Safe Handling of AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount Part 2: "Do Not Overcool"

The full-scale winter season has begun, and the environment in which the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount is used is also getting colder. We are introducing how to handle the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount safely. The second article features “Do not overcool it.” It summarizes the effects of low-temperature environments on the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount. Please take a look.

AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount & switching power supply UNIFIVE.
This issue of “UNIFIVE Adapter NEWS (Issue No. 9)” is...
The second installment of the AC adapter “Do Not” series is “Do not overcool”.

Please pay attention to the operating temperature of AC adapters

Among the customer investigations we have received, some reported that in winter, there is “no output first thing in the morning (fail to start).” You may have guessed—the cause is the cold (low temperature).

Previously, a customer from the Shinshu region informed us that “the AC adapter sometimes fails to start,” so we arranged an on-site meeting. As we traveled from Tokyo, the view from the car window showed that the autumn leaves had ended and the early winter had begun... Indeed, mornings and evenings in Shinshu were quite chilly.

In freezing environments during winter…

To make matters worse, the AC adapter in use at that time was located in a place without heating, where the equipment was used only 3 to 4 times a day for about 5 minutes each. For an AC adapter left in such a frigid environment, mornings were particularly tough... or rather, it was sensitive to cold.

To prevent such troubles, we kindly ask customers to consider the following points when using AC adapters:

  1. Use within the specified temperature range (general electronic Products are rated for 0–40°C)
  2. If used after being left in a low-temperature environment, allow the unit to reach the specified temperature before starting
  3. To prevent condensation, do not warm the unit rapidly from a cold state

Components vulnerable to cold: semiconductors

Did you know that among the components used in AC adapters, parts most susceptible to low temperatures include aluminum electrolytic capacitors and semiconductors such as ICs?

In particular, aluminum electrolytic capacitors tend to have significantly higher impedance in low temperatures compared to room temperature. If used outside the specified low-temperature range, it may cause the output ripple voltage to become much larger, resulting in the AC adapter failing to function as expected. Please take sufficient care.

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