Title:

Rebuilding Relays

Category:

Electrical

Created:

05/09/2000

Relays get full of rust, and burn out the contacts. Take them apart and get them clean.

If the coil has an open circuit:
- you might get lucky and have the break on the outside of the coil - unwind a revolution of wire and resolder.
- if it opened in the coil you must drill out the "reed" contact, grind off the riveted centre post and push the coil out of the frame, then unwind it. You can either rewind the entire coil, or solder the break, coat the repair with varnish and rewind. The wire should be the same gauge and number of windings. (this solder & rewind also works for washer pump motors).

If the reed is broken (or burnt up):
- make a new reed from shim stock, I use .010 brass. The original is copper .0124. I am tempted to make 2 patterns out of 16 gauge steel, put the shim stock betwixt them and grind away with a die grinder.

If the contacts are burnt:
- use 3/32" short steel pop rivets. Use the same rivet to re-assemble the reed to the frame.

Don't use any solder near the contacts. As the contacts open and close they arc & get hot.