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Can I replace capacitor with lower voltage?
You absolutely should not replace an electrolytic capacitor with one of lower voltage rating. That would only be okay if the system was designed with a lot of overhead, but for high-volume devices like PC power supplies that’s very unlikely.
Can you replace a start capacitor with a higher UF?
An electric motor start capacitors can be replaced with a micro-farad or UF equal to or up to 20% higher UF than the original capacitor serving the motor.
Can I replace a 16v capacitor with a 25v capacitor?
The maximum voltage you can deal with is what the voltage rating is. If you use a 25v rated cap, never exceed 25V. Don’t exceed 16v for a 16v rated cap.
Can a microfarad rating be changed on a capacitor?
There is a maximum of +10% tolerance in microfarad rating on replacement start capacitors, but exact run capacitors must be replaced. Voltage rating must always be the same or greater than original capacitor whether it is a start or run capacitor.
Is it safe to replace a capacitor with a higher voltage?
Replacing a capacitor with something that has a higher voltage rating is always safe. The only problem there is that a capacitor rated for a higher voltage is often physically larger, everything else being equal.
Can you replace a capacitor with a higher UF?
This is not to imply bigger is better, because a capacitor that is too large can cause energy consumption to rise. In both instances, be it too large or too small, the life of the motor will be shortened due to overheated motor windings.
How much does the value of a capacitor change over time?
Capacitors usually have a 10-20% tolerance anyhow, and you would be surprised how much the value of a cap changes over temperature (depending on the construction). They drift with age as well. I wouldn’t hesitate to make the smaller value swaps you mentioned in a PA amp.