Hello everyone, first off, I want to apologize that I haven't been on here much lately!  Lot of things going on in life right now!

Anyways, I wanted to start this thread about capacitors, since I recently received 2 175W mercury vapor ballasts from eBay, and low and behold, the seller didn't even bother to ship these correctly. End result was that one of the caps has gotten some nasty dents.  I had gotten these ballasts to run my vintage mercury bulbs, but not only that, I have a raccoon living in my attic and I want to get it out humanely possible.  But since one of the caps has gotten some nasty dents, I am worried that this will create a problem either a fire hazard or a risk of ruining my vintage lamps?. The value of the cap is 17.5uf @ 300VAC.  I can post a few pics of the cap if needed.  Please let me know what you think? Maybe I am over thinking things which is something I tend to do a lot.

Hello brenda 17.5 UF  thise are pretty easy  to obtain
On capactiors.  U can order them on line from
Home depot.  Or Ebay. they normally called
Motor run capacitors that works for lighting
Ballast.  Many times i just go to a place
That sells Air conditioner parts buy my capacitors
There cause many times i need depend on places
And not wait to order parts like getting some one
Water well back in service.  One advice Clear of
General electric cap they known blow up. Or being
Ballast killers.  China  ones are hit and miss
I prefer Am rad Capacitors  they are good built. With quailty and keeping American jobs.  I save all my Am Rad caps from any A/c unit i find and use them for ballast.  They are generally rated 370 volt or 440 volt
Witch is better cap voltage headroom on ballast.  All they do is regulate current to the lamp keeping lamp at contant  current.  With out them CWA ballast will thermally runs away.   One note 17.5 uF cap is not common value cap.  I usually end up using two caps
Combined in parallel.  Such as 10 uF and 7.5 uF or
12.5 and 5 uF or 15uF and 2.5uF.  Combined get total of 17.5uF.  As some lighting shop want charge you loony prices for them.

How is the cap connected is it in parallel with the ballast is is it a PFC cap?? If it is you can just leave it out it won't do much harm

It CWA mercury ballast  contant wattage autotransformer.  It connected in series
With a MV lamp.  With out it ballast will thermally
Runaway

Oh OK that's a shame you won't be able to do without it