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Test ceramic capacitors with an insulation tester

By Jestine Yong on January 10, 2014

How do you test ceramic capacitors with an insulation tester?

Answer:

If your non polar capacitor is rated as 1000volt then select the range 1000v, connect the test probes to the cap leads (either way) and press the start button. A good one should not show any resistance and a bad one will show resistance value. I suggest that you test on good cap first to be familiar with the reading.

Note: please do not select 1000v and test on a 500 volt cap as it can blow the cap.

Jestine

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8 Comments

Robert

January 10, 2014 at 3:47 pm

Hello Mr. Yong,
I bought a Smart Sensor AR907+, a digital Insulation Tester. It tests at 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 volts. Good caps seem to always show OL and only some bad caps show a reading so far. I'll have to do some more testing with it before I know if I can trust it or not.

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- Jestine Yong
  
  January 10, 2014 at 11:09 pm
  
  HI Robert,
  
  Yes you need to do more testing on good cap. A bad non polar cap will surely have resistance reading.
  
  Jestine
  
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  - Robert
    
    January 21, 2014 at 10:00 pm
    
    Hello Mr. Yong.
    This is a very important topic and it amazes me that nobody else has commented on it! I wonder how many repairs that people could not perform are related to the fact that they do not have or use an insolation tester?
    Just because a component doesn't breakdown with an Analog MM (12v), doesn't mean it won't breakdown at 50 volts.
    Are you as surprised as I am?
    
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    - Jestine Yong
      
      January 22, 2014 at 10:44 am
      
      Hi Robert,
      
      You are right.
      
      Jestine
      
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Chris

March 8, 2020 at 6:43 pm

Will any insulation tester do,ac up to 1000v digital meter some cheap ones out there no point in getting a $100-200 unit if a Rm100 unit can work

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- Jestine Yong
  
  March 9, 2020 at 11:01 am
  
  Hi Chris,
  
  Sorry I don't get your point. Do you mean if a multimeter that can check up to 1000V be able to act as an insulation tester?
  
  Jestine
  
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Chrid

March 9, 2020 at 7:50 pm

Sorry,My point is can any cheap insulation tester that can test up to 1000v work to test the capacitor ie VCB60+ as advertised in Lazada or similar units in the RM 100 to 150 range

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- Jestine Yong
  
  March 11, 2020 at 9:53 pm
  
  Hi Chris,
  
  If the cheap meter stated that it can test up to 1000V then it can be surely use to test cap up to 1000 volt.
  
  Jestine
  
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