Bilge Switch

[NLaudy]

For the life of me I cannot figure out the correct way to hook up this switch/breaker! Anyone have any ideas? It came with no instructions and it came exactly as pictured. It is a 3way switch with 10amp breaker.

I am hooking it up to an Attwood Bilge pump with a float built in.

 

[JMichael]

You'll want to wire it so that when set to manual, the power bypasses the float switch and goes directly to the pump motor and when set to auto the power goes through the float switch and then to the motor.

Here's a quick sketch that should be similar to what you'll need to set up. You may also have to have a ground/negative wire run up to the switch since I think I see some lights built in to the switch. Hope this helps.

 

[NLaudy]

JMichael,

Thanks for the quick response. Your diagram definitely helps but I am still having a hard time understanding the bottom black wire on breaker and the center red wire on switch. I want to make sure I hook this up right.

Here is what I am thinking...

BILGE SWITCH PANEL:
* White Wire- Hooks to manual wire on Bilge.
* Center Red Wire- Where does this go? Typically it would be the positive going to the battery but that would defeat the purpose of the breaker? Does it get hooked to the bottom black wire on breaker?
* Other Red Wire- Hooks to auto wire on Bilge.
* Top Black Wire on Breaker- As you can kind of see... this connector has two wires. One in connected to the bar of the 3ways switch as shown in pic and the other is just sticking up. I believe this is the ground wire and goes to negative.
* Bottom Black Wire on Breaker- I believe this is the positive that would go to the battery?


Thanks for any help!

 

[Quackrstackr]

https://legacy.shurflo.com/pdf/Marine/911_trouble_shooting/911-614-E.pdf

 

[NLaudy]

Quack,

Thanks for the link. The only problem is that the document only shows how to hook up a 3way switch with an inline fuse. If I hook up my switch directly to the battery as it shows, the current won't be running through the breaker as you want it. That is where the confusion is coming from for me.

 

[Quackrstackr]

Edit: Nevermind... found it.

(Yes, that breaker is in the negative for some odd reason)

 

[NLaudy]

Lol now I am even more confused. In the pictures posted, how is the breaker doing anything? Don't you want the hot wire to feed through it rather than negative?

 

[Quackrstackr]

You would think but I found that on another forum with the same questions. Evidently there is some logic to it, not saying it's good logic. :lol:

 

[JMichael]

Well one thing that would help would be to know what wires you have coming from your bilge pump and or float switch. Some pumps have 3 wires coming from them and the float switch is part of the pump, and other setups have the float switch as a totally separate item from the pump. As for the breaker being connected in the negative side of the circuit, it's 6 of one or half a dozen of the other. If you were to take that setup, and cut the wire right where it connects to the battery and then take a voltage reading of the circuit, you would find that it's a + voltage no mater where you take your measurement. So is the CB really on the negative side of the circuit? It's all perception. Not being able to see how your lights are set up or knowing what your pump and float switch setup is like really does limit the ability to tell you exactly what should be hooked to where and why.

 

[typed by ben]

NLaudy » Yesterday, 20:48[/url]"]Lol now I am even more confused. In the pictures posted, how is the breaker doing anything? Don't you want the hot wire to feed through it rather than negative?

the breaker responds to current, not polarity... in a DC system its unconventional but it does work the same on either pole

 

[NLaudy]

Thanks for everyones comments and sorry for not providing enough information. I hooked it all up lastnight and it is working but I would like for some people to review my work and make sure I didn't create a hazard...

I hooked it up as in the diagram below. On the top of the breaker, the connection had 2 wires going in. One was the negative controlling the lights on the switch panel so I cut this and wired it directly to negative on battery. That is the only way I could get it all to work correctly. I "thought" you wanted all positive to go through the breaker but I guess based on what yall are saying... I am wrong. With that said... I know there are multiple ways to skin a cat... so is the way I ended up hooking it up okay?

 

[JMichael]

Looks fine to me. The only suggestion I would have at this point is, put some water in the boat and test the automatic and manual functions as well as testing to make sure the pump is running the correct direction.

 

[NLaudy]

Thanks JM! That is a great test... will do it later today! Never even thought about it running the wrong direction