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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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In Reply to: How long can electrolytic capacitors (in a tube amp) last? posted by Leslie Loh on September 28, 2004 at 03:00:30:
Normally, the design life of older electrolytic cap is 1000 hr at 80 degrees C and will last longer for lower operating temperature, possibly double the life with every 10 degrees lower(law of chemical reaction), There are exceptions that the cap can last more than 10 years and my actual experience with my Sony VCR(bought new around 20 years ago) so I witnessed the actual deterioration and the cap lasted around 18 years.However, it's at your own risk to operate equipment with components stressing beyond limit of design life.
Some modern caps are designed for 3000 hrs as per RS on-line publications.
It is a norm to replace the older electrolytics if in doubt and also subject to stock available at reasonable price. For this unique case, it involves the kind of money and it would be better to check the ESR readings of individual caps prior to replacement. An ESR meter from Dick Smith is a very handy equipment to check the general condition of the caps without dissembling any wires. A fairly ingeniuous device which has saved me a few hundred bucks from the date of purchase. The other piece of instrument I haven't got is a Sprague TO-6/7 capacitor tester which actually tests the cap's leakage and dissipation factor on actual cap operating voltage but you need to dissemble individual caps, which is a bit impracticable.
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Follow Ups
- Re: How long can electrolytic capacitors (in a tube amp) last? - koo 17:56:59 09/28/04 (0)
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