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Accounts are free. Join #retro on irc.fxnet.org, identify with NickServ and type !req. #retro on irc.fxnet.org 6697 ssl · 6667 plain modern + vintage clients welcome 3 people in #retro okawari, synmuffin, thelounge56 nobody on the FTP last upload: Windows XP Dark Edition v7 Rebi... by archiveorg, 3h ago as of 18:56 EDT · releases 2,002 last 24h +236 online 514.7 GB library 1.2 TB members 0 updated 2026-10-05 18:56 Device Electronics Skills Difficulty Moderate Time 1 hour Steps 22 This guide is by Carlos López (España - Spain) on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >> • In this guide, you will see a compilation of the Top 12 components that often fail in electronics, causing common breakdowns, or as I usually say, "Textbook faults"... • I always collect the damaged components from the equipment I repair. I am NOT a professional repair technician, although electronics technician is my profession and background. For years now, I have not worked strictly in electronics, as my professional activity is focused on industrial electricity and High Voltage, but I continue repairing as a hobby. • The one in the photo is one of several boxes of damaged components that I have been locating and replacing for a few years. Did you know that you can learn a lot from damaged components?. • A flat polyester capacitor with a value between 1 µF and 2.2 µF is one of the components that fails most often in electronic modules. • Many electronic circuit designs are based on basic switched-mode power supplies, this being the component that suffers the most while being powered directly from the electrical mains, 110V or 230V; the capacitor dries out internally, losing its capacitance ("low capacitance"), and the circuit stops starting. • In Nespresso coffee machines, for example, its value is 470 nF to 680 nF and it behaves the same way; the buttons light up dimly until one day the machine does not turn on. Example: Cafetera Nespresso Delonghi EN 95.R (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/CAFETERA_NESPRESSO_DELONGHI_EN_95.R) • The important thing about them is the value in µF (Microfarads), the voltage it supports--CAUTION: this is not the voltage it works at, it is the voltage it can withstand--and that it is MKP; the color is the least important thing, it does not matter. • Same previous example, but in this case gray capacitors; the color is the least important thing. • Example: Aerlux Luminaria de Emergencia (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/LUMINARIA_DE_EMERGENCIA_AERLUX) • Example: RADIADOR DUCASA BRD9001 (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/RADIADOR_DUCASA_BRD9001) • Example of a faulty capacitor on dishwasher circuit boards; it drops in capacity, which causes the appliance to reset when it needs to heat the water to generate steam, and it never finishes the drying cycle. • Fan capacitor; its failure is very common in tower-style cooling fans. • Another example of a faulty cooling fan capacitor. This is also a very typical example in air conditioning turbines. • It is the 2nd main component that tends to fail on electronic boards. As the component fails, its capacity in µF (microfarads) decreases; generally, when it drops below 50%, the device begins to malfunction until it no longer turns on. • Its failure is typical in high-voltage switching power supplies when we see that its value is low, from 8 - 10 to 22 µF / 350 or 400V; it is the primary candidate to check and replace on an electronic board. If we add to that the fact that it bulges or curves at the top = faulty component. • Example: (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Alimentador+de+12+V+camara+AXIL+Sustituci%C3%B3n+de+condensador+averiado+82+uF+400V./185210) • More examples and more values of failed components. In photo 2 we see an example of a damaged, bulging component. • 220 uF/16V capacitor example (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Gu%C3%ADa+3:+Alimentador+12+V+sin+salida+de+voltaje+Aver%C3%ADa+condensador+220+uF-16v+parte+salida+voltaje./187917) • Another example of what we were talking about. This one is 680 µF / 50 V; we can find 1000 µF ones that are also low in capacitance. • Schottky diodes, which look the same as rectifier diodes, are high-speed switching diodes. They operate so close to their limits that they often fail easily by short-circuiting. They are often one of the classic faults in switching power supplies; therefore, all diodes should be tested in a power supply. • Milk frother example. (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Espumador+de+leche+-+CREATE+MILK+FROTHER+STUDIO+No+enciende+aver%C3%ADa+diodo+Shotkky./196452) • A diode bridge, although it is not usually very common for it to fail, is often more of a problem of poor design or incorrect calculation due to the designer having used a very tight component value, or a bad batch of components; the diode bridges short circuit, burning out, and along with them, the input fuse or the copper trace burns out. • Example of a blender with a short circuit in the diode bridge. (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Gu%C3%ADa+2:+Batidora+MANDINE+MHB1200-20+Diagn%C3%B3stico+de+la+aver%C3%ADa+puente+de+diodos+cortocircuitado./196978) • A thermal fuse, very common in heaters and coffee makers, fails when the appliance exceeds the maximum temperature the component can withstand. It can also blow due to exceeding the maximum current it can withstand, but this is less likely. • When a coffee maker does not turn on, the 2 thermal fuses are the first 2 components to check, attached to the boiler body. Example: • When an electric heater does not heat