23
The before and after on a capacitor job I did last month still bugs me
I worked on a 5 year old LG washing machine that wouldn't spin at all. Before I swapped the capacitor, the drum barely moved with a push from my hand. After putting in a new 50uF cap from DigiKey, it spun up smooth as new. But the thing is, the old cap measured fine on my meter within spec, so I almost didn't replace it. What changed my mind was a tiny bulge on top I almost missed. Anybody else run into caps that pass the meter test but still cause issues?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
gavine411mo ago
Overthinking it a bit. A meter test at room temperature doesn't tell you much about how a cap behaves under load when it's hot. If it worked after the swap, that's what matters.
5
lee.lucas1mo ago
Man that exact thing happened to me with a microwave capacitor last year. The meter showed perfect readings but there was a small crack in the plastic housing I almost missed, and after swapping it the microwave worked like new again. Those subtle physical defects are the WORST because they completely trick you into thinking the part is fine.
2