"Ten Tools" Day 3

 So day three brings a tool I think everybody has at least seen and most know how to use. Used right a multimeter can have more uses than a Swiss Army knife.  I use my meters almost every day.  If you don't know how to use one or don't own one I suggest you go out tomorrow and buy one and find somebody who can train you how to use it.  Avoid those cheap meters if you are not familiar with the tool and go with an more expensive auto-ranging meter, this should make learning how to use the tool much easier.  The following information is VERY basic, for more info I have included a few links at the bottom of the post. 

Multimeter

 
Every good maintenance man knows the value of a good multimeter.  We can use muti-meters to fix furnaces, air conditioners, stoves, refridgerators, and many more things in the apartments.  Mine is in some ways a lifeline I don't know what I would do without.  There are many out there with endless options and price points to choose from.  I have two meters; one being more portable than the other.  My first is the Craftsman pictured above.  In my opinion auto-ranging is really the only way to go.  This means you don't have to choose the range of power the meter is measuring, just switch to AC, DC, Mfd, or another of the settings, and go.  Also, be sure it has the ability to test mfd for capacitors and a k type slot to plug in a temperature probe or clamp for AC superheat and sub-cool measurements.  The only feature this meter didn't have was the clamp head..  For that I went with a UIE G2 Phoenix series clamp meter.  The clamp head will tell you how many amps a device such as a compressor is drawing.  This comes in handy when working on some of the older AC or refrigerator units some of our older, aging properties have.  I love the backlight/ worklight feature of this meter and the magnet on the back.  This also has the ability to test mfd and has the k type slot for temperature probes, of which one is included along with your electrical probe and alligator clip attachments.  It also has the ability to switch out heads for more flexibility.  All these options come with a much larger price tag but the ease of use makes up for it.  Check out the models carefully and be sure to get all the options you might want, you won't regret it.

If you have never been trained on how to use these tools you are probably missing out on how versatile they are.  I use mine to check compressors on refrigerators and AC units using the clamp head on my UIE.  I have a micro-amp head that I use to check flame sensors and my temperature probe to check the degrees Fahrenheit output of furnaces.  I can check fuses, ignitors, and many other parts using the continuity setting.  I have even checked parts on our golf cart using the DC function.  Dryers, washers, dishwashers, furnaces, refrigerators, stoves, even garbage disposals, outlets, switches, and anything else electrical can be tested in one way or another with the right multimeter.  All it takes is a little know how and the right tool.


LINKS FOR MORE INFO

Sparkfun- how to use a multi-meter:  This is a basic but still informative article


wikihow- how to use a multi-meter:  This is a pretty detailed and includes a link to a YouTube video

The Family Handyman:  One of my favorite magazines teaches how to use a multi-meter.

"Ten Tools" Day 2

OK, here is my day two post in my "Ten Tools You Need In Your Bag" series .  Kinda short but still informative I think.  I would highly recommend going to the web site at the end of the post.  The site offers some very good safety tips and an elaborate explanation of how the tools work.

  Volt Sensing Tools

 










Nothing is worse than getting a poke when working on an outlet, switch, ect.  No matter how careful you are about shutting down breakers at some point you are going to slip up and run into a live wire.  That is where volt sensing tools come into play.  You could buy a basic non-contact volt sensor or you could opt for tools with this feature built in.  Gardner Bender has a good selection of these tools, everything from screwdrivers, to pliers, to utility knifes, to wire strippers.  These tools basically detect the residual electricity that every electrical circuit gives off.  For more details on how to use these tools and how they work you can follow this link http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_know_capacitive_voltage/.  These tools may cost a little more than their plain Jane counterparts but the safety is definitely worth the money.

10 Tools You Need In Your Tool Bag

We all know there are countless tools that we can use to make our job easier.  Those tools can make a difficult job a breeze, a half hour job take ten minutes.  For the next 10 days I will be publishing what I believe to be ten of the most handy tools you could have in your tool box.  Some of these are very basic, others may be a little more out there.  Some are just a couple bucks, others maybe out of reach for the average maintenance technician.  If you can't afford to go out and buy one ask your company and explain the reason the tool would be so handy, direct them to this blog if it helps!  I am going to start with the best set of pliers I have ever used.

 KNIPEX COBRA PLIERS

  I learned about these pliers from my father-in-law who is a well driller.  He said he hardly ever has to use a pipe wrench anymore.  He even put some on his rigs for his guys to use.  After watching him use them and be able to store them in his back pocket while he worked around the house I decided I had to try them out.  I will NEVER buy another type of "groove lock" pliers again, even Channel Locks.  I put groove lock in parenthesis because they are not really groove lock, technically I should call them water pump pliers but people might not know what I'm talking about.  They adjust by a pressing in a button on the side of the pliers.  This is one of my favorite features of the pliers because once you get them into position they don't slip out and yet the button works so smoothly you can adjust with one hand with some practice.  These pliers come in 5 different sizes from a 1" capacity to 4-1/2" capacity.  I have a 6" pair that goes up to 1-1/4" capacity and a 10" pair that goes up to 2".  The pliers are super light weight and yet stonger than any other pliers I have used.  I can stick the 6" pair in my back pocket and not even know its there and yet put all my body weight on them and they won't break.  The  jaws are designed to compliment the push button feature and lock down onto whatever you are working on and the no-slip grip on the handles keep your hands from slipping also.  I have never had these pliers slip when used on the proper size material and my father-in-law was right when he said you wouldn't have to use pipe wrenches anymore.  I have taken off original 3/4" unions on the 40 year old pipes on my property with my 6" pliers.  Although they are not quite the right size they do work.  These pliers are well worth the money and can be bought from Lowes, Sears, and a variety of other sources.  This is the link to the Knipex website.

I hope you give these pliers a try as I know you won't disappointed!  Tomorrow I will be discussing multimeters so I hope to see you back.