the Digikey page has links to Panasonic's web site (it's a Panasonic cap that I recommended). The Panasonic site does have a
paper that discusses the AC capability of their DC rated film caps. It looks like their 400vdc cap is good for a 230vac rms AC system, so you wouldn't want to use it with your 230vac system.... except that you won't actually have 230vac across the cap. Some portion of the voltage is across the LEDs, so the 400vdc caps might actually be okay. You could measure the voltage across your LEDs now, knowing that they will have a slightly higher voltage across them when you increase the current.
Panasonic has a
paper called "caution about safety in use". Sounds like it's worth reviewing. For instance, Panasonic recommends derating caps by 0.75. So for a 230vac application, use a cap rated for 300vac or more. Page 4 discusses allowable currents. For 1uF caps, it talks about pulse currents over 1A, so an application like this is likely safe. As a general rule, even when you think you've done things right, it wouldn't hurt to check the temperature after running it for 10 or 20 minutes (as you sit next to the power switch). After turning it off, if the cap feels noticeably warm, it's probably a problem.
The characteristics for this particular family of film caps is
here. It shows a 1uF film cap being rated for over 1 amp, so the 20mA or 40mA that you would put through those LEDs is fine. ...and that's for the 400vdc part.
I'd go for something rated for 300vac at a minimum, and then check the temperature when you check it out.
a note to arek98: the cap will only see the rms voltage times sqrt(2), although it will see it in both the positive and negative direction.
what's available from Digi-key???
Here's a
cap from Epcos... 2uF, 300vac. Wouldn't hurt to check the datasheet before ordering.
There's a Panasonic, 630vdc
cap, 2.2uF for about $3. Not sure if it's too big or not (physically). I'd recommend checking to see if this family of caps is the same as the data I was referencing earlier.
There are some Panasonic
caps with a 300vac rating, but the largest that they show is a 1uF part. You'd need to put this in parallel with the existing cap. Only $2, so that's okay.
Anyway... now you have a feel for the level of detail work that is needed to produce a well designed product!
regards,
Steve K.