how to test SSRs

[gizmo]

I havejust finished 16 SSRs and wrote a simple sequense to test my grinch and SSRs.
I went in and set all channels to on, and none of the SSRs would show continuity from hot common to any of the channel outputs!! Do the triacs need 120v to close the switch? I did hook up 120v to one of the SSr as soon as i finished it and it works with 120v but the same one does not have continuity.

This leads to my thread title----do i need to power the SSr to test then?? OR is there some other way?

thanks scott

edit thanks to all in the chat rm who answered my question

[Mrplow123]

edit thanks to all in the chat rm who answered my question

Might I suggest that you post the answer you recieved in the chat. This way others with the same question will be able to find the info easily in the future.

Just an idea to further the knowlege base of this forum.

[ErnieHorning]

I use night lights to test my SSR’s. Just make sure that you get the kind that doesn’t have an automatic light sensor on the front; these will not dim correctly.

[Wayne J]

The answer he recieved was 'yes, you need power on the triacs for them to work" There also needs to be a load on them, such as Ernie suggested a small night light at the least.

[smv]

I just created a testing unit last night and completed the test of all 16 SSRs this morning. Essentially the testing unit consisted of mounting two power receptacles on a 2x4 and wiring them together with 14 AWG wire. Next I created a 14 AWG extension cord from the remaining wire and connected the white wire to the receptacle.

For the DC side, I took the other half of the CAT-5 cable I chopped while creating the CAT-5 to parallel cable and tinned 5 of the 8 wires: white/green, green, blue, orange, brown, white/brown. I supplied 5v to the white/green and grounded it through the white/brown. This created the constant power source and the LED, if mounted, should light up on the SSR. After plugging in some strands of lights into each receptacle, I simple placed each of the solid color wires to ground.

Seamus

[gizmo]

The answer he recieved was 'yes, you need power on the triacs for them to work" There also needs to be a load on them, such as Ernie suggested a small night light at the least.

thanks for posting the answer (never would have thought to do it myself)