PFC CAP EXPLOSIONS

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: PFC CAP EXPLOSIONS
• From: "J. B. Weazle McCreath" <weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 12:36:32 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Hello Coilers:

As many of you have already said, DO NOT USE ELECTROLYTICS as PFC caps.
I've had first hand (actually first face) experience with a cap blowing
up, and it's not pleasant.  Electrolytics are used in motor starting
applications, and even there they can explode, if you do too many 
starts within a short time period.  I was helping a friend check out a
5 H.P. motor and we had the lid off the cap box to measure the current
in the start circuit with a clip on ammeter.  On the 5th. start within
about 10 minutes, two of the electrolytic caps exploded violently in
my face with a blast sounding like a shotgun!  Fortunately I had a
good set of safety glasses on, so my eyes where spared, but I spent
about half an hour washing the gunk off my face and out of my beard.
Use only the oil filled motor RUN caps for PFC use and stay safe.


73, Weazle, VE3EAR/VE3WZL

Listening: 147.030+ and 442.075+
E-mail:    weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca
           or ve3ear-at-rac.ca
Web site:  www.hurontel.on.ca/~weazle

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