Hello all,

This is mainly for the North American members, but I'm trying to find a good site(s) that sells cylindrical oil-filled capacitors, along with the oddball sizes like 9uf or 13.5uf. I'm trying to get the proper uf buying a single capacitor for the oddball sizes instead of putting two in parallel. And if all else fails, I'll probably just buy from eBay.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Buy only dry capacitor like there are in the European gear. Dry capacitors don't tends to explode more than oil filled capacitors. Lots of old lighting and A/Cs here, had plastic capacitors made by Kama, most of them don't have violent failures at all.
Capacitors violent failures occurs as a result of an internal short and can be worse in oil filled capacitors than with dry capacitors.

I’m looking specifically for oil-filled capacitors. Yes I understand the risks of using an oil-filled capacitor but I only plan on using non-PCB ones in fused lights anyways for the sake of my health and also my lights.

Personally I’m not a big fan on film caps. Nothing wrong with them really but the metal oil filled ones are a lot cooler.

Honestly I have seen a lot of Advance dry caps fail, but a good oil filled one seems very reliable. I bought a 1983 GE central air conditioner a while back and that thing still has all 4 (yes, 4 caps for 2 motors) factory GE capacitors. Maybe there used to be some really good dry cap manufacturers too, but it doesn't seem like I have seen any.

Yes good oil-filled ones (especially the older ones) are pretty reliable, especially if they are the furthest from a heat source.

I've seen an older early 1980s Lennox central AC condensing unit with two separate caps. The caps are GE and interestingly enough, they have grounding spades on them, and are also dark gray colored.

I think the higher uf, higher voltage film caps starting showing up in the 90s for lights. Not sure about anything else. Not sure on good film cap manufacturers.

Personally I am under impression that *all* non-hermetic polypropylene metallized film capacitors (white plastic cans) are destined to fail within 10-15 years of working time due to oxidation and micro breakdowns. No matter even if made by a respectable 1-st world manufacturer. I have German Electronicon capacitors made circa 2010 now measuring from 1/3 to 2/3 of nameplate capacitance. Sealed metal case and epoxy potted (rectangular) types usually fare better.

That behavior does not matter much for PFC use, but obviously will ruin leading type ballast circuits.

Well ALL capacitors are destined to fail, TDDB degradation is just a plain physics, you can not get arround.
The quality ones just make the rated life with very high percentage.

You may control the lifetime by the operating temperature and selected voltage rating, but that works the same way regardless of the type (oil, dry film,...).
But if a capacitor is rated 100k hours at 350VAC and 85degC, if it is a quality product it won't fail before that, but it will definitely be failing in significant percentage cases after that.
You may double the life of that capacitor if you manage to keep it below 75degC or if you use e.g. a 450V rated (for the same 85degC) one, but that is all valid for all types as well.

So rather than looking for "oil filled and not dry", you need to study the reliability ratings of the products.

But it is true, the more demanding the requirements (higher hours, temperature, voltage), the more likely those capacitors will be of an oil type, but it is by far not 100%, someone may just use thicker film and accept the extra size and get the reliability figures that way, it may still be more practical for him than dealing with extra production line for oil capacitors.

Either way, power capacitors always were and always will be wear element consumables, so requiring multiple replacements over the equipment life (unless the equipment itself is a throw away consummable as well).

 I only buy oil filled as dry film don't seem to last as long . I've had several dry films that are only a few years old and test weak already .  I've been getting most of my caps from eBay . there's also places like these :  http://capcom.mx/ , https://us.rs-online.com/product/capcom-formerly-genteq/97f8242/70102906/ or even Grainger (Typically expensive )  . You can also look locally at most electrical supply or HVAC places .

Thanks guys for your contributions.

Dry film capacitor last as long as oil filled capacitors.

I usually use oil filled capacitors in my streetlights as that's the closest thing to what was OEM in most luminaires. Anyway I buy most of mine locally from a electronics supply shop or the lighting supply shop that has a small selection of oil filled capacitors.

If they don't have it, I'll order one in from McMaster Carr and/or Grainger ($$$).

Most of my older luminaires have the original capacitor replaced due to age and PCB concerns.

Thanks for the info.

Two of my SOX street lights have film caps but there's no need to replace them as I won't be using them regularly anyways, but if they ever failed I'd try to find an appropriate film cap to replace them to keep them OEM. I'd probably put oil filled ones in if I put them in use.

Yeah I do something similar, replace PCB caps, even if they work to reduce risks with them, though if a cap is non-PCB and is fine I'll leave it, regardless of age. Though, I do have one that says it has combustible fluids in one of my street lights and I may replace it in the near future.

Check out BallastShop. They have tons of oil-filled capacitors for sale. Most are between $25 and $30 each, but they sell brands like Keystone and Aerovox.

  I have a 5 gallon  buckets of assorted size oil filled caps I saved  from A/c units and microwaves ovens.  I test and weed out very strong ones and weak ones goes in my steel shred piles

  I have very good luck with American made Am-Rad caps
 At 440 volt A/c  they come in 2.5 , 3 , 7.5, 10, 12.5 , 15, 20, 25,
Up to 80 uF in 5 uF incriments

  The microwave oven caps save and reuse for slimeline ballast.

  Good thing about am-rad when there new there on high side in the uF. 

 My GE Form 400 power pack came with 3 capacitor for a CWA and power factor correction for lamp output lead.

It uses 2x 20 in parallel in series with the  lamp and a 5 uF in parallel with lamp output lead to neutral

 There old pcb filled caps about end of it usefull life.  So i replace it with a common HVAC am rad cap 40 uF and 5 uF
And it works very well and ballast is lot queiter too.

Am-Rad They also makes a universial oiled filled cap to make up any uF u need.  I find that com

  If odd value cap let say a 6 uF u can  get away with a 5 uF
  13 uF use a 12.5 uF.   If u got a 24 or a 26 uF go with a 25 uF
  If you got a 36 use a 35 uF.  Oiled filled cap.  Keep in mind most caps have a  10 percent tolerences.  As long as u get it close as possable it will work fine.  Nothing in electrical or electronics is going to be perfect in todays world.

The  cap in my GE form 400 power pack came with pcb loaded cap and they were getting rusty.  The power pack came with 2 x20 watt caps and 5 for PFC on lamp output lead.

  So what ive done as I used a common HVAC 40/5 uF dual cap in a can  for CWA and PFC. 
That one dual cap replace all 3 PCB cap and also buying 3 caps
Cost more than a dual caps.