A lot of times, when we flip our switches, nothing happens, which leads us to believe that there must be a fault in our electricity system or in our light bulb.
But in cases such as these, you shouldn’t be quick to make assumptions like that. What you should do instead is that you should try the simplest solutions first.
But for that, you will first have to learn all about the multi-meter switches, which is why I’m here!
Today, I’m going to tell you everything that you need to know about a multi-meter and how to test a multi-meter light switch! So let’s go!
What Is A Multi-Meter
A multi-meter is also known as a volt-ohm meter.
It is a handheld tester that is built and constructed to measure electrical voltage, also known as current, resistance, etc.
This multi-meter come in the forms of analogs and digital versions and is used for everything like simple tests, measuring battery voltage, detecting faults in the system and other complex diagnostics.
Multi-meters are widely known for being highly used by electricians all around the world because of their usefulness.
There are two basic types of multi-meters:
- Analog multimeter
- Digital multimeter
How To Use A Multi-Meter To Test A Light Switch
The Tool You Will Be Needing
- Screwdriver
- Voltage tester
- Multi-meter
- Electrical tape
Step To Follow
Removing The Light Switch
Firstly, what you will do is turn off your light switch. You will do this by turning off your circuit breaker.
Sometimes circuit breakers are labeled and if not, make sure you label your circuit breaker, so you don’t get confused in the future.
Remove The Lid Of The Switch Panel
In order for you to access the light switches, you need to get rid of the cover of the switch panel.
For that, you first will have to unscrew the screws that are holding your screws together; after you are done unscrewing your lid, move on to the next step
Test For Voltage
This is the part where the non-contact voltage tester, aka multi-meter, comes in after you have access to all the wires.
Take a noncontact voltage tester and wave it all around the terminals of your switches to ensure that they are powered off.
If you hear a beep, then you should stop instantly, go back and make sure to shut the power.
Take Out Your Light Switch
After you are sure that there is no electrical current flowing anymore, take out the light switch by the frame, separate the switch from your house wires, lose the terminal screws just enough so that you can remove the wires that are attached.
Conclusion
In this article, I have briefly discussed how to use a multi-meter to test a light switch.
I have also given you an introduction to what a multi-meter is and how it works. If you still have any questions, make sure you go back and give this article another read!
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