Where to get HV caps? 5-6 KV, 0.01-0.1 uF

Question

Hello all!My electronic air cleaner has quit working and I have narrowed it downto the HV power supply.  Right now I am suspicious of the capacitors,particularly because the wax (?) on the end of one of them seems tohave melted.  Since they are about 23 years old I plan on replacingall three of them.There is one capacitor directly across the AC input that is rated0.011 uF, 4 KV AC.  There are two more that I think form part of adoubler that are rated 0.1 uF, 5 KV DC.  Each of the three are about1" diameter by 3" long (25 mm by 75 mm).A turn through the Digi-Key and Mouser catalogs didn't find anythingsuitable.  The case size and lead arrangement is fairly non-critical,because I have lots of room to work with.  I can get an entirereplacement power supply for $120, but I'd like to try fixing this onefirst.Any suggestions on where to buy capacitors like this in smallquantities?Thanks!Matt Roberds

Michael A. Terrell · Accepted Answer

Have you checked with the OEM of the electronic air cleaner?-- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 toprove it.Member of DAV #85.Michael A. TerrellCentral Florida

Mike Harrison · Answer

Try ebay.

Michael A. Terrell · Answer

I'm not the one looking for them.  You snipped the wrong parts of themessage you replied to.-- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 toprove it.Member of DAV #85.Michael A. TerrellCentral Florida

Homer J Simpson · Answer

Not always a bad sign.Try locally?

Ray King · Answer

Hi, Matt,To be safe you might check the high voltage diodes ( usually a doubler ) Sometimes they can look similar to a cap. There are usually two caps and two diodes. Sometimes the two diodes are in the same package with three leads. Or in a larger plastic block.Regards,Ray

mroberds · Answer

"Michael A. Terrell"  wrote:"You'll kill yourself!  But if you manage not to kill yourself, you need to buy our replacement power supply for $120.""Homer J SimpsWell, the HV transformer appears to be putting out - the secondary is notopen, and when the primary is powered with 120 V, the secondary issomething more than 750 V AC open circuit.  When I connect the secondaryto the diode/cap board, with the DC output unloaded, the voltage acrossthe secondary collapses to zero.  Measuring across the input to thediode/cap board with nothing else connected, I get about 130 ohms.  Giventhat the input is probably 3 or 4 KV AC, this implies an input current ofover 20 A, which doesn't seem likely.From: "Ray King" It is a doubler circuit, with an additional capacitor directly acrossthe AC input.  The diodes look like normal diodes, just bigger - maybe0.25" diameter by 1" long (6 by 25 mm).  Neither diode is a dead shortbut my DMM's "diode test" range can't convince them to conduct, either.I think I...

Homer J Simpson · Answer

Try a 12 volt (or variable) wall wart with a 1 K resistor in series.

Where to get HV caps? 5-6 KV, 0.01-0.1 uF

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