A blown capacitor can interrupt a circuit.
A capacitor is a device or tool, usually built into a type of circuit board. Capacitors consist of two metal conductors, which have opposing charges (positive/negative). The conductors, usually made of wire, are separated by insulation material, which is usually made of paper or plastic. The main function of a capacitor is to carry an electrical charge from one point of a circuit board to another. If a capacitor goes bad it can interrupt the circuit it is connected to, which can cause the electrical device to stop working.
Instructions
1. Examine your circuit board for the blown capacitor. In most cases, the capacitor will show burn marks or oozing fluid.
2. Plug in a soldering iron. Let it heat up for about ten minutes. Place the circuit board face down and locate the capacitor's soldered joints on the circuit board's bottom side.
3. Touch the heated iron to the soldered joints on the circuit board until the existing solder melts and disconnects the capacitor connectors from the board. Flip the circuit board over again. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull the capacitor out of the connector holes in the top of the circuit board.
4. Use a damp sponge to clean the area on the circuit board where the capacitor used to be. Allow a few minutes for the area to dry and make sure all excess solder is removed.
5. Place the new capacitor inside the connector holes in the top side of the circuit board. Position the circuit board so the top side is facing down on your work surface.
6. Wipe the tip of your heated soldering iron with a damp sponge. Touch some fresh solder to the tip iron until it is completely covered in solder material. Wipe away the excess solder with a damp sponge. This procedure is called "tinning."
7. Position your solder material over each of the capacitor's wire connectors on the bottom side of the circuit board. Then touch the tinned soldering iron's tip to the solder material until it melts and melds to each capacitor's connector wire. Allow about five minutes for the solder to settle.
8. Repeat this procedure to repair any blown capacitor on your circuit board.
Tags: circuit board, blown capacitor, damp sponge, solder material, soldering iron, bottom side