Hot take: I think the 'tap test' for compressor windings is a waste of time compared to a proper meter check.

I watched a new tech at a shop in Tampa spend 15 minutes tapping a fridge compressor with a screwdriver handle, insisting it was 'locked up', but my Fluke meter showed a clean 3-ohm reading on the start winding. This old-school method seems to create more misdiagnoses than it solves. Do you still use the tap test, or have you moved on to just metering everything first?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.parker2d ago

Honestly that tap test is still my first move every time. A meter tells you if the windings are good, but it doesn't tell you if the rotor is actually free. Heard a solid "clunk" and you know it's seized before you even grab your tools. Sounds like that tech in Tampa might have just been hearing things, but ditching the tap completely is throwing out a good, fast check.

logan_mitchell2d ago

My old boss in Charlotte swore by the tap test for twenty years. He caught a seized blower motor on a rooftop unit just from that sound, saved us half a day of pulling panels for nothing. A meter reading is good info, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. You're right, tossing out a free and instant check like that seems pretty short sighted.

charles212d ago

Yeah but a meter can show a locked rotor too.