this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2023
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I sort of hate relays. For 12VDC and a light load, I might consider a depletion-mode MOSFET and a diode to protect the battery. Much faster switching time than a relay, and quite probably lower internal resistance! Also no moving parts and much lower current consumption. There are some cases where it's not appropriate though.
Anyway, I looked through the datasheet and you're right -- no mention of wear and tear from just leaving the solenoid energized, only from switching. Failure time also seems to increase when switching high currents. Since you don't seem to be doing either of those things, I think you should be in the clear.
Would this be a good use case for an SSR?
I was thinking about that, but if they are using 12VDC + light load a MOSFET would be more cost and space efficient, and probably more electrically efficient too. No real voltage drop, and just a few milliohms added to the load.
I mainly use SSRs to switch mains power, although it's true they can be used for other things too.