This question comes up frequently by many readers on the site. In most cases, the answer is NO.
Surge caps can store energy and release it as needed for very short periods of time. They charge up quickly and can repeat the charge/discharge well for many cycles. This process may help to a degree with short-term light dimming issues. However, they are not a solution to cronic under powered system draw demands.
How can I tell if a Surge Cap is doing much good? The answer is pretty simple...
1. Charge the Cap to full potential
2. Remove the negative battery post from the battery
3. Connect a 12 volt automotive lamp (test light) to the Cap + terminal and ground the bulb casing
4. Note how long the Cap takes to discharge and the bulb goes out (Depending on the wattage of the bulb used, it may take a few minutes to grow dim and then go out)
Now, do the same thing, but use the car battery to power the test lamp. It will glow brightly for hours right?
Safety tip: There are 12 volt test light probes available at most auto parts stores. They look like a over sized marker pen, (Sharpie) with a long wire and alligator clip on one end, (Grounding clip) and a sharp pointed probe on the other. (Positive probe to internal lamp) The lamp is housed inside the body of the probe. This is a safe way to do this kind of test.
I ask that anyone intent on buying a Surge Cap to perform this simple test with a $3.00 test probe. The results are so obvious that we can easily see the real lack of value in even a 5 Farad Surge Cap.
In a nutshell, Surge Caps act like a small electrical storage container. To get a better mental picture of how they work, consider this analogy.
We have a 5 gallon shop vac full of water. At the bottom of the of the vac is a 2-3" drain hole and a drain cap. If we remove the drain cap, the water in the tank empties very fast right? Now, try filling the container with a garden hose and see if we can keep up with the drain. That's what happens in real time with Surge Caps too.
Hope that helps someone understand how Surge Caps really work,
Swez
Replies (2)
Victor on 07/4/2007 03:09:24
Caps are Car Audio Jewelery ....
what swez says is soo much right..
heres another way to understand how this works... on a higher technical level
http://www.bcae1.com/charging.htm
http://www.bcae1.com/capacitr.htm
Victor...............
SQLThump on 07/8/2007 08:50:08
^Bump^
Great knowledge for those building a system for summer
Surge caps can store energy and release it as needed for very short periods of time. They charge up quickly and can repeat the charge/discharge well for many cycles. This process may help to a degree with short-term light dimming issues. However, they are not a solution to cronic under powered system draw demands.
How can I tell if a Surge Cap is doing much good? The answer is pretty simple...
1. Charge the Cap to full potential
2. Remove the negative battery post from the battery
3. Connect a 12 volt automotive lamp (test light) to the Cap + terminal and ground the bulb casing
4. Note how long the Cap takes to discharge and the bulb goes out (Depending on the wattage of the bulb used, it may take a few minutes to grow dim and then go out)
Now, do the same thing, but use the car battery to power the test lamp. It will glow brightly for hours right?
Safety tip: There are 12 volt test light probes available at most auto parts stores. They look like a over sized marker pen, (Sharpie) with a long wire and alligator clip on one end, (Grounding clip) and a sharp pointed probe on the other. (Positive probe to internal lamp) The lamp is housed inside the body of the probe. This is a safe way to do this kind of test.
I ask that anyone intent on buying a Surge Cap to perform this simple test with a $3.00 test probe. The results are so obvious that we can easily see the real lack of value in even a 5 Farad Surge Cap.
In a nutshell, Surge Caps act like a small electrical storage container. To get a better mental picture of how they work, consider this analogy.
We have a 5 gallon shop vac full of water. At the bottom of the of the vac is a 2-3" drain hole and a drain cap. If we remove the drain cap, the water in the tank empties very fast right? Now, try filling the container with a garden hose and see if we can keep up with the drain. That's what happens in real time with Surge Caps too.
Hope that helps someone understand how Surge Caps really work,
Swez
Replies (2)
Victor on 07/4/2007 03:09:24
Caps are Car Audio Jewelery ....
what swez says is soo much right..
heres another way to understand how this works... on a higher technical level
http://www.bcae1.com/charging.htm
http://www.bcae1.com/capacitr.htm
Victor...............
SQLThump on 07/8/2007 08:50:08
^Bump^
Great knowledge for those building a system for summer
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