Capacitor change out question...

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I need to change out a bulging capacitor in my home stereo amp.
The maker sent me two of them one for each side.
Elna 63V 100 uf.

How long do I need to let the amp sit unplugged before changing them out ??

I`m sorta ok with a soldering iron..sorta, but I`m totally ignorant when it comes to potentially dangerous stored voltages and I don`t want any mishaps.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
 
The capacitors MAY be sufficiently discharged after 24 hours depending on the circuit configuration. However, it will be safer to ensure they are completely discharged by using your soldering skills to make a capacitor discharge tool.

Solder a length of thick insulated wire to each end of a 10K, 5W wirewound resistor and insulate the connections fully with insulating tape or heat shrink tubing. Strip and tin the free ends of the insulated wire to form two 'probes'.

By connecting the 'probes' across the capacitor terminals for around one minute you can discharge the capacitor. Keep your fingers away from the 'probes' and capacitor terminals!

If you have a voltmeter, you can check that the capacitor is fully discharged by checking the voltage across the capacitor terminals. It should be close to zero volts.

P.S. Capacitor discharging is more urgent in the 300 to 400V environment of a valve amplifier!
 
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