Why an Electrician Needs a Multimeter

My hubby is always installing and repairing electrical systems. (He became an electrician a couple years ago.) These types of systems include electronics, wiring and circuit boards. He busted his multimeter the other day and spend quite a bit buying a new one.

For those who don't know what an electrician does or why they need a meter, this article is for you.

When building a house, an electrician is a big part of that team. They have to run electrical wiring among other things and install electrical sockets and lighting. Because electricians work with so much electricity it is important for them to have a good multimeter in their toolbox.

A multimeter is an electronic measuring instrument that combines several measurement functions in one unit. Your typical multimeter usually has features to measure voltage, current and resistance. I will go into details more about those in a minute. Electricians can use a multimeter for testing batteries, electrical current and broken appliances. They can also be used to troubleshoot problems in a wide range of appliances from household to factories.

There are two different types of multimeters, the analog and the digital multimeter. Most electricians use digital because the measurement readings appear in exact numerical values. With the high demand to become an electrician these days it is more reasonable for an electrician to use a digital multimeter because of its accuracy as well as it gets the job done faster. Let me explain how a multimeter works in more detail; this will help you understand why having this tool is so important for an electrician.

As stated before a multimeter is used to troubleshoot electrical and electrical circuits, as well as ensure correct operating levels and check voltage. The reason it is called multimeter because it combines three functions in one giant tool. These functions are a voltmeter, ammeter and an ohmmeter. 

Here are these functions in more detail:

Meter- Is simply the measuring device.

Ammeter- Measures the number of electrons that are passing a giving point in a certain amount of time. This will give us the unit called amperes. A multimeter can be used to check how many amperes different appliances, are drawing excessive current.

Voltmeter- measures the electrical potential between two points and is measured in volts.

Ohmmeter- measures the resistance to current flow and is measured in units called ohms.

Not all digital multimeters are the same and it is important for the electrician to understand what type of calculation they need. The differences in digital multimeters are there method of calculation. Some of the different thing you can test with this tool is frequency, current, resistance, voltage and continuity. It is important to know what methods to look for when testing.

Here are the common methods:

1. RMs- the meter measures the heating that will effect if the voltage is impressed across a resistive load.
2. Peak Method- the meter will read the peak of the signal; divide the result by the square root of 2 to get the value of the rm.
3. Averaging method- the meter determines the average value of the corrected signal.

All these methods should give you the same result for a clean misleading signal. However they can give different results for a misleading signal which is not uncommon.

Multimeters come in a wide range of prices. You can find them anywhere from 20 to 100 plus dollars. It is important to figure out what type of job you want to use it for and the different features you would like for it to have. The best thing to do when looking into investing in a tool for the job is to ask other electricians and read many reviews. Some people end up spending way too much for a multimeter that ended up being not the type they needed. Always ask around and talk to other professionals before you make a purchase.

Electricians work with electricity and electrical current every day. As everyone knows electricity can be very dangerous when handled wrong. Why not get a tool that can make working with electrical devices easier as well as give you accurate results. Without a multimeter an electrician is forced to use trial and error when it comes to the job which can often be dangerous, given the things they must do. A multimeter is a must for every electrician to do a wonderful job and make their clients happy.

Presto 01370 Pro 8-Quart Stainless Steel Cooker Product Description

I want to continue to practice my use of description by writing a review of the 8 quart Presto stainless steel pressure cooker. I just replaced that model with a newer one -- the Presto 01370.

I am very picky about the pots that I use around my family. I am all about safety features. I love the steam release valve that can be set to “quick cool.”

Pressure cooking is already fast, but cooling the pan faster is even better. Plus the faster it cools, the shorter period of time I have to keep fingers away from a hot pot.

I know firsthand what disasters can befall when you are too antsy and open the lid of a cooker before all the pressure is released. Let’s just say it involves a stool and scrubbing the ceiling with a sponge.

I knew going into this that I wanted something that was going to last so I read a lot of reviews. I did not want another explosion.

I looked at pressure cooker reviews, but I also bought a set of stainless steel cookware and want to give a shout out to Cookware Nation for their helpful articles. Those include the following:

Best NonStick Cookware: Reviews of Pots and Pans!
Best Ceramic Cookware Sets: Good Quality Pots and Pans Reviews
Best Stainless Steel Cookware Sets: Reviews of Top Rated Pots and Pans
Best Pressure Cooker: 10 Popular Electric and Stove Top Brands

Each provided info about the material of the cooking vessel, which shaped the style of cooking pot I bought for my pressure cooker. I'll never use Teflon coated pots and pans.

Presto pressure cooker review: Pros

The lock on the cover show when there is pressure inside the pot so I don’t have to be worried that my dinner is going to explode once I open the pan.

I really enjoy the steaming basket in this Presto unit. I can cook more than one food all at once and the flavors don’t seep into each other.  Also the instruction book with the recipes is really nice. I like to learn new recipes and make all kinds of fun stuff. The pressure regulator on the lid does more than just quickly cool the pan, it also keeps the pan at a consistent temperature while coking,

Although I love this pressure cooker. I wish that it came with a rack to keep food off the bottom of the pan to keep it from burning.

I have several racks that I use with my other pans that work just fine, but if I was a first time pressure cooker I would be very frustrated.

It is really difficult to clean burned stuck on food out of a pot after a full cycle in a pressure cooker, So a cooking rack is almost essential. I have also found the locking mechanism of the lid to be a bit of a hassle.

Cons of the Presto 01370 Pro

When I first ordered this product I had an exceptionally hard time getting the lid to snap in the right way. I have since figured out and have very little trouble. Difficulty locking the lid is not a deal breaker, it’s just a frustration when I don’t need any more.

Cooking dinner for 4 pick teenagers is difficult enough without having to wrestle with the pots and pans I need to cook with. I have also found with this cooker, that the parts go bad after a year or so. I have had this cooker for 3 years and every year I have to replace the gasket as well as other parts 3 times.

I am a low maintenance person, so having to replace parts on a pan was not my favorite thing. I like things to work once I take them out of the Presto box and for years afterwards. Having said all that, I still love this cooker and given the choice I would choose this one again.

I have a very picky family, so cooking for them is a challenge. Not to mention the time and effort that is already exerted will preparing the ingredients and such.

I really like that this cooker cooks quickly and easily with very little effort on my part, other than preparing everything that has to go into the cooker. It is a wonder that anyone goes about their life not knowing what cooking with a pressure cooker is like. It is so much faster and easier. Although I have a few problems with burning food on the bottom of the pan and parts randomly going bad. I still have enjoyed this Presto pressure cooker and I plan to cook with it for many, many years to come.

This is my review of the Presto 01370 Pro 8-Quart Stainless Steel Cooker.