What Is a Capacitance Meter? (Capacimeter / Capacitance Tester)

Capacitors are essential components in electrical and electronic circuits, enabling energy storage and charge regulation inside a wide range of electronic systems. Verifying whether a capacitor operates at its nominal capacitance is critical for circuit integrity, performance, and safety. A capacitance meter (also known as a capacimeter or capacitance tester) is a measurement instrument designed to determine a capacitor’s capacitance (farad, microfarad, nanofarad, picofarad) accurately.

A capacitance meter works by applying a controlled signal to the capacitor terminals and calculating capacitance based on the charge/discharge timing behavior of the internal electric field formed between the capacitor plates. Most modern capacitance meters feature a digital display, and many support auto-range or manual-range selection. Auto-range mode improves usability, while manual-range mode allows more controlled and precise measurement in specific capacitance windows.

How to Measure a Capacitor (or a Condenser)?

Measuring a capacitor requires the following safety and accuracy steps:

Power Off the Circuit & Discharge the Capacitor

Shut down all power sources before measurement

Discharge stored charge safely using a resistor to avoid measurement distortion or safety risk

Using a Multimeter in Capacitance Mode

Switch the multimeter to capacitance measurement mode

Touch or clamp probes to the capacitor terminals

Read the capacitance value displayed on the screen

Using a Capacitance Meter (Capacimeter)

Connect meter probes securely to the capacitor terminals

Verify probe contact stability to ensure consistent readings

Compare measured capacitance to the nominal value to detect faults such as:

capacitance drift

internal leakage

swelling or degraded ESR behavior

How to Perform Capacitance Measurement with a Capacimeter

Follow this protocol:

Confirm the device is set to capacitance measurement mode

Ensure probes or clamp leads are fully seated and stable

Connect the probes carefully to the capacitor terminals

Observe the capacitance value on the display

Compare results to expected tolerance bands

Repeat tests across multiple capacitors to verify consistency and calibration reliability

Environmental Factors in Capacitance Measurement

Although meters compensate internally, external conditions can still influence stability. When measuring, maintain a safe and stable environment and consider:

humidity

temperature

vibration

dust exposure

These factors do not invalidate the reading but can create minor signal timing variance, especially in very high-precision or low-capacitance measurements.

Common Fault Indicators in Capacitor Measurement

Capacitance value out of tolerance range

Fluctuating readings due to unstable probe contact

Significant deviation from nominal values

Capacitor unable to hold expected charge timing behavior

If capacitance falls outside the expected tolerance window, the capacitor may be faulty and require replacement.

Recommended Test Frequency

Many RCCB/relay test routines use 3-month intervals

Capacitors should also be checked periodically, especially in load-sensitive or industrial/robotic/embedded designs such as those used by Empa Electronics or your other IoT/robotics-driven product lines.