AMP question

[jcintheville]

Bilge pump switch went bad on a 99 sylvan deckboat. I had an extra sea dog on/off switch I was going use as a replacement. The sea dog switch reads 15amp, the original bilge switch has 14 amp printed on it. Can I use the 15amp switch or do I have to find a 14 amp? And in the future, can the nav lights, horn, internal lights etc be replaced by a 15 amp or do I have to pull the switch and check it before replacement? Jeff

 

[jimbo3123]

Re: AMP question

I suspect that your "switches" are actually circuit breakers, and that is why they have an AMP rating printed on them. Some would say that you should replace a breaker with the exact size as the old one to ensure that nothing gets overloaded. You are probably OK to use a 15 Amp breaker in place of a 14A one though.

 

[Don S]

Re: AMP question

Switches also carry voltage and amp ratings. A 15 amp rated switch will carry one more amp than a 14 amp switch will, so it will work fine.
You do not want to use a switch with a lesser rating than your original. Using a 15 is ok, using a 10 is not.

 

[jcintheville]

Re: AMP question

Switches also carry voltage and amp ratings. A 15 amp rated switch will carry one more amp than a 14 amp switch will, so it will work fine.
You do not want to use a switch with a lesser rating than your original. Using a 15 is ok, using a 10 is not.

Thank you thats what I needed to know. Jeff