Some relays will become warm if they remain energized for some time. The circuit shown here will actuate the relay as before but then reduce the ‘hold’ current through the relay coil current by about 50%, thus considerably reducing the amount of heat dissipation and wasted power. The circuit is only suitable for relays that remain on for long periods. Circuit diagram: Relay Coil Energy Saver Circuit Diagram The following equations will enable the circuit to be dimensioned for the relay on hand: R3 = 0.7 / I Charge time = 0.5 × R2 × C1 Where I is the relay coil current. After the relay has been switched off, a short delay should be allowed for the relay current to return to maximum so the relay can be energized again at full power. To make the delay as short as possible, keep C1 as small as possible. In practice, a minimum delay of about 5 seconds should be allowed but this is open to experimentation. The action of C2 causes the full supply voltage to appear briefly ac...