Relay Wire Guage Minimum

[sandcruiser]

Hey all
I'm (slowly) installing my compressor and ARB air locker solenoid and ran into a question:

What is the minimum wire size needed to trigger 12v relays?
I'm using the "standard" bosch-style relays. The relays are located in the back (in the little "hidden" pocket on an 80, aft of the wheel well) and the switches are going to be up front. So 15ft of wiring, more or less.

See... I was cleaning up my work space and saw some telephone cable sitting there. 24ga little wires, all conveniently color-coded and bundled into a shielded cable that is small and very flexible. I'm thinking "hey! I'll bet this would be an easy way to control at least 4 relays"

But I don't to run it then have it burn out a week into things.

So what do we think? 24ga to run a relay? How about the arb solenoid?

 

[sandcruiser]

ok, did some research, seems that a "normal" bosch relay pulls around 200milliamps
and that 24ga wire can carry about half an amp, so it seems that it "should" be ok. I'm planning to try it out, but use pairs of the 24ga wires, just in case.

 

[Kofoed]

Amps and Wire Gauge - 12V Circuit

Doesn't list 24 guage, but extrapolate

 

[FJ40_owner]

ok, did some research, seems that a "normal" bosch relay pulls around 200milliamps
and that 24ga wire can carry about half an amp, so it seems that it "should" be ok. I'm planning to try it out, but use pairs of the 24ga wires, just in case.

Telco wire is 4 conductor, double up on the pairs.

 

[sandcruiser]

I decided to run speaker wire instead of telco wire, mosly because those darn telephone wires are too difficult for me to to effectively crimp/solder. Also I'm revising my whole compressor/rear electrical setup and figure that I can do everything I need with two or three wires, so running two sets of speaker wires isn't really an issue.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Telco wire is 4 conductor, double up on the pairs.

Not necessary. In fact you could easily drive two or three relays off one of those little wires.

Do it if it makes you feel comfortable I suppose...