House latching relay(s)?

[wamcneil]

Hi All,

I've added solar for boondocking and trying to get my baseline electric utilization under control. 

One obvious energy waster is the continuous relay attached to the salesman switch. On my rig, the salesman switch is connected to a LR9806 latching relay, which cascades to an automotive-style continuous relay. These two relays feed different domestic load panels. The continuous relay uses 750mA, and I'd like to eliminate that 18Ah daily load.

I realize that the easiest way to eliminate this load would be to bypass the salesman switch altogether and just jumper across the relays. But I kind of like the salesman switch and I do use it occasionally.

The latching relay is rated for 70A. I've already changed all FORTY of the house halogen pucks to LED, so I'm not sure I need two 70A relays for house loads. I'm thinking about eliminating the continuous relay and combining both house load circuits onto the one latching relay. 

Just looking around the rig, I'm not seeing more than about 50A worth of house loads.

Am I missing something? Anything wrong with this plan?

Thanks,

Walter

[OhReally]

Walter, if I understand what you are trying to do correctly you can get a 'continuous, normally open, solenoid relay' to replace the currently installed solenoid on the salesman switch. 

With this you will have no draw at all when the salesman switch is off. You will turn the salesman switch on (to close the solenoid) when you want power to your rig. Might be a small learning curve but this will work.

-Jamie

[jfbolkovatz]

 

Walter,

I have the same setup and investigated a larger latching relay and they exist although since I own a spare latching relay have not persued this further. 

Pleas let me know what you find as I have minimized my amp load also.

JoeB 03 Exec PBDD

[wamcneil]

Thanks guys. 

Jamie: that's exactly the situation I have now. I have a continuous solenoid that draws power when the salesman switch is on (which is almost all the time). I'm looking to eliminate the parasitic draw.

Joe, I've also got a spare latching relay. My original plan was to replace the continuous relay with a 2nd latching relay. But the area around the continuous relay is very tight and the latching relay is a lot bigger than the continuous, so installing the 2nd latching relay looks to be a big hassle. I was also concerned about potential inconvenience and confusion that might result if the two latching relays somehow out of sync.

I'll go ahead and try it out. Other than the inverter (which doesn't go through these relays) I really don't think I'll see anywhere near 70A. I just turned on ALL of the house&storage bay lights, and with the water pump running came up with about 40A. The aqua hot and all three furnace zones add about another 15A. So I really can't see my house loads ever going beyond about 55A.

 I'll try it out and report back.

Walter

[jfbolkovatz]

Walter ,

You may want to include the docking lights is the only additional load that I can think of.

I believe you are on to something good.

JoeB 03 Exec

[wamcneil]

Not sure what I was looking at earlier that said 70A.

All the references I'm finding now say the LR9806 latching relay is rated for 110A. So I'm feeling pretty good about having all the house loads on a single relay.

Cheers,

Walter