# Why did the power cut have this effect?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-power-cut-have-this-effect/1026816>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 19, 2026, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-power-cut-have-this-effect/1026816 "2026-01-19T11:12:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-power-cut-have-this-effect/1026816/21 "2026-01-20T16:24:14Z")

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Given the pace of changes in electronics, it’d be interesting to know how old the OP’s ovens are. And whether they’re the same vintage and model.

Modern high quality appliances can last a very long time.

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-power-cut-have-this-effect/1026816/22 "2026-01-20T16:42:48Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> With a new capacitor, it might at any time just go completely kaput and instantly become 0% useable, but until and unless it does that, it’s still at 100%, and an old one (that’s survived so far) isn’t appreciably more likely to die in any given timespan than a new one.

Sorta true for certain types of caps, .e.g. tantalum. But definitely not true for (the very common) consumer-grade aluminum electrolytic caps. High ambient temperatures and/or self-heating due to ESR will cause the electrolytic paste to (slowly) dry up, which causes the capacitance to decrease over time. For audio applications, a tell-tale sign of the power supply’s electrolytic caps drying up is when you can hear a 120 Hz hum in the speaker, and it will get louder over time.

MLCCs fail due to cracking (from board flex, shock, vibe, etc.).

Film caps are _very_ reliable. But they’re expensive and have very poor volumetric efficiency.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-power-cut-have-this-effect/1026816/23 "2026-01-20T16:44:07Z")

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The control board for a consumer oven has to be just about the worst case environment for long-lived but also designed-to-cost-cheap electronics.

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