Capacitor Replacement Question.

M

Macdonald

Guest
Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is one of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off and on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label on it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

Regards
 
"Macdonald" <Macdonald@123.com> wrote in message
news:Zu6dnUVZS428bxDfRVn-jg@rogers.com...
Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is one
of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off and on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the
light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label on
it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

Regards
Click to expand...
If there is a slot cut in it, it is a high voltage type. I'm wondering if
you're
looking at a MOV however as those are usually blue or orange.
 
"Lord Garth" <LGarth@Tantalus.net> wrote in message
news:5umje.2074$5Z1.1360@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
"Macdonald" <Macdonald@123.com> wrote in message
news:Zu6dnUVZS428bxDfRVn-jg@rogers.com...
Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is
one
of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off and
on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the
light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few
parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label on
it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a
flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

Regards

If there is a slot cut in it, it is a high voltage type. I'm wondering if
you're
looking at a MOV however as those are usually blue or orange.



There is no slot cut in it. Its just a round "flying saucer" (where would it
Click to expand...
be if there was ??)

I'm sorry. I dont know what you mean by a MOV. I dont know what that is?
What is it ? Is that a type of Cap? I asumed that the number 104 surely
looked like a .1uf capacitor description.

When I mentioned blue or orange. These are the replacement Caps that I have
on hand. Im certain these are caps.
However the E104M is actually an orange color.

Regards
 
"Macdonald" <Macdonald@123.com> wrote in message
news:tPednQMyLNusahDfRVn-ug@rogers.com...
"Lord Garth" <LGarth@Tantalus.net> wrote in message
news:5umje.2074$5Z1.1360@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...

"Macdonald" <Macdonald@123.com> wrote in message
news:Zu6dnUVZS428bxDfRVn-jg@rogers.com...
Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is
one
of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off
and
on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the
light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few
parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label
on
it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a
flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I
use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are
little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

Regards

If there is a slot cut in it, it is a high voltage type. I'm wondering
if
you're
looking at a MOV however as those are usually blue or orange.



There is no slot cut in it. Its just a round "flying saucer" (where would
it
be if there was ??)

I'm sorry. I dont know what you mean by a MOV. I dont know what that is?
What is it ? Is that a type of Cap? I asumed that the number 104 surely
looked like a .1uf capacitor description.

When I mentioned blue or orange. These are the replacement Caps that I
have
on hand. Im certain these are caps.
However the E104M is actually an orange color.

Regards
Click to expand...
The cut would be opposite the leads, on the top of the device.

MOVs or Metal Oxide Varistor are a class of transient suppressors. There
are also Transorbs, Gas Discharge Tubes and Silicon Avalanche Devices. If
you've found this device across the hot and ground connections, it is likely
a MOV. They also are thicker than a capacitor. In design, MOVs are very
much
like a capacitor in that it consists of two plates. The MOV is designed to
short above some threshold which is hard to predict. When it does its job,
it
is usually destructive.
 
Yes, 104 = 0.1uF

It sounds like a ceramic disc. You will find plenty of pictures of
these on the web. Try looking on a component supplier's website.

You can replace it with another type, but you must use one with an
adequate voltage rating for the application. It may need to withstand
mains voltage.
Click to expand...
mm Yes voltage rating. I hadnt thought of that.
I guess the E104M does not tell us what that rating is?
(Im in by the way North America so house current is 120)

I think I have a .1uF but its a big sucker by the time you get up to 250v
Not like this one which is maybe 1/4 of an inch from side to side.(0)
I guess I could try to measure the voltage at that point in the circuit and
make a guess.
Regards
 
On Fri, 20 May 2005 10:18:54 -0500, Macdonald wrote:

Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is one of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off and on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label on it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

It's a ceramic disk, as others have noted. THe little blue and/or orange
Click to expand...
blobs - are they rectangular at all? If they're marked 104, then they're
still .1. These are also ceramic - they're called monolithic or multilayer,
which is how they get so many picofarads into such a small package. They
build up layers of ceramic and metal, ceramic, metal, and so on before
they fire it, and then attach the leads and dip them.

