The switch directly above the wall plug was intended to be my overall system switch. Is that in the wrong place?
Hell, I didn't even see that one.
That will do it. Turn that off and nothing else will work.
If my math is correct then I should be all set with a 1500w element drawing ~ 9 amps and the pump drawing 2.
A 1500w element will draw 12.5A if you are running on 120V.
Math is :
1500 watts / 120 volts = 12.5 amps
The pump will be under 2 amps, so you will fit into a 15A total power budget.
One last question is with the single pole switches, they need to be rated for the max amperage being drawn from the heating element and pump respectively correct?
So if I have I'm using a switch rated to 10 amps is that still safe to use for the heating element?
The overall system switch should be rated for 15 amps since the whole systems draw will be going through it.
Is that right?
Thanks again for the feedback!
The switches should be able to handle the max current that will flow through them.
Your main switch needs to be able handle 15A, that much is correct. The element switch, however, needs to be able to handle 12.5A since that is what a 1500 watt element will pull.
Might as well put a 15A switch on the element as well.
The pump switch can be smaller, but you should put a fuse on the line if you are going to make the switch smaller.
For example, I have a 2A fuse protecting my pump. I could use a 2A rated switch if I wanted to.