RIFA Class Y Capacitor remedy
Hi all!
I have a piece of gear with a Power-one SPL130 power supply in it. On the primary side, there is a very tiny (about the size of your thumb nail) RIFA Class Y capacitor, 2.2 nF. I'm not too sure about the condition (whether or not it's cracking) but I do know that it's there.
I'm aggregating information as to how I should remedy this. It hasn't exploded yet, but that's what I'm trying to avoid.
I've never seen a RIFA class Y safety cap self destruct (or at least it hasn't been documented in the past). However, it's not worth the risk to leave it in there. It's different from the class X (across-the-line) capacitors in that it's line-to-ground. It's worth noting that the gear in question is encased in a metal chassis.
I've heard in various videos and forum posts online that in most cases, these caps can just be omitted, but the context always seems to involve a Class X rather than a Class Y cap. If I just remove it for now, and temporarily leave nothing in its place with the understanding that I will be more prone to RFI (which isn't too much of an issue in this application), is that OK for the time being? Class Y caps are designed to fail open, so by removing it and therefore creating an open circuit, it should be fine and not pose a shock hazard, right? If I go this route, I will replace it with a suitable capacitor at a later date.
Thanks for any input!
I have a piece of gear with a Power-one SPL130 power supply in it. On the primary side, there is a very tiny (about the size of your thumb nail) RIFA Class Y capacitor, 2.2 nF. I'm not too sure about the condition (whether or not it's cracking) but I do know that it's there.
I'm aggregating information as to how I should remedy this. It hasn't exploded yet, but that's what I'm trying to avoid.
I've never seen a RIFA class Y safety cap self destruct (or at least it hasn't been documented in the past). However, it's not worth the risk to leave it in there. It's different from the class X (across-the-line) capacitors in that it's line-to-ground. It's worth noting that the gear in question is encased in a metal chassis.
I've heard in various videos and forum posts online that in most cases, these caps can just be omitted, but the context always seems to involve a Class X rather than a Class Y cap. If I just remove it for now, and temporarily leave nothing in its place with the understanding that I will be more prone to RFI (which isn't too much of an issue in this application), is that OK for the time being? Class Y caps are designed to fail open, so by removing it and therefore creating an open circuit, it should be fine and not pose a shock hazard, right? If I go this route, I will replace it with a suitable capacitor at a later date.
Thanks for any input!
) so I don't expect many issues anyway. Again, if I do notice any interference troubles, I will solder in a replacement, but for now I won't worry about it.
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