clamp meter use?

treerat

please forgive my ignorance, but I got a clamp meter from a pawn shop and do not know how to use it!

if I want to measure deep freezer compressor start up and running.
let me see if I have this right:
set meter to 200 aca (lowest setting)
pull recptical out of the wall so I can clamp around the black conductor only
the reading on the meter when the compressor first starts is the amps it draws, right?
then steady reading while compressor is running is running apms drawn, right?
then when compressor stops amps should read zero right?
then if I open the door and the light comes on I should be reading the amps the light bulb draws, right?
does this sound like I have the concept figured out?

I know there is some kind of splitter avalable so I do not need to remove the recptical just plug this in and plug the appliance into it. but I do not have one of these so I figured pulling recptical out to clamp around black would do the same thing.

a7ecorsair

Just remember those wires are hot.
The meter may not respond fast enough to capture start-up draw. Does it have an analog scale (needle) or is it digital?

treerat

its a digital 266 clamp meter

a7ecorsair

You'll just have to try. My digital has a peak hold.