Pop goes the weasel...

[HughF]

My phase converter started drawing a standing load of about 35a shortly after I'd heard a few popping noises...

Just got a chance to open it up tonight:



Those caps have probably done 12-15hrs runtime that's all.... Does anyone know where I can get some 10uf motor run caps that aren't chinese?

 

[HughF]

That'll do nicely:



Slab of 10 instead of 8, same capacitance but should handle the current a bit better.

 

[eSCHEn]

Good price for Japanese caps

Big ones always remind me of a mispent youth dissassembling TVs and trying not to get zapped.

What was the failure on the original ones? Just poor manufacturing?

 

[HughF]

When I acquired this converter it had duff caps on the phase-shift stage (start caps were and still are OK)... I replaced them with some generic Chinese ones off ebay and it has lasted a year.

It has a hard life powering a load with a poor power factor (inverter Welder with no pfc circuit) so that has probably killed them.

 

[eSCHEn]

Fair enough if it's been working hard, just seems a low lifespan indeed!