I’ve had this doubt for a long time, is it myth or truth that electrolytic capacitors need to be powered at some interval to avoid damage and a reduction in their useful life?
I have electronic devices (snes consoles. TV CRT 29") from the early 90s and early 2000s (PS2 Slim, TV CRT) and all of them and their power supplies have electrolytic capacitors and I store them but I don’t know the frequency to turn them on safely to preserve the electrolytic capacitors
Hello cloudff7 - that is a new one on me - I haven’t heard that before. I did search for information on the subject but I did not find an answer to your question. I didn’t find that subject mentioned anywhere, so I’m sorry, I don’t have an answer for you. Hopefully, one of Engineers will have more information on the sujbect.
Please see this thread.
Yes, electrolytic capacitors do degrade if unbiased, though at varying rates and to different degrees. No one answer can be given as to how often or how long legacy equipment should be powered in order to maximize lifetime, but operation for a few hours every 6-12 months is a reasonable starting point.
