make your own capacitor discharge tool

How To Make Your Own Capacitor Discharge Tool

If you are dealing with switch mode power supplies repair I’m sure you have discharged the big fat filter capacitor before. There are couple of ways for discharging the voltage in the capacitor and one of the safest ways to discharge the capacitor is by using resistor.

discharging filter capacitor

A filter capacitor in a switch mode power supply

This month repair article is about how you can make a hand tool to discharge the big SMPS filter capacitor using a simple DIL extract tool, two 470 Ohms x 7W resistors, two probe tips and some shrinkable tube. The resistors are connected in series and you need to cover it with shrinkable tubes. Please see the photos below:

capacitor discharge tool

capacitor discharge tools

Shrink Tubes

capacitors discharge tool

You need to solder the 2x 470ohm 7 watt resistors in series

capacitors discharge tools

how to discharge capacitor

discharging capacitor

Conclusion- Once the capacitor have fully discharged then the power supply is safe to work on it. This handmade tool is cheap and easy to make and every repairer should have one in their repair bench.

Contributed By Jose Carlos Radighieri - Sao Paulo- Brazil

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