How to Test the Capacitors in Friedrich Air Conditioners

Digital Multimeter

• 1

  Turn off your Friedrich air conditioner. Unplug the unit.

• 2

  Unscrew and remove the panel covering your air conditioner's capacitor and motor. The location of the capacitor may vary depending on the type of Friedrich unit you have and the unit's age.

• 3

  Lay the screwdriver across the capacitor's two terminals. This discharges any remaining power within the unit – preventing it from shocking you as you perform the test.

• 4

  Disconnect the wiring hooked into the capacitor.

• 5

  Set your multimeter to "capacitance."

• 6

  Place the multimeter's prongs against the air conditioner capacitor's terminals. The negative prong should touch the negative capacitor terminal and the positive prong should touch the positive capacitor terminal.

• 7

  Compare the reading on the multimeter's screen to the unit's capacitance rating, which is measured in microfarads. If the multimeter reading is not within 6 percent of the unit's capacitance rating, you need to replace the capacitor.

Analog Multimeter

• 8

  Turn off your air conditioner and unplug it.

• 9

  Unscrew the panel covering the appliance's capacitor and motor. Remove the panel.

• 10

  Lay a screwdriver across the capacitor terminals to discharge stored electricity within the unit and avoid an electric shock.

• 11

  Disconnect the capacitor's wiring.

• 12

  Set your analog multimeter to the highest resistance setting.

• 13

  Press the multimeter's prongs against the capacitor's terminals. If the needle on the multimeter moves, the capacitor is still functional. If the needle does not move, the capacitor is broken and you must replace it.