05-23-2018, 06:39 AM
Not necessarily. AMOF electrolytics rarely (statistically) fail in "KA-BOOM" mode. They dry up, they bulge up. When they bulge up, it is either they are bad (like those swollen caps in computers or TVs, which is not the case here) from start, or they are wrong for the circuit they are in (GP caps in Hi-ripple-demand circuits etc, or the WV is super close to the actual voltage at high temps at high ripple). When you see that "2000 hrs life" thing in datasheets, this is when all the max parameters are met at the same time, otherwise the formula is non-linear and the life can extend ... not forever but to tens and tens of years easily.
Plus those caps were mad during the times when they were not Chinese-made, or even Taiwanese. Mostly Japanese or US, or in the worst case - maybe Singapore. No stolen electrolyte formulas etc. My APPLE II power supply still works fine. My Nakamichi deck that I just shipped for service is fine electronically, it needs rollers rejuvenated etc, but not the caps.
And after reforming my Signal generators (from 1950s) work just fine. And the reforming was done due to the long storage time.
So.....piece of mind counts for something, sure. But my philosophy is, if an old (like 70-s) lytic cap is good, it could stay.
Plus those caps were mad during the times when they were not Chinese-made, or even Taiwanese. Mostly Japanese or US, or in the worst case - maybe Singapore. No stolen electrolyte formulas etc. My APPLE II power supply still works fine. My Nakamichi deck that I just shipped for service is fine electronically, it needs rollers rejuvenated etc, but not the caps.
And after reforming my Signal generators (from 1950s) work just fine. And the reforming was done due to the long storage time.
So.....piece of mind counts for something, sure. But my philosophy is, if an old (like 70-s) lytic cap is good, it could stay.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
