"Ron(UK)" wrote in message
...
I worked for many years in the domestic appliance repair trade. To
discharge motor caps I just used a neon mains voltage tester, the type
with a croc clip to complete the circuit. thatgets the voltage down to
just a few volts almost instantly, whence you can safely short the cap
if necessary with a screwy or spanner whatever. Shorting out a fully
charged 8 or 10 muff cap with a screwdriver doesn`t do the cap,
screwdriver or customer any good In the absense of a neon device you
could use a light bulb or a resistor of a suitable value.

The neon tester will only get you to around the 70 volt level. Still not a
bad idea. That way you can see if it is charged to the full voltage. If
you are going to use a light bulb, you may as well use the screwdriver as
when the bulb is cold the resisitance is very low.