What not to do!

[Coach James]

A buddy of mine asked me last night to help him check some outlets in his house with a multimeter. I asked him what the problem was and he said he got shocked doing it himself.

I went over and he was checking 120V outlets with his leads connected to the "Com" and "ADC" ports on his multimeter. He said he got a fireball and sparks from the first outlet and it also melted the probe on one of the leads. I know that part wasa true as he showed me the lead.

I asked him why he was checking AC voltage with the meter set on DC. I think he aged about five years with this one.

Coach

 

[BioHazard]

Ouch...I've done that on a car battery...went to measure the voltage, didn't realize it was still set up for 10A current with no fuse and put it across the battery. Let the smoke out of that meter!

 

[Torque1st]

Yup, far worse than just AC/DC. That ADC connection acts like a direct short. That meter is probably toast. I would never trust it again even if it still "works".

 

[willf650]

If it melted the lead the meter is probably toast but it must have been a cheap meter. I've accidentally done this a couple times but every meter I have is fused and it doesn't hurt it aside from blowing a fuse. Open the case and check for/the fuse. If its fused the meter should be OK, at least mine always been but all my meters are Flukes.

The problem wasn't that it was set for DC but that it was set for amps.

 

[ddawg16]

That is why I have a Fluke and HP DMM....

But I think we have all done it.......kinda ranks up there with putting oil in your engine and forgetting to put the drain plug in.....

 

[Coach James]

Yep, it was a cheap meter. He said he got it at HF for $4.99. The lead tip was clearly melted and some of the wire in the lead pushed through the rubber coating on the wire. I opened the meter up to check the fuze and it wasn't blown.

I had brought two of my Craftsman meters with me and when I went to check an outlet, my buddy was so unnerved from his attempt, he stood about 10 feet away from me.

Coach

 

[Torque1st]

I bet that plasma ball singed his eyebrows a bit.

You just can't over rate stupid, EPIC cases happen often.

Toss the meter, it is already trashed. Pics would be good...

 

[BioHazard]

That is why I have a Fluke and HP DMM....

This is why I have an entire fleet of HF $2.99 meters. Hell, the 9v battery they come with is worth that much. I have tested them compared to more expensive meters and they seem to be quite accurate, at least accurate enough for what most of us are doing.

I step on them, run them over, leave them out in the rain, short them, etc...don't want to do that to an expensive meter. The one I shorted across the battery melted the solder off the board inside where the wires connect.

 

[willf650]

This is why I have an entire fleet of HF $2.99 meters. Hell, the 9v battery they come with is worth that much. I have tested them compared to more expensive meters and they seem to be quite accurate, at least accurate enough for what most of us are doing.

I step on them, run them over, leave them out in the rain, short them, etc...don't want to do that to an expensive meter. The one I shorted across the battery melted the solder off the board inside where the wires connect.

Having seen a guy with a cheap meter with is hand burnt badly when it blew up and having to get treatment for an arc flash my self(unrelated to a meter) I strongly disagree with your philosophy.

 

[BioHazard]

Having seen a guy with a cheap meter with is hand burnt badly when it blew up and having to get treatment for an arc flash my self(unrelated to a meter) I strongly disagree with your philosophy.

If you're scared of a cheap meter then please, whatever you do, don't go anywhere near the power tool section of Harbor Freight.

 

[Torque1st]

My son was looking for a cheapo meter to use to buzz out cables etc. One that would be no loss if it fell down inside a wall or got left up above a drop ceiling, or dropped, -you get the picture. He is an IT guy that ends up running cables etc. I picked up one of the old (discontinued) HF meters without the backlight for $1.99 today. I have a good true RMS meter and it measured 122.9VAC on the outlet next to my desk. The HF meter read 133.3VAC, -Close enuf. It even has a battery test function under load which is nice. It does not have an audible continuity test tho.