Lawnmower Switch - capacitor

[meow2222]

I trust you've not fitted a 0.1uF capacitor, if you have it will accelerate switch failure by producing switch on current spikes. If you did, maybe you can get a 100ohm series R in there.

NT

[Johny B Good]

Actually, it will induce a modicum of welding on contact closure which will contribute to contact erosion. Probably not to a significant amount with a 100nF capacitor and an ac supply to minimise the pip/crater growth effect with DC.

However, rereading the OP indicates that the capacitor is (effectively) wired across the motor terminals to suppress brush contact induced RFI from the universal AC/DC motor that's employed.

[meow2222]

A 0.1uF 100 ohm snubber won't add enough i squared t to damage the switch. A 0.1uF capacitor alone certainly will.

I get the feeling you've not tried snubbing switches with 0.1uF caps.

its not a capacitor.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

Convention is to use uF if you cant find µF.

And anyway half the readers here wont work if you do because there are different standards for 'text' and usenet is 'ascii text only' so half of you who do NOT by default accept UTF8 wont see that as its written.

[Johny B Good]

That was never in dispute.

Not in the last quarter of a century, afaicr.

That's a startlingly definitive conclusion to draw from the OP's description. What do you believe it is?

[meow2222]

I doubt a competent engineer would use a 0.1uF cap here.

NT