. Single capacitors function for one specific purpose and have two leads. Dual capacitors have two capacitors housed in a single unit, and have three leads. One of the leads on a dual capacitor is "common," or shared between both capacitors in the unit. Before testing or replacing capacitors, always discharge the stored electricity to avoid electric shock. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver with insulated handle
- Multimeter capable of measuring Ohms and MFD
Instructions
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Turn off the air conditioner or heating device. Uplug the unit or throw the circuit breaker to the "Off" position. Pull the fuse from the fuse box, if installed. Locate the capacitor to be tested.
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Hold the screwdriver by the insulated handle. Press the screwdriver's metal shaft against the two leads of the Nordyne capacitor to discharge the stored electricity. For dual-run capacitors, press the metal screwdriver against the "Herm" and "Com" leads, then repeat the process with the "Fan" and "Com" leads. The "Com" or "Common" lead is shared by both internal capacitors. Hold the screwdriver shaft against the leads for 30 seconds to fully discharge the capacitor.
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3
Turn the multimeter tool to measure "MFD." MFD or "microfarad," measures the capacitance of the capacitor. Touch one of the multimeter probes to one of the capacitor's leads, of if testing a dual run capacitor, touch the first probe to the "Com" lead. Touch the remaining multimeter probe to the remaining capacitor lead or one of the two remaining capacitor leads, if testing a dual-run capacitor. The multimeter measure of capacitance should be within 90 percent of the rated capacitance.
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4
Turn the multimeter tool to measure "Ohms." The Ohm symbol may be represented by the Omega symbol, which appears as an upside down horseshoe. Press a multimeter probe against each of the capacitor leads. When testing a dual-run capacitor, the common lead should always be used as one of the two leads.
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Monitor the Ohm measure on the multimeter. A good capacitor starts with a zero reading and slowly climbs toward infinity. Failed capacitors display nothing. Open capacitors only display zero. Capacitors leaking charge initially display zero, climb toward infinity, then stop as charge begins to leak. If a charge leak is suspected, test a known good capacitor to determine expected behavior.
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6
Replace capacitors failing the capacitance or resistance test.
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Tips & Warnings
Find the capacitor's rated capacitance by inspecting the capacitor's housing or consulting a Nordyne parts manual for the model's specifications.
Discharge the capacitor between tests to avoid electrical shock. The multimeter battery charges the capacitor during testing.
References
Resources
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