Do I need a Fan Relay.???

I have a 16 inch electric fan mounted behind my radiator in my Van I ran a wire from the battery to a 50 amp toggle switch and then to my fan. A friend of mine at the Car Show said I should have a fan relay wired in to it if not I am takeing a chance on burning up my fan motor it has been this way for a year now but I want to avoid a future problem.!!!. BUT I still dont understand how it works or where I should splice it in.... Can I leave it the way it is or should I buy a fan Relay.???....Thanks...Joe Van....

If it is your primary cooling fan ,I'd say yes install a temp controlled fan relay. If it's an auxilliary you still can but maybe not so much a big deal or leave that switch as a back up circuit. The other thing is maybe the switch is rated for 50A but unless you are running something like #6 wire to everything nothing else is.

Thanks Digz...I went on Ebay and there is 207 different kits.   I think this one is the best deal for a complete kit.....looks like I will be rewiring my fan.!!!..                                                                                                                                                                               http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRIC-FAN-WIRING-INSTALL-KIT-COMPLETE-THERMOSTAT-50-AMP-RELAY-185-SBC-BBC-/140859700167?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20cbe473c7&vxp=mtr

I'm sure there isn't a lot of differences in similar kits , that one looks identical to the one I got.
Only thing I can say for sure is don't mount the circuit breaker in the engine compartment if you can help it. At least not high and in the heat like I did. I'd have to check, but i think I only fused the control circuit not the main feed. That runs through the breaker. It isn't bad to have a manual engage switch that will turn it on without the main relay in case something there fails or you want to run the fan a little after shutdown. I have had one emergency where the breaker failed me in stop and go traffic and if I had had my Aux switch wired right it would have helped me, but I had it wired to need the breaker to work !

I dunno, I had a '49 Ford with a flathead V8, notorious for running hot with a large electric pusher fan on the radiator I used in hot weather, traffic jams and parades wired as Joe Van did with just heavy wire and a toggle switch and didn't have a problem for 5 years until I sold the car. Those modern electric fans don't draw that much current like a pair of fog lights where you would need a relay. If you want an automatic temperature controlled fan, then go with the relay/thermostat set up, but manual on/off with a 30-amp switch should be fine...

What Lazarusvan said;

My fan draws 30amps on low, 45 amps on high and would spike to 100 amps during a start from dead stop directly to high if I didnt use the stepper relay set up from Holisterroad products. Running my fan directly through a switch would be a fire waiting to start.

It all depends on the current your fan draws and spikes

m1D

I do have a 12 gauge heavy duty in line 40 amp fuse and ran 12 gauge wire the hole way ..I was told yesterday by a friend that has a couple of FAST race Cars (Big Block Chevy in a 68 Firebird that runs mid 8's) that works at our local Chevrolet Dealer Ship if I was running the fan from the fuse box then I would need a fan relay if I was running a sepert wire from the battery then I don't need one.???. At this point and stress level I may just put the 6 blade clutch fan back on the water pump I have and get a universal shroud and use my 16 electric one as a pusher like donivans Hamburg fan and go on to the next issue.......My fan is one speed and not sure on the amps it draws.?? I have only blown the fuse once last year when I was trying to adjust my wife's seat from my seat and flipped the switch on and off a couple of times fast from leaning against it..  ..