Sometime back I made a relay board to control my table lamp using bluetooth. It worked perfect and so now I would like to upgrade to a beefier power relay.
The aim is to be able to control any household device. Mainly air conditioner, water heater, room heater.
I am based in India (230V, 50Hz). We use the Type M power plugs for power devices (BS-546 standard) that support 16A max current. I am assuming that none of the devices would consume more than 16A in steady state.
Based on this, Maximum Apparent Power = Vrms * Irms = 230V * 16A = 3.68 KVA
I am looking at the O/E/N 62 Heavy Duty Power Relay Form 1A(data sheet here). In it the relay parameters are:
- Max Current = 30A
- Maximum Power Rating = 7.5 KVA
So I should be fine using this relay?
What about the life expectancy of the relay?
As per the datasheet, electrical life = 10^5 operations. Assuming I operate the load (close and open relay contacts) 5 times a day and ideal conditions, that gives me 500+ years.
Any way of getting a more 'realistic' estimate on the lifespan of the relay?
Best Answer
You've got a factor of 2 safety here. I'd say you should be fine. Make sure you start paying attention to wire routing, insulation choice, grounding, etc. There's lots of ways to get hurt if you don't do things right.