How to wire a relay?

For your 240 volt, you'll want a double pole normally open relay. The coil voltage you want could be 24. The relay contacts must be capable of carrying the load of the pump motor. There will be six connections on this type of relay. Two Line- where your 240 volt power go, Two Load- where the two wires go from your pump, and Two control wires- which when fed with 24 volts will pull in your relay. You'll need a 24 volt transformer which could be fed from your 240 volt power supply (look for a multi input voltage type) To wire the control circuit: run one wire from the 24 volt side of the transformer to one of the coil terminals on the relay. Run a two wire cable from the second 24 volt terminal of the transformer to your kitchen switch and back to the second coil terminal on the relay. The 240 volt stuff must be enclosed in an electrical box of some sort and you can't mix line voltage and low voltage wire in the same box unless there is a divider. You can however run low voltage through a line voltage cable and not have this situation

Reply to
RBM
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"Toller" wrote in message news:oK3Se.32$ snipped-for-privacy@news01.roc.ny...

Insufficient info. However it depends on the relay! If the relay is operated by the same 115 volts that is used for a wall outlet or lighting etc. directly from a 115 volt circuit breaker or fuse in the supply panel), I would suggest the answer is, yes. To meet code and insurance requirements the maximum size of circuit breaker/fuse for anything wired with #14 AWG is 15 amps. If wired with #12 AWG, 20 amp. I believe it is unusual for any permanent standard voltage AC residential wiring that to use smaller than #14 AWG and/or whether smaller breakers would normally be available or understood by a anyone working on the wiring in the future? Just because the relay might only take a few milliamps (one light bulb plugged in to a standard outlet may take only 350 milliamps!) from a 15 amp capable circuit, does not allow, as far as I know, reducing the size of the wire or deviating from standard code approved wiring methods? Smaller gauge wire could burn off, start a fire and the circuit breaker would never operate to protect property and /or life. If the relay is the type operated by low voltage, say by the out put of a transformer and/or rectifier it may be possible to use low voltage wiring techniques similar to those used for a door bell/chime (12 to 24 volts most probably)? I respectfully suggest that you may have some very basic understanding of how a relay works but may not be familiar with how to safely incorporate it into standard methods of wiring to meet a whichever electrical code applies in your area. Many heating/cooling controls use low voltage to control relays and other gear located at the furnace or AC unit. Suggest you look into using something similar; a relay of a type suitable to handle the horsepower and starting current of a water pump.

Reply to
Terry

I know how relays work; I replaced a fused one on my table saw switch and changed it over to 240v, but that was all in a box.

I want to move my water pump switch from under the house to the kitchen. There is already a problem with voltage drop, so I don't want to run a switch leg. That means a relay.

Since the wiring from the switch to the relay only carries milliamps, does it need #14 and full electrical boxes, or can I get by with something simpler? (If there is anything on the internet that explains relay wiring, I would be grateful for the link.)

Reply to
Toller

Is there a reason you can't run a switch leg on heavier wire than needed, e.g. 10 ga for a 15-amp load? That would reduce the voltage drop, and be simpler to connect.

If it's 120VAC, it better be in electrical boxes and use 14 ga wire. Of course, there are relays available that don't need 120VAC for the control terminals. You shouldn't have much trouble finding one that you could power off of a low-voltage transformer of some sort. (Thought you said you knew how they work?)

Is Google broken *again* today? I *hate* it when that happens.

Reply to
Sherlock Holmes

In alt.home.repair on Fri, 2 Sep 2005 19:44:20 -0230 "Terry" posted:

For that matter, he could use the same transformer to power the right relay. No extra electrical drain.

Except for the moment he pushes the button. That is if he is using a latching relay. (might want to run another pair to light a light to remind him the pump is on (although I guess he doesn't have one of those now.) Otherwise, if he uses a regular relay, he'll need a toggle switch to keep the relay energized. I suspect the doorbell will work even then.

Yup, may not be.

Meirman

-- If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

Reply to
meirman

Wiring is sized based on the circuit protection, not the load. Some have said you can cheat with light switches, but I wouldn't. If there is a short and your circuit breaker trips at 20A, but your wire can only carry 5A, you have a serious problem.

Reply to
CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert

You can only sort of cheat.. the SWITCH is only required to realiably switch the downstream load, but the wiring there still has to be rated for the whole fused current.

Which I *THINK* means that you can theoretically get a resistive short that will weld your light-switch in the on-position, and still not blow the breaker, or start a fire by melting the wires in your walls.

Reply to
Goedjn

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