Teac your kids some of the elementary principles of electronics with small-sized 12-volt circuits.
Electricity, and hence its accompanying circuitry, represents one of the amenities of modern life. However, all electrical systems eventually wear out and fall apart. Knowing troubleshoot your 12-volt system can save you both time and money, regardless of what type of system you have. Different 12-volt electrical systems include recreational vehicles, car stereo systems, home appliances or other forms of portable power associated with renewable energy.
Instructions
1. Use your senses, such as smelling for burned wiring, to obtain a preliminary assessment for what is wrong with your 12-volt system. Write down any observations that you make on a piece of paper. Inspect each part of your system, starting with the power supply and ending with the outlet or appliance that is using electricity. Make notes of each component within your system as to its functioning, appearance and any other characteristics that might help to troubleshoot what is wrong with the circuit.
2. Inspect the power source on your 12-volt system. If you are using a deep-cycle or marina battery, check the terminals for corrosion. To remove corrosion, pour carbonated soda over the corroded area, scrub it with a brush and wipe the corrosion away with a cloth. Check the power source for other signs of deterioration, such as cracked or leaking batteries. If you're using multiple batteries connected together into a battery bank as your power source, replace all of the batteries at the same time to preserve the shelf-life of the newer batteries. New batteries within a battery bank must also be of the same voltage.
3. Check your solders and joins for any signs of burns or physical damage. Touch the probes of a multimeter, set to measure infinite resistance, on any joins or solders that you suspect are not conducting electricity. If your multimeter reads infinite resistance, then you will need to resolder the joint. Desolder the wires by touching the solder with a heated soldering iron until it begins to melt. Heat a soldering wick with the soldering iron for 2 seconds, and touch the wick to the solder until all of the solder is sucked up into the wick.
4. Use an AC tester to check for conductivity in live wiring before you handle exposed wires or joints. If you find a wire that is not conducting electricity while the power is still turned on, continue to follow that wire back toward the power source until you find the cause for the blockage of electricity.
5. Check any fuses that are part of your system if you have a 12-volt power supply, such as those used by recreational vehicles. Replace burned-out fuses, as indicated by torn or broken terminals inside the fuse, with new ones of the same amperage.
Tags: power source, 12-volt system, your 12-volt, your 12-volt system, your system, battery bank
