Relay – SW-1641

A relay uses a low-current control signal to switch a higher-current circuit on and off, letting a small input command a large electrical load without running that load through the control side. This one replaces the relay in the circuit it was cataloged for.

Relays wear at their contacts, which pit and burn from arcing over thousands of switching cycles, and a relay that chatters, sticks closed, or fails to close is at the end of its service life. Because relays vary in coil voltage, contact rating, and terminal arrangement, match the coil voltage to the control circuit and the contact rating and terminal layout to the load and wiring, since a mismatched relay will not switch reliably or plug in correctly.