Electrical issue

[TsunamiBeer]

I am an electrical novice. I am building my control panel and am having an issue.

I have run the hot through a toggle switch, then through an LED light, to a household outlet to power my pump. Then neutral runs straight back to neutral bus. When I plug pump in, the led lights up, but the pump doesnt power. I tried plugging in my drill and when I pull the trigger the light lights up but no power to the drill. Thoughts?

 

[day_trippr]

Wait - you're sending household AC (assumed = 120vac) through an LED and trying to power an AC pump??

Oh....wow.

Leaving aside my amazement that the LED didn't fuse, it's a diode - the pump is only seeing a half-wave AC, which is not likely to inspire actual movement. Heat, perhaps, but not movement.

Take the LED out of the circuit...

Cheers!

 

[Chrisl77]

I assume its one of these 110v leds. If its one of these you shouldn't be running the power through it. You should be tapping off the hot line to the plug and routing it to the one side then hooking a neutral line to the other side of the led.

 

[TsunamiBeer]

Chris. I think that makes sense. So hot to switch to plug. Hot from plug to led. Neutral to led. Right?

 

[Chrisl77]

yes that will work. here is a link to a diagram to give you a visual.

 

[Minbari]

just to make sure it is perfectly clear, the LED should be in parallel with the load.

so:

HOT --> switch --> pump --> neutral.
HOT --> switch --> LED --> neutral.

("switch" is the same switch)
you are switching two different things at the same time with the same switch. you dont want them in series.

 

[TsunamiBeer]

Thank you

 

[TsunamiBeer]

Fixed. Thanks everyone.