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Melting toggel switches
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:46 am
by dadnova
I have a electric water pump and fan. I have the hot wires ran through a relay switch and I still keep melting switches?
Six switches six melt downs. If I hook the wires together by hand inside the car they dont seem to get hot as I can hold them in bare hands? I have tried different relays as well
This one has me stumped. HELP.
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:49 am
by John_Heard
Obviously something is wired wrong. You have one switch and one relay to drive both the fan and pump right? What kind of relay are you using?
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:01 pm
by John_Heard
Here's a wiring diagram for just one device, like the fan motor. You might check your wiring and see if it looks something like this. You could drive both the fan and the waterpump off the same relay but it probably won't last as long as if you used a seperate relay for the fan and water pump, those fans take a lot of current starting up.
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:02 pm
by dadnova
I tried it both ways, the water pump hard wired and fan on relay and both on relay. Double and triple checked the wiring, its correct. Ran a hot wire to the toggel then to the relay then to the fan. The relays I dont know what kind, I ask the guy at the auto store who races round d rounds and thats the relay he uses on his equipment or race car. The only thing I can think of is the fan on high is pulling to many amps. Cant find a small toggel more then 30 amps.
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:04 pm
by dadnova
My relay is the same as your diagram, even the same #s
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:21 pm
by a1elec
sounds to me like the load of fan and pump are still running through switch. the switch sould only operate relay. the relay transfers a seperate power source to fan, pump make sure they are seperate. john
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:05 pm
by John_Heard
If you unhook the fan and pump does it still burn up the toggle switch? The toggle switch should be completely isolated from the current draw of the fan and pump if you are wired up like that. Can you hear the relay click on and off with the toggle switch when the fan & pump are unhooked?
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:13 pm
by TOMT
Hi there, I would triple check your wireing!!! All power to the fan/pump should only be getting feed from your power source! the relay should only be turning/acting as a switch..
Are you sure the relay is the right voltage? I have had the same happin once and found that I had used a 24v relay, simple mistake.
But if all is ok, and your toggles are still melting, try going for a mains toggle... Our mains power here is 230volt or 400volt and the toggles that are used in these power supplies have high amp loadings and are better quality and can take the grunt!
I use them for our car and have not had any faults like yours, unlike the little 12volt ones.
worth a look?
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:10 pm
by dadnova
Main switches according to there web sight are 6amp. I am now using 15 amp switches.
The relay clicks or turns off and on as it should. I just think the fan is drawing alot of amps on high to help the over heating and turning off the relay, I dont have an amp meter to test the draw. I know a couple of times the relay stopped working and then started again, resetting it self? like other devises do I guess. I think its the amps and not the volts problem. Ill find someone with a amp meter to test it for me. However we solved the heating issue by install a washer with a 5/8 hole instead of the thermostat. Before the temp would go way up to 230 then down and up and down and so on. Tried different temps 140-180 as well, to no avail. Patelli the guy who won the Baja 1000 time and time again told me, only use the washer and nothing else kid, (Im a grandpa, he's just older) LOL You dont need a heater in a race car anyways. He is a character. Now temp stays at 170- 180 all the time.