do u need relays for valves

[blazer2007]

I was going to redo my valves to better ones but when I bought these valves I was told to run relays,they are a basic air horn type valve,and also what are manual valves I read here,made by MIC I think

[AccuAirSuspension]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

I was going to redo my valves to better ones but when I bought these valves I was told to run relays,they are a basic air horn type valve,and also what are manual valves I read here,made by MIC I think

Every pneumatic valve energizer coil that we have ever come across pulls less than 1 amp. Usually the relay coil has a power rating in watts printed on the side. Most common is a 7 watt coil. So to figure out how many amps that will pull, you use the following formula:

Power = Current x Voltage
or
Current = Power / Voltage
for a 7 watt coil
Current = 7 watts / 12 volts = 0.583 amps

If you are just driving your valve with a typical toggle switch, there is no need for a relay because most toggle switches are rated for 15 amps or more. If you are driving your valves with some type of generic alarm system you may have to run a relay. Here would be the determining factor:

Is your "alarm/controller" designed to trigger high or trigger low? Trigger high means that it supplies +12V to turn the valve on. Trigger low means that it provides a ground source to turn the valve on. If it is the ground source style, I would probably setup a relay board and to let the alarm/controller ground the relay coil to then switch power to each of the valves.

Good Luck,