up, it is the first component to check. Example: LINK • How to replace a thermal fuse? AIR FRYER - Princess 182024 (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/Freidora_de_aire_-_Princess_182024) • Example: AIGOSTAR 300010 LDX Freidora de aire (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/Freidora_de_aire_AIGOSTAR_300010_LDX) • Compilation of thermal fuse values for boilers used in household appliances. (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Recopilatorio+de+valores+de+fusible+t%C3%A9rmico+de++Calder%C3%ADn+utilizados+Electrodom%C3%A9sticos./160225) • A blown high-voltage fuse in microwave ovens is another "classic manual fault"; when it blows, replace it with another of the same or slightly higher rating. If it blows again, the problem is almost certainly the high-voltage capacitor, which must be replaced, or a scorched mica sheet. • Example high-voltage capacitor. (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Aver%C3%ADa+horno+Microondas+quema+fusible+Alta+tensi%C3%B3n+repetidamente.+(Comprobaciones+condensador+AT)/214075) • Comparison of a microwave oven fuse with a PCB fuse. • Self-resetting thermostats, which reset when the temperature drops, often fail and burn out for various reasons in electrical appliances, microwave ovens, heaters, and several other devices. • 1st Reason, because the faston terminals attached to it are loose and result in poor contact. • 2nd Reason, because a very high current flows through them. • 3rd Reason, due to an incorrectly calculated temperature at which it should trip, pry open the thermostat, it overheats and becomes damaged over time. • When dealing with thermostats, it should be kept in mind that they can be NC (Normally Closed), which are the most common, or NO (Normally Open), their trip temperature, and the temperature at which they reset or recover. • Example: Secadora BOSCH WDT75 (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/SECADORA_BOSCH_WDT75) • Power input fuse-function resistors. For many years now, electronics manufacturers have replaced traditional power input fuses with "low-value resistors with fuse function." These can look burnt or show no signs of damage at all, even when they are faulty. • Therefore, if an electronic board does not turn on, you must measure the power input resistance with a multimeter on the ohms setting, as it may be open = cut = burnt. • Example: PLAFON LED LS24A8X-BPBC con driver 52 V (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/PLAFON_LED_LS24A8X-BPBC__con_driver__52_V) • Ceramic Resistors are not a common failure, but it is possible for them to be burned or open. Although these are multi-watt resistors that can withstand high temperatures because they operate under harsh conditions, they can fail by opening the circuit. • The one in the image is from a microwave oven's protection circuit. • Although the classic transformer is a component that has been trending towards disappearance or much less frequent use since approximately 2010--having been replaced by switching power supplies due to volume, weight, cost, and PCB space--the capacitor is still active and we will continue to see failures of it for years to come. • Its primary winding (input winding) usually burns out, as it is the thinnest and the one that must endure the high consumption that we demand from its output; the winding overheats, which can cause it to open, to be cut when the wire burns, or to overheat and short-circuit turns, causing the input fuse to blow. • In this one in the photo, for example, it can be observed that it is visually damaged. • A varistor is a protection element on the electronic board. The sad or paradoxical thing about this component is that it protects by self-destruction, causing the fuse located before it to blow. • The varistor is rated on the electronic board for a maximum voltage that the board can withstand; for example, for 230 V AC, a 275 V AC varistor is used. If the input voltage exceeds 275 V, the varistor begins conducting, short-circuiting the power input and causing the fuse to blow. • Therefore, both the varistor and the fuse must be replaced. Generally, no other components on the PCB are affected. • If the value of the original one is unknown, always use a standard voltage above the rated voltage for your country. • Example of a burnt varistor in a coffee machine: (https://es.ifixit.com/Gu%C3%ADa/Varistor+quemado+sustituci%C3%B3n+y+reparaci%C3%B3n+pista+quemada+Cafetera+Krups+Nespresso+XN+304/173348) • LED diodes; although old LEDs from before the year 2000 "were eternal" and it was almost impossible for them to break or burn out, today's LEDs are of very low quality and a small power surge is enough to make them burn out, which is why I have included them in this list. • NTC sensor for hot air fryers, also known as an Air Fryer, is a typical component that often fails in some fryers. • Example: AIR FRYER XIAOMI (https://www.ifixit.com/Topic/AIR_FRYER_XIAOMI) • Components that can fail, there are more; here you have had a look at the more or less common ones. Some others could be included, an example photo of my box of damaged components, checking them teaches quite a lot and it is another way to learn electronics; a failure teaches more than a circuit that is working. • We could add relays, high-voltage microwave oven capacitors, broken solder joints in dishwasher relays, and some other components to this list. In electronics, no matter how much you know, you never stop learning. To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. This guide is by Carlos López (España - Spain) on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

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