"peter" wrote in message
news:enV3j.18414$B21.13403@trndny07...
Electrolytic capacitors sometimes blow up -- due to heat, old age, or lack
of use(?).

I have some old studio flashes used for photography and they contain some
high voltage electrolytic capacitors. I use them once in a long while. But
if they ever blow up, it would be very unpleasant.

Could someone reassure me that it is not going to happen, or suggest a
solution?



They will blow up if connected backwards to a source of sufficiently high
current, but to blow up in normal use would be extremely unusual, I'd be
much more worried about a meteorite crashing through your roof to kill you
in your sleep than that.