As long as the voltage is OK, they'll be fine.

Cheers!
Rich
 
"Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.05.20.18.54.07.486351@example.net...
On Fri, 20 May 2005 10:18:54 -0500, Macdonald wrote:

Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot. It is
one of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights off and
on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to switch the
light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a few
parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the label on
it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks like a
flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a .1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with Tantalums)

It's a ceramic disk, as others have noted. THe little blue and/or orange
blobs - are they rectangular at all? If they're marked 104, then they're
still .1. These are also ceramic - they're called monolithic or
multilayer,
which is how they get so many picofarads into such a small package. They
build up layers of ceramic and metal, ceramic, metal, and so on before
they fire it, and then attach the leads and dip them.

As long as the voltage is OK, they'll be fine.

Cheers!
Rich
Click to expand...
Well the one's I have are
On one side and
104
E5M
======
235
RAX
On the other side.

Describing it is tough. One might say in a blimp fashion. Very small. Maybe
something like a piece of dry rice.

The problem is that I don't suppose any of those numbers tell us what
voltage it can take.

Reagards
 
On Fri, 20 May 2005 15:38:31 -0500, Macdonald wrote:
Well the one's I have are
On one side and
104
E5M
======
235
RAX
On the other side.

Describing it is tough. One might say in a blimp fashion. Very small. Maybe
something like a piece of dry rice.

The problem is that I don't suppose any of those numbers tell us what
voltage it can take.
Click to expand...
Well, at that size, they're certainly not rated for line voltage (120VAC).
I've reread your original post, and it sounds like the original cap is
in a snubber circuit which is across the line, which your little grain-of
rice caps are surely not safe at.

Is there any way to determine what part of the circuit the original is
in? Although, at the size it sounds like you're talking about (like a dime?
like a quarter?) it could be a 600V ceramic, and the little monolithics
would never stand up to that.

Can you get a picture, or post the model number of the original equipment,
so we can look up some specs?

Thanks,
Rich
 
Macdonald wrote:
"Lord Garth" <LGarth@Tantalus.net> wrote in message
news:5umje.2074$5Z1.1360@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...

"Macdonald" <Macdonald@123.com> wrote in message
news:Zu6dnUVZS428bxDfRVn-jg@rogers.com...
Im attempting to fix a wall switch that I bought at Home Depot.
It is
one
of
those RC switches that has a main control that turns the lights
off and
on
and then a remote switch that uses a couple of batteries to
switch the
light
of and on via radio signal. Im attempting to fix it as it had a
few
parts
blown on it. Ive tried replacing he parts that looked blown and
tried
testing others. Any way there is a capacitor on it that has the
label on
it
E104M. It is not polarized and is one of those type that looks
like a
flat
round lollypop with two sticks out of it. I know that this is a
..1uF .

Questions:

Is this a ceramic Capacitor?

I have other 104 -- .1uF Caps on hand that are not polarized. Can
I use
these instead of the lollypop (Ceramic??) type. You know they are
little
blobs of blue or orange paint. (not to be confused with
Tantalums)

Regards

If there is a slot cut in it, it is a high voltage type. I'm
wondering if
you're
looking at a MOV however as those are usually blue or orange.



There is no slot cut in it. Its just a round "flying saucer" (where
would it
be if there was ??)

I'm sorry. I dont know what you mean by a MOV. I dont know what that
is?
What is it ? Is that a type of Cap? I asumed that the number 104
surely
looked like a .1uf capacitor description.

When I mentioned blue or orange. These are the replacement Caps that
I have
on hand. Im certain these are caps.
However the E104M is actually an orange color.

Regards
Click to expand...
Yes, 104 = 0.1uF

It sounds like a ceramic disc. You will find plenty of pictures of
these on the web. Try looking on a component supplier's website.

You can replace it with another type, but you must use one with an
adequate voltage rating for the application. It may need to withstand
mains voltage.
 
I agree with the above posters. It is most likely a 0.1 uF ceramic
capacitor. Without knowing more about the actual circuit, you would be
safe replacing it with one rated for 200V.
 
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