infrequent use: cracked capacitors

[pen-helm]

I read somewhere that if you don't use your monitor or mac for a while, the capacitors can crack and fail. How frequently should they be used?

 

[SGilbert]

Never heard of such! Must have come from a user of a cheap PC!

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Yep, that's completely not true. While ANYthing will degrade over time eventually into a non-working state, there was a recent story about a man who came into possession of a never-opened Mac //c, and that computer was 24 years old and worked perfectly.

http://gizmodo.com/352446/virgin-apple-iic-unboxed-groped

Where did you read this?

 

[MClever]

Technically speaking, a capacitor will degrade over time regardless if it is used or not (shelf life). But that is 10+ years. Before that time you will be using something else for sure. Aged cap failure is not that common, but it occurs.

 

[Kees Buijs]

Yep, that's completely not true. While ANYthing will degrade over time eventually into a non-working state, there was a recent story about a man who came into possession of a never-opened Mac //c, and that computer was 24 years old and worked perfectly.

http://gizmodo.com/352446/virgin-apple-iic-unboxed-groped

Where did you read this?

This is less unlikely as it looks as the system not was used so it never got hot etc. When stored at stable temperature, degradation will slowdown enormously.

Especially heat and cold will influence degradation and cracked capacitors are most likely caused by bad fabrication and/or large changes in temperature.

The risc in monitors a larger as they produce more heat (at least the old CRT versions).

Using it regular keeps it in shape and might prevent for some time the capacitor from spilling it contents, but eventually ...


Good luck, Kees