Molex 180997-0003

The maximum switching voltage of a relay is the maximum voltage that can be across the contacts whether the relay is open or closed. Operating a relay with high voltages present can cause arcing, and this in turn erodes the contacts and eventually degrades contact performance.

Power consumption is the amount of input energy (measured in watts) required for an electrical appliance to function. This is opposed to power output which is a measure of the level of performance, of a heat pump for example.