In residential and light commercial HVACR, we work with run capacitors every day, and you may have noticed that they fail quite often. Because of this, many companies are beginning to integrate ...

Single-phase motors, adjustable-speed drives (ASDs), and power factor (PF) correction applications often depend on capacitors to operate properly. This article explains how to test these critical ...

Powered by a 9V battery or an optional ac wall adapter, the Model 881 handheld tester can be used to measure the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of electrolytic capacitors in or out of circuit. The ...

A capacitor measured with a $100 handheld multi-meter can give a substantially different result than the same capacitor measured with a $10,000 LCR meter. That same capacitor measured with two ...

Although SPICE can be a powerful tool, there are pitfalls in relying solely on simulation. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it's imperative that a SPICE simulation be anchored to a detailed ...

Capacitors fail. It’s what they do. Aluminum electrolytics caused my monitor power supply to fail. A failed capacitor took down Paul Rako’s air conditioner. This is a story of how two burned ...