How to Test If Multimeter Is Working & Tips to Use It Properly

Multimeters are a super handy piece of electrical test equipment and as the name suggests, they can measure a variety of parameters such as voltage, resistance, current, and many more. Apart from this, it can also be used to debug faulty circuits, learn about other people's electronic designs, and even test a battery. Hence the 'multi'-'meter' name. But how do you use a multimeter? This tutorial will show you how you can test if your multimeter is working, and if it is working, I will also give you a few tips on how to use this device. So, let’s first start with testing whether the multimeter is working or not.

So, the first thing to check if your multimeter is working is just to turn your dial from the off position to any other position and you should see some display over there. There are two things that you have to check one if your display is working, it means your multimeter is powered.

Now, if your display is not showing anything, then there are two chances. One, your battery might have been drained, so open the casing and you have to replace the battery. Second thing is, your fuse might have blown out. So, you have to open the casing again and replace your fuse. After checking the battery, the other thing that you can possibly check is if your leads are working properly.

So, to do that, put your multimeter in continuity mode. Every multimeter will have a continuity mode which you can identify using a continuity symbol (something like a sound wave) over there. Once you put the multimeter in continuity mode, take these two probes and connect them together. When you do that, you should hear a continuous beep sound. This means there is proper connectivity between both the leads and your Multimeter is working. So once you've done that, you can be almost 90% sure that your meter is working fine, and you can go ahead with measuring your voltage, current, resistor, or whatever it is.

If your display is working. And if you're not able to hear the continuity sound, it means there is a problem with your leads and you need to change the leads. Now, assuming your multimeter is working, here are a few tips that you can use to make sure that you're always using this device safely.