Is electrolytic capacitors reforming needed? What is common attitude to this procedure?
I've got quite a few pcbs that I completed 8-10 years ago. Most projects are from amb and KG. I soldered PCBs, washed them and put aside on the shelf. But life is life, time has passed and finally I thought that this year it's a good time to complete them.
Pcbs were never switched on. Caps I used are all good if not the best brands: Panasonic, rubycon, nichicon. Never frozen, never heated.
However I'm confused how short the shelf life is according to manufacturers specs: 2 years, maybe 3. I remember receiving caps from mouser that are almost 2 years old, I'm curious what they do after 2 years, dispose them?
Anyway, do I need to do anything about caps? Do they really degrade, or is it just a BS from manufacturers to stay on safe side? Maybe 8-10 years are nothing to worry about? I really would avoid desoldering and replacing everything if possible.