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How to Test a Relay

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Last Updated: April 9, 2020 References Approved
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Relays are discrete devices (as opposed to integrated circuits) that are used to allow a low power logic signal to control a
much higher power circuit. The relay isolates the high power circuit, helping to protect the lower power circuit by providing
a small electromagnetic coil for the logic circuit to control. You can learn how to test both coil and solid-state relays.[1]

Method
1 Getting Started

Consult the relay schematic or data sheet. Relays have fairly standard pin configurations, but it is best to
1 search for the data sheets to find out more about the number of pins from the manufacturer, if available.
Typically, these will be printed on the relay.[2]
Information on current and voltage ratings, pin configurations, and other information is sometimes available
in the datasheets will be invaluable in testing, and eliminate most errors associated with testing. Testing pins
randomly without knowing the pin configuration is possible, but if the relay is damaged, results may be
unpredictable.
Some relays, depending on their size, may also have this information printed directly on the body of the
relayWe
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 Do a basic visual inspection of the relay. Many relays have a clear plastic shell containing the coil and
2 contacts. Visible damage (melting, blackening, etc) will help narrow down the issue.
Most modern relays have an LED to tell you if they are in the active state (ON). If that light is off and you've
got control voltage to the relay or coil terminals (typically A1[line] and A2 [common]) then you can safely
assume that relay is bad.

Disconnect the power source. Any electrical work should be done with all power sources disconnected,
3 including batteries and line voltage.[3] Be especially mindful of capacitors in the circuit, as they can hold a
charge for a considerable length of time after removing the power source. Do not short capacitor terminals to
discharge.[4]
It is best to check your local laws before performing any electrical work, and if you feel unsafe, leave it to
the professionals. Extra low voltage work typically will not fall under this requirement, but it's still important
to be safe.

Method
2 Testing Coil Relays

Determine the coil requirements of the relay. The manufacturer's part number should be listed on the
1 case of the relay. Look up the applicable data sheet and determine the voltage and current requirements of
the control coil. This also may be printed on the case of larger relays.

Find out if the control coil is diode protected. A diode around the pole is often used to protect the logic
2 circuitry from damage due to noise spikes. The diode will be shown on drawings as a triangle with a bar
across one corner of the triangle. The bar will be connected to the input, or positive connection, of the control
coil.[5]

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 Assess the contact configuration of the relay. This will also be available from the manufacturer's data
3 sheet, or may be printed on the case of larger relays. Relays may have one or more poles, indicated in
drawings by a single line switch connected to a pin of the relay.
Each pole may have a normally open (NO) and or normally closed (NC) contact. The drawings will indicate
these contacts as connections with a pin on the relay.[6]
The relay drawings will show each pole as either touching the pin, indicating a NC contact, or not touching
the pin, indicating a NO contact.

Test the de-energized condition of the relay contacts. Use a digital multimeter (DMM) to test the
4 resistance between each pole of the relay and the corresponding NC and NO contacts for that pole. All NC
contacts should read 0 ohms to the corresponding pole. All NO contacts should read infinite resistance to the
corresponding pole.

Energize the relay. Use an independent voltage source appropriate for the rating of the relay coil. If the
5 relay coil is diode protected, make sure that the independent voltage source is connected with the proper
polarity. Listen for a click when the relay is energized.

Check the energized condition of the relay contacts. Use a digital multimeter (DMM) to test the
6 resistance between each pole of the relay and the corresponding NC and NO contacts for that pole. All NC
contacts should read infinite resistance to the corresponding pole. All NO contacts should read 0 ohms to the
corresponding pole.

Method
3 Testing Solid-State Relays

Use an ohmmeter to check solid-state relays. When solid-state relays start to short, they will almost
1 always fail. Solid-state relays should be checked with an ohmmeter across the normally open (N.O.)
terminals when control power is off.
The relays should be open, switched to OL, and closed (0.2 , the internal resistance of the ohmmeter) when
Wepower
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is applied.
 Use a multi-meter in diode-test mode to confirm your findings. You can further confirm that the relay is
2 bad by taking a multi-meter, put it in diode test and checking across A1(+) and A2(-). The meter will apply a
small voltage to make the semiconductor conduct and read that voltage on the screen. This will check the
(typically NPN) transistor from the base(P) to the... emitter.
If its bad, the meter will read 0 or OL, but if the relay is good it will read 0.7 for a silicon transistor (which
almost all of them are) or 0.5 for a germanium transistor (which are relatively rare but not unheard of).

Keep SSRs cool. Solid-state relays are easy to troubleshoot, cheap to replace and last a long time if they
3 stay cool. Typically, new relays come in DIN rail packages and block mountings.
There is also a special type of relay called an SCR that comes in two flavors for heating wires and IR lamps
and ovens, usually for exquisite process temperature control. This is basically a fast switch on a much faster
switch that can turn off and on, which fail often due to temperature fluctuations.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you check the continuity of a coil relay?

Community Answer

A relay will have several connections; two of these will be the two ends of the coil. These coils should be
identified either in a data sheet for the relay (usually available for free online) or printed on the body of the coil
as a picture of a series of loops or humps. Touch the test leads of a DC multimeter to the two connections on
the relay that are indicated as the coil contacts by a diagram or data sheet. You should see or hear the
continuity
Weindicator from
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 for omega) and see if you have somewhere between 0 and maybe 100 ohms between the coil contacts. If so,
the coil should be good.

Question

What should be done with a defective relay?

Community Answer

Chuck it into the bin. I wouldn't want to take risks with high voltages. A faulty relay can easily kill you.

Question

How do I identify coil terminals and NC and NO terminals of the relay?

Community Answer

By counting terminals or testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Question

If the test indicates that my relay is good, what else could be causing the problem?

Community Answer

Fuses. Check if they're blown out visually - coil running across would be cut or split. Check the contact pins as
well.
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Things You'll Need

Voltage source

Digital multimeter (DMM)

References

1. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howrelayswork.html Okay
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2. http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/hweb2.pdf
3. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/electrical.html
4. https://robrobinette.com/Tube_Amp_Safety.htm
5. https://electronicsclub.info/relays.htm
6. https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/io/io_5.html

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