A battery charger is an essential tool needed to anyone who uses cordless power tools as most power tools come with a rechargeable battery. It is vital to invest in a good battery charger to stop any unwanted interruptions in your projects just because the power tool is out of charge.
In this article, we will be giving you a step by step guide with detailed instructions on how to test a cordless drill battery charger. However, you can use these steps to test any battery charger.
Contents
How To Test A Cordless Drill Battery Charger- Guide To Two Different Methods
Method 1: Using A Voltmeter And Ammeter
Let us assume that you are using a digital probe type voltmeter and a digital probe type ammeter.
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Step 1
Put on rubber gloves. Turn off the voltmeter, ammeter, the cordless drill, and the battery charger. Remove the discharged battery from the drill. Check the voltage output and current output on the battery charger. Select a voltmeter higher than the output of the battery charger. We will first test the voltmeter and the ammeter. We will do this using a fully charged battery.
Step 2
Note the voltage and ampere output of the adaptor. Turn the dial of the voltmeter to a setting higher than that of the adaptor in DC as it gives out direct current. Connect the adaptor to the electric source. Touch the red probe into the positive outer metal part of the jack and the black probe into the inside central part of the adaptor jack. Turn on the voltmeter and the electric source. It should be the same output or slightly higher than mentioned on the adaptor. If not, the voltmeter needs to be replaced. Turn off the electric source and the voltmeter.
Step 3
Repeat the same process with the ammeter. Turn the dial of the ammeter to milliamperes as adaptors usually give an output in milliamperes. Connect the adaptor to the electric source. Touch the red probe into the positive outer metal part of the jack and the black probe into the inside central part of the adaptor jack. Turn on the ammeter and the electric source. It should be the same output or slightly higher than mentioned on the adaptor. If not, the ammeter needs to be replaced. Turn off the electric source and the ammeter.
Step 4
The process will be the same to test the battery charger; only this time, we will be testing the charger and not the voltmeter and ammeter. Note the voltage and ampere output of the charger. Turn the dial of the voltmeter to a setting higher than that of the adaptor in DC as it gives out direct current.
Connect the charger to the electric source. Touch the red probe into the positive outer metal part of the jack and the black probe into the inside central part of the adaptor jack. Turn on the voltmeter and the electric source. It should be the same output or slightly higher than mentioned on the charger. If not, the charger is damaged. Turn off the electric source and the voltmeter.
Step 5
Turn the dial of the ammeter to a setting higher than that of the charger, usually in milliamperes. Touch the red probe into the positive outer metal part of the jack and the black probe into the inside central part of the adaptor jack. Turn on the ammeter and the electric source. It should be the same output or slightly higher than mentioned on the charger. If not, the charger is damaged. Turn off the electric source and the ammeter.
Method 2: Using A Multimeter
Let us assume you are using a digital probe type multimeter.
Step 1
Put on rubber gloves. Turn off the voltmeter, ammeter, the cordless drill ( see how it differs from corded ), the electric source, and the battery charger. Remove the discharged battery from the drill. Check the voltage output and current output on the battery charger. Select a multimeter higher than the output of the battery charger.
Step 2
We will first check if the multimeter is functional. This can be done in many ways. One way is to turn the dial of the multimeter to the lowest setting of resistance in ohms. Take the two red and black probes of the multimeter and attach them to the multimeter if it is not already attached. The red probe will go on the positive inlet, and the black probe will go into the negative inlet. Turn on the multimeter. Touch the two probes together. The resistance should be displayed as zero ohms. If not, replace the multimeter.
Step 3
Another way is to check the voltage of the output source. It is to be noted that this method can be used only if the multimeter has a capacity of measuring alternating voltage higher than 230 volts AC, which is usually the voltage supplied to an electric source. Turn the dial of the multimeter to a setting higher than 230 volts AC. Insert the red probe into the positive terminal and black probe into the negative terminal of the electric source. Turn on the multimeter and the electric source. The multimeter should read a voltage between 230 to 250 volts AC. If it is too low or too high, replace the multimeter.
Step 4
If you tested the multimeter using the second method, turn off the multimeter and the electric source. Remove the probes and attach the battery charger to the electric source. Turn the dial of the multimeter to DC voltage. Usually, a battery charger has an output of 12 volts DC. Select a setting that is higher than that.
