[sdiy] How do old electrolytics go bad?

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Friday 06 February 2009 08:10:36 pm David G. Dixon wrote:
> I put an electro in a circuit the other day, and it blew oil all over the
> circuit board (but I MAY have put it in backwards...)

The only time I've ever had that happen to me (once!) I had indeed put it in 
backwards.  Blew up all over the place,  it did.

A friend of mind did that once with a tantalum cap,  too,  which are even 
worse in that regard.


-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
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Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
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