capacitors

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lls

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capacitors
« on: 20 Jan 2018, 05:40 pm »
How many years do caps last?

FullRangeMan

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Re: capacitors
« Reply #1 on: 20 Jan 2018, 05:51 pm »
About 10 maybe more w/soft start.

Phil A

Re: capacitors
« Reply #2 on: 20 Jan 2018, 06:50 pm »
Welcome to AC!

Speedskater

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Re: capacitors
« Reply #3 on: 21 Jan 2018, 08:19 pm »
There was a time period when electrolytic capacitors didn't last very long do to bad chemistry. (there is a long story about that and I don't remember the whole story or the time period)
Before and after that period, electrolytic capacitors should last three decades or much more. While film capacitors should last well past 50 years. (that's for capacitors made by major industrial manufactures)

JakeJ

Re: capacitors
« Reply #4 on: 22 Jan 2018, 12:53 pm »
Hello and welcome to AC, lls.

FullRangeMan

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Re: capacitors
« Reply #5 on: 22 Jan 2018, 06:03 pm »
There was a time period when electrolytic capacitors didn't last very long do to bad chemistry. (there is a long story about that and I don't remember the whole story or the time period)
Before and after that period, electrolytic capacitors should last three decades or much more. While film capacitors should last well past 50 years. (that's for capacitors made by major industrial manufactures)
Today the planned obsolescence has taken all the electronics industry.

ArthurDent

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Re: capacitors
« Reply #6 on: 23 Jan 2018, 12:44 am »
Greetings & Welcome to AC lls   :thumb:

who?me?

Re: capacitors
« Reply #7 on: 11 Feb 2018, 08:03 pm »
FWIW, older NAIM products are known for needing capacitor replacement at some point ..

audioengr

Re: capacitors
« Reply #8 on: 11 Feb 2018, 09:05 pm »
If modern electrolytic caps are not stressed or operated at or over their rated voltage and the temperature is not high, they should last 50 maybe even 100 years.  Shelf life is certainly this long.

Most caps in low-power electronics last virtually forever, however their performance will deteriorate over hundreds of years.

Electrolytics used in power amps are another story.  Their temperature is usually elevated and they are constantly stressed by AC and high discharge currents, as well as power on current surges.  Soft-start helps, so inrush limiters can prolong life.  Failure is often catastrophic with the cap shorting and smoking, creating a lot of heat which usually destroys the circuit board.  I would say 20-30 years if the amp is well-designed.

Steve N.