Are any of you electronics engineers.

[sherlock07]

Does anyone know how to fix a PAT tester.

It has a history of blowing its internal fuse, been to an electrician several times for fixing, comes back works a while then blows it's fuse again.

the last time I changed the fuse, there was a bang and what I believe was a Tantalum capacitor exploded, all I know for certain is that it appeared to be disc shaped and was blue in colour.

I am sure I could replace it myself, however I do not have the knowledge to work out what size it was.

The model is a Robin 3500 (I think)

[astral276]

A bit off that a PAT Tester is trying to kill you.

Ceramic capacitors are usually disc shaped and unpolarised, tantalum ones are more like a blob on the end of two wires and are polarised. Are there any markings on it?

[astral276]

I should add...

Anything involving mains power should be left alone if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing.

[Gill]

I work for an electrical company sherlock and they have never fixed their own PAT's. Be careful.

[sherlock07]

Just to add we did purchase a replacement, thought we could use it as a back up.

Mel, I don't remember seeing any markings on it, but I did only look at the piece that blew out, the rest may still be on the circuit board, I will bring it home from work tomorrow, and have a better look.

I am quite happy with mains power, I have done rewiring, I am also happy with electronincs having built kits since my teen years, but always what somebody else has designed, including some mains powered ones.

Gill, I hear what you are saying, and I do understand an electical company not fixing their own pat's, but to my mind electrical and electronic are not the same.

Ps Mel you are probably right about it being a ceramic capacitor, I thought I remembered from my early days that the tantalum's were usully blue.

[astral276]

Ps Mel you are probably right about it being a ceramic capacitor, I thought I remembered from my early days that the tantalum's were usully blue.

No, I have hundreds here and they are various colours. I 'think' (it's a long time since I messed with electronics - and certain brain cells have been re-purposed) the colour denotes the voltage rating.

P.S. I was referring to tantalum capacitors in the above. Ceramics were 'usually' a tan/orange colour. A lot of components do seem to have got prettier of late, though.

[sherlock07]

No, I have hundreds here and they are various colours. I 'think' (it's a long time since I messed with electronics - and certain brain cells have been re-purposed) the colour denotes the voltage rating.

P.S. I was referring to tantalum capacitors in the above. Ceramics were 'usually' a tan/orange colour. A lot of components do seem to have got prettier of late, though.

Yes I remember the ceramics being a tan colour, and like you said earlier the tantalum's being a blob, but the retieved piece is disc shaped, bit smaller than a 5p coin and blue similar to the blue in your sig for the knowledge base etc.