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There are varied types of capacitors. Although electronic components are divided into different components according to structure and function, some electronic components look similar in appearance, such as safety Y capacitors and ceramic capacitors.  They are similar in appearance, and are both in the shape of blue discs.

Safety Y capacitors and ceramic capacitors are not only similar in appearance, but also made of ceramics. Can ceramic capacitors be used to replace safety Y capacitors when they are damaged? Of course not, although safety Y capacitors and ceramic capacitors are similar in appearance, they both use ceramics as materials to make capacitors, hold charges, and provide energy for electronic products, but their structures and manufacturing processes are different, and their functions and uses are also different.

Safety Y capacitors are a type of safety capacitors. Safety Y capacitors are connected between the live wire and the ground wire and between the neutral wire and the ground wire, usually in pairs, and are used to filter out common-mode interference. Due to the constraints of the leakage current, the capacitance value of the Y capacitor should not be too large, generally nF level.

The safety capacitor has such a characteristic that when the capacitor fails, it will not cause electric shock and will not endanger personal safety. It is often connected to a safety Y capacitor at the power inlet to prevent electric shock. Y capacitors are safety components and need to obtain corresponding safety certification such as UL, VDE, CQC, etc. After passing the safety certification, the corresponding certification mark will be printed on the surface of the safety capacitor.

Ceramic capacitors are not safety components and have no safety certification. They cannot be connected between the live wire and the ground wire or between the neutral wire and the ground wire. Therefore, there is no safety mark on the surface of the ceramic capacitor, and it cannot be used before rectification or connect across the two ends that require insulation. This is why safety Y capacitors and ceramic capacitors cannot replace each other.

Different capacitors have different functions in electronic product circuits, so be cautious in selection.

We're JYH HSU(JEC) Electronics Ltd (or Dongguan Zhixu Electronic Co., Ltd.), an electronic components manufacturer.Our factories are ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified. If you don’t know how to choose electronic components, welcome to contact us.