Hey everyone,
I’ve been testing some salvaged electrolytic capacitors (mostly 1000uF/25V) using an ESR meter and a basic capacitance meter. Some of them show very close to the rated capacitance — like 950–1050uF — but their ESR is noticeably higher than expected (in the range of 0.5 to 0.8 ohms).
Is it still safe to reuse these in a low-power project, or does the elevated ESR indicate they're on their way out, even if the capacitance looks okay?
I’ve read mixed opinions — some say ESR is more critical than capacitance, others say it's fine as long as there's no bulging or leakage.
Would love to hear your thoughts. Should I toss them or are they still usable?
AI: What specific type of low-power project are you planning to use these capacitors in?
I’m planning to use them in a small 12V LED strip driver circuit. It’s a pretty basic setup for ambient lighting in a shelf — total current draw is under 1A, and it’ll be running indoors, so not much thermal stress involved. Just trying to keep it cost-effective by reusing decent components where possible.
AI: Have you noticed any physical signs of wear or damage on the capacitors, such as bulging or leakage?
I checked each one visually — no bulging tops, no signs of leakage, and the rubber seals at the base look intact. A few of them have some minor discoloration on the leads from desoldering, but nothing that looks like damage or overheating. They seem physically fine, which is why the higher ESR readings made me a bit unsure.
I’ve been testing some salvaged electrolytic capacitors (mostly 1000uF/25V) using an ESR meter and a basic capacitance meter. Some of them show very close to the rated capacitance — like 950–1050uF — but their ESR is noticeably higher than expected (in the range of 0.5 to 0.8 ohms).
Is it still safe to reuse these in a low-power project, or does the elevated ESR indicate they're on their way out, even if the capacitance looks okay?
I’ve read mixed opinions — some say ESR is more critical than capacitance, others say it's fine as long as there's no bulging or leakage.
Would love to hear your thoughts. Should I toss them or are they still usable?
AI: What specific type of low-power project are you planning to use these capacitors in?
I’m planning to use them in a small 12V LED strip driver circuit. It’s a pretty basic setup for ambient lighting in a shelf — total current draw is under 1A, and it’ll be running indoors, so not much thermal stress involved. Just trying to keep it cost-effective by reusing decent components where possible.
AI: Have you noticed any physical signs of wear or damage on the capacitors, such as bulging or leakage?
I checked each one visually — no bulging tops, no signs of leakage, and the rubber seals at the base look intact. A few of them have some minor discoloration on the leads from desoldering, but nothing that looks like damage or overheating. They seem physically fine, which is why the higher ESR readings made me a bit unsure.
