The Number One Killer of Dry Cabinets
Share
Over the years, we see many dry cabinets come through our workshop. From different brands, different capacities, different ages, we have found a pattern with these dry cabinets.
There is one component that consistently fails before the rest.
Here's a clue for you:
It exist in almost every electronic device you own.
The Common Point of Failure
The component that fails most often in dry cabinets is the power supply.
As a dry cabinet repair service, we have worked on dozens of units across many brands, despite the differences in design, capacity or control logic. This remains one of the most frequent point of failure.
To understand why, it we must first understand what a power supply does.
What Does a Power Supply Do?
a power supply is essentially the heart of an electronic device.
It takes power from the mains and converts it into stable voltages and currents for the system it supply, the system depends on it to safely and reliably operate. Every sensor, control board, cooling element and display relies on it.
When the power supply fails, the entire system is affected.
Why Power Supplies Fail First in Dry Cabinets
Dry cabinets are designed to operate 24/7 which is not an issue as it is exactly how it is intended to be used.
However, the continuous operation places a unique demand on the electronic components. Especially in Singapore's climate, over time several factors combined does shorten the lifespan of power supplies.
1. Improper Derating
Without pointing fingers at any specific manufacturer, one of the main factors causing power supplies to fail prematurely is minimal derating.
Simply put, some power supplies are designed to operate close to their maximum rated output/load. While this does work, operating at maximum load continuously does increase internal temperatures and accelerates component aging.
An analogy which this situation can be compared to is like a heart, being required to pump at such high intensity without rest. It will wear out sooner as compared to one that operates at a comfortable rate.
2. Environmental Stress
In Singapore's tropical climate it introduces two major challenges to electronics.
-
High ambient humidity
-
Elevated operating temperatures
Due to the high average humidity in Singapore, it contributes to corrosion and oxidation of internal components. Thus, increasing electrical resistance and reducing efficiency. Combined with the ambient temperatures hovering around 30 °C, the power supply must dissipate both its own heat and the surrounding environmental heat.
These two factors combined, creates a compounding stress effect over time, where heat stresses and ages the components at an increased rate, and humidity causing oxidation increases electrical resistance which also contributes to stress in the power supply.
3. Continuous Operation
Unlike most household electronics, where they are turned on only when needed. Dry cabinets are expected to run continuously to keep humidity constant.
This means:
-
No cool-down cycles
-
No rest periods
-
Constant thermal load
Even well-designed components will age faster under these conditions if margins are tight.
When a Power Supply Fails, It Rarely Fails Alone
A failing power supply can place additional stress on downstream components.
These can cause accelerated wear in control circuits, sensors, interface boards and LED strips. During a power supply failure, it is not an immediate effect. It happens over time, you may notice a few signs like the cabinet is taking longer to stabilize its humidity or even LCD/LED dimming. Once the power supply isn't able to supply its voltage and current reliably, it may fail catastrophically. Where a voltage spike can cause downstream components to fail together with the power supply.
This is why repairing only the immediately failed part may not always result in long-term reliability.
The Power Supply Is Not the Villain
It is important to note that, power supplies are essential components. They are doing exactly what they are designed to do. Operate continuously in a compact enclosure, under challenging environmental conditions.
This same failure pattern can be observed in many other always-on electronic systems, not just dry cabinets.
Our Approach: Treating the Cabinet as a System
This shapes how we approach repairs.
Rather than treating failures as isolated events, we view dry cabinets as integrated systems where critical wear components should be replaced preventively, not just reactively. Doing this, we reduce the likelihood of secondary failures and restore the system to stable operating conditions.
This system-level approach, allows us to confidently stand by and support and our long-term ownership and provide extended warranty coverage, even in a demanding tropical environment.
Final Thoughts
Dry cabinets are often treated as disposables, where they should simply be thrown away after failure even if the entire cabinet housing is in operational condition.
Understanding where and why failures occur is the first step towards repairs and ultimately designing products that last.
Reliability is not achieved by only fixing what has already failed, but by addressing what is most likely to fail next and replacing them proactively to extend the cabinet's operational lifespan.