4 Tips for Using a Continuity Tester to Test Electric Cords

You can test a large number of electrical gadgets and appliances in your home using a continuity tester. The process is relatively simple and you do not need to have any previous experience or training in electronics to do it. All you have to do is to connect the test probes of the device with an electric cord and you will be able to test it. This is essential since electrical appliances has to take in electricity to be able to convert it into another form of energy, which it uses to produce light, heat, cold, images, movement and various other functions that they are supposed to perform.

How to Use a Continuity Tester

Before you begin testing any power cords by means of a continuity tester, you have to know that there must be a continuous circuit or path in order for electricity to flow. The circuit is like a two-lane highway which goes from one point to another. If one or both of the lanes are blocked, no traffic can get through. A continuity tester is the device of choice for testing whether your power cord can allow electricity to go through.

Disconnect the cord form the power receptacle but all switches on the device must be set on. There must be a pair of wires on the electrical cord of the device. Connect the 2 test probes of the continuity tester with the ends of these 2 cord wires and see if the multimeter will light up. If it does, then there is continuity in the cord. If it does not, then it means that there is a break in the circuit and the cord must be cut somewhere.

Testing for Continuity on the Multimeter

To test for continuity the multimeter itself, set the continuity tester dial to resistance and touch the test probes together. One of them is colored red which is the positive probe and the other is colored black, which is the negative probe. The multimeter dial should have a reading of "0", which means that there is continuity and that the circuit can conduct electricity.

How to Tell if the Fault is on the Appliance or the Cord

The multimeter works by sending an electric current from its internal battery down one wire of the cord. If the meter light detects electricity from the other wire, it will light up. This means that the circuit is good if not there must be something blocking the circuit. Remove the power cord from the electrical device and test each of the wires found on the cord. If one of them is not working, then the cut is in the cord. If both of them work, the short can be found on the appliance itself.

Helpful Terms in Using a Continuity Tester

A continuity tester is helpful in measuring the amount of power being applied on an appliance, the electricity it uses and the resistance that need to be surmounted for it to perform properly. The amount of power is measured in volts or "V", the current in amperes or "A" and the resistance in ohms or "O". the power that is used up by an appliance while it is running is measured in watts or "W".