Has anyone tried these SSRs?

I was looking for some mechanical relays to control my pumps, a compact mini fridge, and some ferm wrap (all items under 2 Amps individually).

I ran accross these SSR boards with 8 2A SSRs and I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with them in their breweries. Would they need a heat sink of some kind if I were pulling 1 - 2 A per relay?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006J4G45G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

If it gets hot you could run a fan across it. But it won't.

Looks promising...Try running something drawing its normal load and monitor the temp of the SSR with a laser/infrared temp gun. If you find that they do run hot, you can find those small stick on heat sinks meant for computer memory, like these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00637X42A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I'm not sure if SSR's really fall into the same category, but it seems to be a rule of thumb to run electrical devices at only 80% of the rated load continuously. In this case, that would put you at 1.6A

I could be wrong, but I don't think there will be room for those heatsinks.

I would be more worried about inrush current from the pumps than continuous current on the heater etc.

Those relays are rated at 2 amps @ 240V. Assuming your devices are really 110V, that gives you more headroom.

Your post says you're looking for mechanical relays, but you've linked to solid state relays. You're not gonna want to switch a fridge or pumps on/off that fast. Why not look at this SainSmart 8-Channel 5V Relay Module for Arduino DSP AVR PIC ARM or the 4-Channel version. They're cheaper, rated at 10 Amps and would be better suited for the loads you're switching. I also think you'll need a micro controller to get things working right.

pickles said:

Your post says you're looking for mechanical relays, but you've linked to solid state relays. You're not gonna want to switch a fridge or pumps on/off that fast. Why not look at this SainSmart 8-Channel 5V Relay Module for Arduino DSP AVR PIC ARM or the 4-Channel version. They're cheaper, rated at 10 Amps and would be better suited for the loads you're switching. I also think you'll need a micro controller to get things working right.

Click to expand...

I just ordered my BCS 462 yesterday so I am starting to source the various components. I was looking at those 10A relays and stumbled upon the 4 and 8 channel SSRs but I hadn't read anything on the forum about them.

Do SSRs HAVE to switch on and off at a high frequency? I thought they just COULD so were preferred over mechanical relays for PID. I want to use these smaller SSRs to control my ferm wraps and hop auger (both super low amps) so I can utilize the PWM functions of the BCS. Do you think that would work?

So would you reccomend a four channel mechanical relay for my three pumps and fridge and then use the four channel SSR to control the lower voltage items?

Yeah you're correct, they should be able to cycle on/off slower if the input dictates. I guess I was thinking SSR is synonymous with PID (it's been a while since I built my Brewtroller). I guess it's really over kill for the pumps and fridge but would work as long as you're not exceeding the amp rating. It's probably a wash cost wise between buying two small boards vs the one SSR board, so I'd go with the single board. Sorry, I'm done meddling, back to the task at hand

pickles said:

Your post says you're looking for mechanical relays, but you've linked to solid state relays. You're not gonna want to switch a fridge or pumps on/off that fast. Why not look at this SainSmart 8-Channel 5V Relay Module for Arduino DSP AVR PIC ARM or the 4-Channel version. They're cheaper, rated at 10 Amps and would be better suited for the loads you're switching. I also think you'll need a micro controller to get things working right.

Click to expand...

That's correct for the fridge but DC pumps you might want to use PWM to adjust the flow rate. This would require SSRs not mechanical relays.

pickles said:

Yeah you're correct, they should be able to cycle on/off slower if the input dictates. I guess I was thinking SSR is synonymous with PID (it's been a while since I built my Brewtroller). I guess it's really over kill for the pumps and fridge but would work as long as you're not exceeding the amp rating. It's probably a wash cost wise between buying two small boards vs the one SSR board, so I'd go with the single board. Sorry, I'm done meddling, back to the task at hand

Click to expand...

Pickles, I checked out your rig and you can "meddle" all you want. That thing is sweet and really similar to what I am trying to set-up...two tier, three vessel, tube RIMS with bottom drained HLT and MLT. Any sage advice, things you have learned along the way?

I am just getting into the Homebrew hobby, but building an automatic system using something like a Rasberry PI and Uno controllers intrigues me. I work with equipment that uses similar SSRs to power solenoids and small motors like fractional horsepower AC Gearmotors in machines that open and sort mail. The SSR Boards tend to be pretty reliable, and no we don't blow air directly over the boards. You should be good to go as long as you don't exceed the ratings of the components. A 2 amp SSR should be capable of controlling 250 watts, but when a motor starts you need to consider the surge current. Not a big deal if you are running a motor that only draws an amp, but I would size the SSR twice as high as the current rating of the motor, just to be safe.

SSRs are able to switch at a much higher rate than mechanical relays. For firing solenoids, we often "kick" a 12 volt solenoid with 48 volts for a few milliseconds, then use 12 volts to hold it. SSRs are available in ratings up to 20 amps or more, and have replaced mechanical relays in many applications.

One thing you should have in your design is a "snubber" which dampens power spikes when a motor or solenoid is de-energized, and sometimes they are part of the SSR Board assembly.

Check the current rating on the mini fridge. You will want at least 10 amps to start the compressor. Probably a couple amps to keep it running.

The mini fridge is going to be an issue with this board, but if the board has just "fallen into your lap", as opposed to purchasing it, then you use the SSRs on the boards for your smaller device, such as solenoid valves or small pumps, then break out the logic signal for the refrigerator control and send it to a separate SSR. 10 amps should be more than enough, it is about the size we use for a vacuum pump that draws about 5 amps, though we mount those on a heat sink such as a flat aluminum plate.

Thanks for the input everyone. I just couldn't decide so I ended up getting the 8 SSR board AND the 4 10Amp mechanical relay board along with a few 40Amp SSRs. The BCS 462 can control up to 6 PWM and 12 on/off so I figured what do I have to lose (other than money which is nothing new in this hobby). In all honesty though, the 8 SSR board was $22 and the 4 relay board was $10 with shipping, so who's complaining? Now let's hope they work!

In an attempt to offset my rash spending I went searching for deals and was rewarded with these finds:
1 Brand new in the box 12X24X6 Nema 4 steel enclosure - $35
1 REALLY banged up 18X18X6 steel enclosure with some usable wires, DIN rails, and terminal strips - $9
2 new 30A 125/240v female outlet plugs for my elements $0.25 a piece!

I tested two of the relays on my mini-fridge and after it didn’t work (LED illuminated but no response from the fridge) I finally found the electrical rating information...1.4 amps running and a max draw of over 5! These SSRs are rated for 2 amps only, up to 240V.

So did I cook the relays? I tested the rest of the board with a lamp and the other 6 all worked flawlessly but the first two still just lit the LED, not the lamp.

If I did fry them, is there anything I can do? Will replacing the two SSRs fix the problem or have I damaged the internal circuitry? I want to know my options before mounting this in my

You've probably cooked the 2 SSRs. It sounds like the others still work. I wouldn't bother replacing them, it sounds like you have plenty of other relays to hand.

I'm planning on using this same board to switch on/off 3 120VAC contactor coils, 1 120VAC motorized ball valve, and 1 chugger pump. After purchasing it I kinda wished I went with the standard relay board, but this should work for my "current" needs. The SSR's on this board are protected by a soldered 2A fuse on the board next to the SSR. You probably just blew them. The amazon review below explains further:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MLI2IY6G73CD/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm