My monitor (LG L227WTG) started acting up one evening, randomly losing brightness and slow to display an image after going to sleep or being powered on. Normally the plan would have been to buy a new monitor, but made the decision to try to figure out what was wrong with the monitor, and maybe even repair it. More as a personal experiment and chance to learn something new than being frugal. Searched online and found the cause of these issues were faulty capacitors (the bulging or deformation seen in the picture).

Stumbled onto a Youtube video in my search for information that detailed breaking down the monitor, and replacing the capacitors. I think the video is what really sold my on the idea trying to fix it myself. The video also linked to their online store that sold a kit with the capacitors you needed to make the repair. Their site hadn't been updated in awhile which gave a sketchy feeling, but after some quick research it turned out they were legit, and ordered their set of capacitors and a soldering kit. Was a little concerned with the shipping since I wasn't getting the usual transit updates, but it made it through with all the holiday craziness.

Taking apart the monitor wasn't too hard, granted some of the plastic "fins" that hold the molding in place were broken due to being heavy handed. The only other mishap was essentially destroying the soldering iron that was part of my order. Learned the lesson of not properly tinning the tip of a new iron, but was able to find my old Weller soldering gun in the garage. Unlike the pointy tipped soldering iron I ordered online, the Weller had a flat tip that made heating the pad (metallic spot surrounding the holes) and capacitor "legs" easier to manage. It was then a simple case of desoldering the old capacitors, then soldering in the new ones. Desoldering wick played a big role throughout the whole process. Decided to take pictures in an attempt to document the parts used and where they go on the board since it can be hard to tell when watching repair videos online. In the end it was a neat project and may have sparked a new hobby.