Help me wire my March pump to switch

[Julohan]

So I am trying to wire my pump to a switch. I wired it all up and it blew a fuse. Its a very old fuse box, with fuses that are screwed in and out. I have used the pump in the same outlet before with no problems. So It must be how I wired it.

This is what I did. I wired the plug cord into the switch, and the march pump into the switch. I cut the plug off of the march pump. Each end up the plug and the march pump have terminal connectors on them. Should I had only used one? I also accidentally had the switch on when I plugged it in. The pump is a 115v.

More detail about connecting. Both greens are connected to the ground side. Both Greens have terminals on them. The plug had 2 black lines. So I guessed. I connected the white march pump wire and a black plug wire to one of the screws using terminals on both. Then I wired the black march wire and one of the black wires from the plug to a screw on the switch. Both had terminals on the wires.

 

[conpewter]

Wire the grounds to the green screw, wire the black from the pump to one of the gold screws (or silver). Wire the black from the cord to the other gold/silver screw. Wire nut the two whites together. You don't need to switch the neutral, just the hot (black) wire.

I'm not an electrician but I've wired a lot of stuff and that's how I'd do it, do so at your own risk.

 

[Julohan]

Does it matter which screw it goes in on the switch, they are both the same color? Also, the plug has two black wires should I try switching them around? Will that stop the fuses from blowing out?

 

[Julohan]

Well I may have ruined my pump. I put a new fuse in the circuit breaker. Took a 15 minutes to go out to garage to look at it again. The switch was off but the march pump was still running. Wasn't making any sounds. I noticed the pump smoking and smelling bad. So I may have to buy a new one.

 

[Julohan]

Nevermind I understand, I will try it again and hopefully my pump isn't ruined

 

[Julohan]

The march pump is dead. I got it wired right. No shorts. But, the pump was on just not pumping. I could hear. The fan was not moving anymore. So pretty much that sucks that I have to buy a new one.

 

[Reelale]

Man, that sucks. Are you sure the motor is fried, or just the pump head? If it is just the pump head, you can replace those for around $25.00. I know it's like crying over spilt milk, but why didn't you just wire an GFCI outlet, and plug the pump into it?

 

[conpewter]

Yikes that does suck. Doesn't matter which screw you used, just always switch the same wire, sounds like you may have sent current through the neutral wire on the pump. You'll want a plug that has a black and white wire in it, the prongs need to be the kind with one wider than the other so that you get the hot to the right wire.

 

[ssabin]

If the pump is truly isolated from everything anyone would ever touch, then techincally, it doesn't matter which wire gets switched. However, it is much safer (and the only way this could be up to code) to switch the hot wire with the neutral tied to house neutral at all times. If you switch the neutral instead and the motor housing is not isolated from the motor leads, your motor housing will have 115V on it when off.

Most likely the motor is double insulated and it doesn't matter which motor wire goes to hot and which goes to neutral, but you want the switch on the hous hot wire only.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

If you're blowing fuses and making smoke, you should probably stop what you're doing and ask a knowledgeable friend for some hands on help.

 

[Lonnie Mac]

If you're blowing fuses and making smoke, you should probably stop what you're doing and ask a knowledgeable friend for some hands on help.

Have to agree with Yuri every bit on this one... Man, a full understanding before starting is a must my friend... Nothing wrong with getting help before you take on a task using the joose! That stuff kills quite readily!

 

[samc]

+1 not messing with electric if you don't understand the concepts. Simply go with a switched GFI power strip from Home Depot !!

Call March Pumps, maybe they will cut you a break on fixing or replacing the motor!

 

[Julohan]

Yeah, I should had been more careful. I realized what I was doing wrong. When I fixed it it was just too late.

 

[sjlammer]

+1 for asking for help... any one of us would have helped you, I might have even drawn a little picture.

Sounds like you blew the motor. Definitely call March, they will probably send you a replacement motor on the cheap

 

[Lonnie Mac]

+1 for asking for help... any one of us would have helped you, I might have even drawn a little picture.

Sounds like you blew the motor. Definitely call March, they will probably send you a replacement motor on the cheap

Indeed... And for future use, it would be great if you posted up a little diagram of what you think you might have done wrong my friend. These are great little learning experiences for everyone here. What you have learned now, (what not to do) may teach others. I have an idea of how you might have wired it, but a bit too late I am afraid.

 

[Julohan]

How does this wiring look.

 

[sjlammer]

That looks about right... the nuetral from the outlet to the switch should be white in color.

 

[Julohan]

The cord I have though has two blacks.

 

[Reelale]

I wired mine like attached and just plug my pump into the switched outlet. You need someway to distinguish hot from neutral. Usually the insulation is colored. Or the individual wire strands will be different, one will be silver (neutral), one will be bronze (hot). Same way with switches and receptacles. Bronze wire goes to bronze screw, silver wire goes to silver screw. The power-in is the cord plugged into your house outlet. If you don't have a continuous ground on that circuit however, the GCFI won't/can't do its job.

If you are uncomfortable with this, I HIGHLY recommend you enlist the help of a friend, neighbor, electrician. This s... can kill you.

 

[jtrainer]

It could also be your to a degree color blind in which your having a hard time differentiating the colors used. (This is a test the military gives for all those seeking electronic/electrical rates). Could the colors in play be Black, Blue or Brown?