Depending on the capacitors' technology, their failure modes can include shorts. Which may destroy much more expensive and unobtainium circuitry. So waiting for a failure is not always the best option either.
AFAIK, particularly the following: film capacitors, tantalum and ceramic. Ceramic caps failures being often due to mechanical stress, especially the SMD ones.
The electrolytic ones are usually more going either open, have increased leakage or increased ESR when drying up. That may also lead to other failures over time due to excessive heating/ripple, but bad electrolytics are usually easier to spot visually, as they are often bulged and/or leaking.
bd139, thanks, now I see where all the "juice" come from. It must be one heck of a cap explosion!
bd139, thanks, now I see where all the "juice" come from. It must be one heck of a cap explosion!
Not so much, Rifa's generally have 2 failure types, one a fizzing spewing fail and the other more catastrophic with full mains power driving the explosion.
Good to know, I will definitely keep an eye out, at least it is quite distinctive and easy to spot. I can deal with magic smoke, but I hate to see fire in my test gears.
Good to know, I will definitely keep an eye out, at least it is quite distinctive and easy to spot. I can deal with magic smoke, but I hate to see fire in my test gears.
Rifa’s typically have a translucent enclosure that degrades with time evidenced by crazy cracking of the enclosure which allows electrolyte to escape and moisture to enter. If they can be inspected all around you can monitor the case and catch it before the impending failure.