Step 5
Turn on the electric source. Touch the outside metal of the charger outlet jack with the black probe of the multimeter and the inside center of the charger outlet jack with the red probe. Check the reading on the multimeter. It should be the same output as mentioned on the charger or a bit higher. For example, a 12 volt DC battery charger can give an output of up to 17 volts. If the difference between the rated output and the reading is too high, the charger is damaged.
Step 6
Remove the contact of both the probes and turn off the electric source. Check the ampere output on the battery charger. It is usually in milliamperes. Turn the dial of the multimeter to a milliampere setting higher than that of the battery charger, but not so much that it won’t show a reading. For example, if the output is 120 milliamperes, do not set the multimeter to ampere setting as it will not display the output due to a high difference in measurement.
Step 7
As before, connect the battery charger to the electric source and turn it on. As before, Touch the outside metal of the charger outlet jack with the black probe of the multimeter and the inside center of the charger outlet jack with the red probe. Check the reading on the multimeter. It should be the same output as mentioned on the charger or a bit higher. If the difference is too high, the charger is damaged. You can also see our post on how long the battery of drill last.
Things You Would Need To Test A Cordless Drill Battery Charger
Multimeter or voltmeter and ammeter: A voltmeter is a device that measures the voltage of any instrument, whether it is AC (Alternating Current) or DC (Direct Current). An ammeter is a device that measures current in amperes. A multimeter is a device that measures various measurement functions such as resistance, voltage, ampere. It is also called a multitester or a Volt-ohm-milliammeter or VOM. Any standard voltmeter, ammeter, or multimeter can be used. However, you need to keep in mind a few things. The voltmeter, ammeter, or multimeter should measure an output higher than that of the charger. For example, if the output of the battery charger is 12 volts DC, the voltmeter or multimeter should be able to measure a voltage higher than 12 volts DC. However, it is recommended to use a multimeter as it is a multipurpose device that can be used for various testings. There are clamp type and probe type multimeters available. We have assumed a probe-type multimeter the step by step guide. But you can also use a clamp type multimeter to test your battery charger.
Personal protective gear: While working with electricity, it is necessary to use proper protective equipment. The human body is a good conductor of electricity, which means that if we come in contact, a closed circuit will be formed with the earth, and we can get a shock. Using rubber gloves will help safeguard your hands as rubber gloves are bad conductors of electricity. Also, it is important to wear footwear made of rubber, such as gumboots.
An Electric source: An electric source would be needed to plug in the charger to test it.
Any fully-functioning adaptor: This will be used if you do not have a multimeter and will be using a separate voltmeter and ammeter. We will be using the adaptor to test the voltmeter and the ammeter.
The battery charger needed to be tested: make sure the battery charger has the same voltage output as your battery. Usually, the output is 12 volts DC.
FAQs
1. Are Multimeters, Voltmeters, and Ammeters different instruments?
A voltmeter is a device that measures the voltage of any instrument, whether it is AC (Alternating Current) or DC (Direct Current). An ammeter is a device that measures current in amperes. A multimeter is a device that measures various measurement functions such as resistance, voltage, ampere. It is also called a multitester or a Volt-ohm-milliammeter or VOM. One could say that multimeter does the job of a voltmeter along with an ammeter and an ohmmeter.
2. What kind of instrument should I use to check my cordless drill battery charger?
Any voltmeter or multimeter can be used to check a battery charger. However, it is important to use one which can measure voltage more than the voltage provided by the charger. That means that is the output of the battery charger is 12 volts DC, you should use a voltmeter or a multimeter that measures higher than 12 volts.
3. Can I use my multimeter for other purposes?
Yes. A multimeter is a device that measures various measurement functions such as resistance, voltage, ampere. So it can be used to test different devices for their resistance, voltage, current, etc. it can also be used to check if something is a good or bad conductor of electricity.
Final Thoughts
Testing a battery charger is quite simple, given the right instruments. If you frequently engage with electrical equipment, we recommend investing in a good multimeter. It eliminates the need to purchase and store a separate voltmeter, an ammeter, and an ohmmeter. It is a handy device that can perform various functions in a simple and fast pace.
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