Capacitors with the negative stripe showing.
A capacitor stores power and regulates current. The expected lifespan is seven years; experts say that if they are not made right, they will start to deteriorate after three years. A failing capacitor will bulge, leak, pop and crust over. Replace your own to save money.
Instructions
1. Add solder to the leads of the capacitors to be removed. Heat up the capacitor leads, touching the soldering iron to the lead and the pad around the hole the lead goes through. As you heat them up, gently wiggle the capacitor until the leads come out.
2. Heat up the solder that is in the hole, and suck it out with the desoldering bulb.
3. Trim the leads to the new capacitor to 1 cm. Install the new capacitor in the holes. The spot where the capacitor mounts is marked with a semicircle to designate a negative side. The capacitor will have a stripe indicating which side is negative; be sure to match these marks. Slide the leads through the holes.
4. Place the capacitor flat against the board, and spread the leads to hold it in place. Heat up the leads and the pad around the hole. Have your soldering iron on one side of the lead, while feeding the solder to the other side. Trim the excess leads.
5. Check the board to be sure no errant bits of solder can cause shorts. Make sure your leads are not soldered to another nearby component. Check that the replacement capacitor is of the correct value and is mounted with the negative on the correct side.
Tags: around hole, capacitor will, soldering iron, with negative