How to Test Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Multimeter?

Bathroom exhaust fans are low-maintenance electrical appliances, and they work efficiently. They are beneficial for your bathrooms and kitchen because these are the places where water is used most of the time.

How to Test Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Multimeter? You can test the bathroom exhaust fan with a multimeter by putting its probe on its motor, switch, capacitator, and main switchboard.

You must regularly check your this fan when you feel like it is not working correctly. Furthermore, use a multimeter if you suspect and experience a burning smell and unusual noises.

How can you test a bathroom exhaust fan with a multimeter?

A multimeter is a helpful gadget to test the voltage and presence of a power supply in sockets or electrical appliances.

The cost of a multimeter ranges from $50 to $450 based on its quality and precise values. However, it is a one-time investment, and you can get lifetime benefits whenever you face issues with the electrical appliances in your home.

In addition, it will measure the supply of voltage, current, and resistance in your bathroom fan, which will tell you whether it is receiving proper voltage or current.

It contains two test probes, one of which is negative and the other is a positive probe. You put these probes on the respective wires of the appliance and get the reading on its digital screen.

However, you need to know that you need to check the power supply source of the fan, which is inside it, and a switch plugged into it.

Put the two test probes of the multimeter in the socket and check the readings. You should get a proper voltage value which is required for the appliance to run.

The motor is at fault if your socket is getting complete voltage, and your next step will be to test the motor with the multimeter.

You need to separate the motor from the rest of its body and connect the two test probes to the two terminals of the motor.

Furthermore, set the settings of the multimeter to the ohms and turn off the power supply to the motor.

There is an open circuit, and the motor is faulty, here if you see the readings in infinite numbers.

Moreover, there is a short circuit if you see the readings at zero and the motor is defective and not receiving power.

However, the motor is perfectly fine and working if you see the readings between the infinite and zero readings.

The issue can be with the capacitator of the motor, and you can also check it with the multimeter and connect the two probes to the terminals of the capacitator. 

Set the setting to the ohms and let it go up to 1000 ohms.

You will see numbers changing on the screen on connecting the probes to the capacitator. However, the readings will stop at 0L, which means the capacitator is working fine.

You should replace it if the values changes and not stops at 0L.

Why would you test a bathroom exhaust fan with a multimeter?

The multimeter will help you analyze the issues with the bathroom exhaust fan on time, and you will save yourself from risky events such as short circuits or electric shocks.

You should be attentive and not ignore the signs of faulty fans if you notice that it is not working correctly.

Burning smell

The burning smell is the most obvious sign of a short circuit or electrical problem. Therefore, you should not ignore it if you smell a burning odor in your bathroom.

Furthermore, you can see the smoke with the burning smell coming from the fan. 

However, it is not necessary that the source of the smell is your bathroom exhaust fan, as it can be the main switchboard through which its wiring is attached.

It can take a life-threatening turn if you do not deal with it immediately.

The blades are not moving

Sometimes you turn on the exhaust fan but do not see the blades moving inside the fan. It can be due to the faulty motor, which is not receiving power.

The blades will not move if the motor is not running, and you will not see any effect of its working. 

It will be a visible sign of a non-functional bathroom fan. The blades need to move because they help in sucking the air out of the washroom.

Their inward angle pulls the air towards the fan and goes inside the duct to leave through the vent pipes.

Unusual noises

Bathroom exhaust fans do not produce noise when they are running, and you will not have to suffer from the annoying sound of the blades and motor.

However, it is time to divert your attention to it if you start to hear the noise coming from it the moment you turn it on.

Sometimes, the noise appears after a while, and you are not inside the washroom because people mostly use it after they are done with their bath and leave the restroom.

Moreover, the noise will be so loud and annoying that you can hear it from far away. They should not be noisy or loud because they can cause noise pollution.

When you hear such noises, check it with a multimeter to fix these problems.

Protection from damage

The multimeter can protect your fan from future damage because you will detect the issues by that time.

The faulty capacitator can damage the exhaust fan’s other parts if charged. This is because the charged capacitator will pass the current to its different parts, and they can damage.

It can eventually damage the entire device, and you will have to spend money to get a new one.

Furthermore, you will have to make a new setting for the new one, and you will have to pay the professional plumber for his services.

Save yourself from shocks

The faulty motor and capacitator in the exhaust fan can deliver electric shocks because they are charged with current but deliver it further to run the fan.

You can get a shock, and it can be fatal. The current can bounce back to the wiring and main switchboard when you touch it to turn it on. 

This can blow up your entire house, and you will also get electrocuted. Therefore, you must check the fan on time to avoid these life-threatening events.

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