How to discharge stored energy

[David Dowdy]

Hello
I would like to know the best way to discharge stored energy in a receiver before going in to replace capacitors. Thank you for your help.

 

[dblDeckWreck]

Ground

 

[leesonic]

Use a 100 ohm 5 watt resistor across the main caps. 10 seconds should be enough, but you can still measure them to make sure. I'm assuming solid state, since you posted in the solid state forum.

 

[4300]

Use a 100 ohm 5 watt resistor across the main caps. 10 seconds should be enough, but you can still measure them to make sure. I'm assuming solid state, since you posted in the solid state forum.

This is what I did when I used to mess around with tube guitar amps. It worked.

 

[David Dowdy]

Use a 100 ohm 5 watt resistor across the main caps. 10 seconds should be enough, but you can still measure them to make sure. I'm assuming solid state, since you posted in the solid state forum.

Thank you

 

[elnaldo]

Resistor value is not very important. I pick any resistor I have at hand. Usually a 180ohm wirewound I have laying on my bench. Or any other I find at hand. One end to ground, the other end to the capacitor to discharge. But a 1000 ohm will work too. It just take longer to discharge the cap.

 

[redk9258]

Many receivers have bleeder resistors installed already. Just measure the caps to make sure the voltage has dropped to 0V. Memory backup caps stay charged for a long time.

 

[Hyperion]

It is best never to short capacitor terminals together to discharge them, it might damage the capacitor and it is very hard on screwdrivers. Discharging capacitors through a resistor is much kinder.

 

[bruno80918]

Toss the removed hot cap to the sleepy bench tech next to you.
Not the best , but woke him up.

 

[Oerets]

I built using an old lava lamp base a device to drain the charge. Keep it around the bench area.
Cutting the plug end off and soldered a pair of insulated clips to use for connections across the can caps.

Light up the lamp for a second and then done.