# Mission: Testing Capacitors for Appliance Repair

## Why
I repair household appliances and circuit boards as a hobby. Faulty capacitors are one of the most common failures, and I need to be able to quickly identify, test, and confirm whether a capacitor is good or bad.

## Success looks like
- Confidently test any electrolytic, ceramic, or film capacitor with a multimeter
- Identify visual signs of capacitor failure (bulging, leaking, cracked)
- Safely discharge capacitors before testing
- Use capacitance mode on a multimeter correctly
- Identify ESR-related failures even when capacitance reads normal

## Constraints
- Handheld multimeter is the primary tool — no expensive bench LCR meter (at least to start)
- Practical, hands-on skills — not electrical engineering theory
- Safety-first approach

## Out of scope
- Designing circuits with capacitors
- Advanced impedance/reactance calculations
- SMD capacitor identification beyond basic markings