Water heater again

Ultradog MN · Oct 21, 2014

Well, the repair guy can't get here till Wednesday so I had another go at it this morning.
I can't seem to get a reading out of either of the thermocouples.
I haven't done much small voltage testing before but think I have my meter set on the right setting.
Can someone tell me if I'm doing this correctly?
Is my meter on the right scale?
I tried it on all three scales 2m, 20m and 200m but nothing.
I put the red lead on the thermocouple wire and the black lead on the end that goes into the gas valve as per a video on youtube.
I get no reading with the leads hooked either way.
Had the tc bulb in the kitchen stove flame..

guido · Oct 21, 2014

Hello ultradog,

Looks like you have the black lead plugged in the common . It should be plugged into the MA socket third one from the left of the red plug?

Guido.

JMOR · Oct 21, 2014

Probably see something on the milliamp scale you have selected if you swap leads as giudo says. Really need to try to measure millivolts, but your lowest DC volts scale is 2 volts, so the reading would show as 0.02 (for 0.025 or 25 millivolts) and that isn't much on the meter. The tip of the thermocouple going into controller is somewhat like a coaxial cable, with the center being one lead & the outer being the sheath.

Tony in SD · Oct 21, 2014

You have the leads on the meter correct. But you want to measure VDC (direct current VOLTS) not DCA (direct current AMPERES). To measure VDC you need to select 2 on the DC setting (upper left where someone wrote DC). You should get a reading of above 0.25 volt if the thermal couple is good.

Tony
BSEE

JMOR · Oct 21, 2014

(quoted from post at 13:31:22 10/21/14) You have the leads on the meter correct. But you want to measure VDC (direct current VOLTS) not DCA (direct current AMPERES). To measure VDC you need to select 2 on the DC setting (upper left where someone wrote DC). You should get a reading of above 0.25 volt if the thermal couple is good.

Tony
BSEE

ecimal point?

David G · Oct 21, 2014

You have the probes in the voltage inputs and the meter set for amps. I would change the setting to volts DC

RayP(MI) · Oct 22, 2014

If he's trying to read current, ma or amp, the meter must be part of the circuit. Current must flow through meter.... Might better put one lead on each lead of the tcouple, leads on volts and common, and read DC millivolts on meter.

JMOR · Oct 22, 2014

Look at the time & date......he has either solved the problem, lost interest, given up, embarrassed, don't care, has more pressing matters at hand, etc.

Water heater again

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

guido

Well-known Member

JMOR

Well-known Member

Tony in SD

Well-known Member

JMOR

Well-known Member

David G

Well-known Member

RayP(MI)

Well-known Member

JMOR

Well-known Member

Similar threads