How to Wire Relays 101 - Branch Circuits | Ep: 6/10
April 20, 2025 · 8 min · 12K views
What this video covers
Relays let a low-power switch control a high-amperage load located far away, avoiding the need to upsize wire for long runs or to overload a small toggle switch with heavy loads like winches or off-road lighting. Nate demonstrates relay wiring on a tabletop rig using a Blue Sea Blade Fuse Block, walking through the two-circuit logic: a short switch circuit controls the relay's internal toggle, which closes a separate, independently fused circuit to the load.7:59 All negatives tie together; the switch feeds relay coil terminals while a second positive feeds the load side. He covers when to use a relay for voltage-drop reasons (long wire runs) versus amperage reasons (loads exceeding switch ratings). For a wireless alternative, he demonstrates the Victron Smart Battery Protect — available in 65 A, 100 A, and 220 A versions — wired as a Bluetooth relay controlled through the Victron Connect app, eliminating switch wiring entirely. He notes the Smart Battery Protect suits light-to-moderate loads but is impractical for wiring every circuit in a van; full phone-plus-switch-plus-touchscreen control points toward the RedArc TVMS system. The next installment in the branch circuit playlist covers Anderson connectors.
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