Meter Basics – Continuity

Continuity or Ω ohm’s is like checking a circuit for any breaks or like checking garden hose by connecting it to water source. The continuity setting on your meter sends out a tiny bit of power out of the red wire and reads what it gets back on the black.

Any time it says OL you have a break or an open circuit.

When on this setting your meter beeps or you see any value you know your circuit is good or normally closed.

You can activate whatever you’re testing (door contact, button, or a pull switch, whatever). And you should see your meter change states from whatever it previously was. Normally closed becomes open, normally open becomes a closed circuit.

There are two types of switches we work with. Momentary which hold your activation while your are physically activating a button/lever/switch.

And latching, where when activated it stays activated permanently until reset (sometimes with a key).

Try connecting to a normally closed switch. When you activate it the circuit breaks or opens and your meter will show OL.

Try connecting to a normally open switch. Your meter will read OL, when you activate it you will see a reading (or hear a beep) if you have a complete uninterrputed circuit.