19 Jan
2012
19 Jan
'12
5:02 a.m.
3) ?electrolyte drying out - this happens if the seals
are bad, or if the
capacitor is overstressed and ruptures the seals. Non-repairable.
Seals going bad are the curse of every capacitor, not just
electroytics, and is the failure mode that they "all" will reach.
Right now, we are seeing many of the capacitors of the 1950s starting
to go (Bumblebees, we are looking at you!), with even some of the
bulletproof designs starting to fail. In the past, mica capacitors
were overlooked in repair jobs, simply because they "never" went bad,
and could be trusted. Not any more.
Just a tiny amount of moisture or contaminant getting by any capacitor
seal can really wreck your whole day.
--
Will