Wiring help.........

[steve forsythe]

I have an 1100 gph pump that fills my bait tank. It is hooked to a switch on my panel. I added another 1100 gph Rule aerator pump inside the bait tank and connected the pump with a splitter to the positive wire of the other pump so they both will turn on at the same time with the same switch. It works fine when you turn it on, but it cuts off and on the whole time. It will run for 30 seconds and then cut off for 20-40 seconds etc. Why????? Is there too much load on the switch?? Should i have conected the positive wire from the Rule directly to the switch and not spliced it into the other wire? Or should i put a switch in that can handle the 2 pumps? I dont know what kind of switches are in there but i do know that on another switch i have 3 or 4 things hooked directly to the switch. Could splicing into the positive feed make it cut out??? Any help or input would be great.

 

[Franki]

Re: Wiring help.........

well, you don't mention the guage of the wire in question, and you don't mention how much power the motors draw, but that doesn't seem to be the problem you having.. <br /><br />sounds like a bad connection or faulty switch to me..<br /><br />but If I were wiring it up, I'd use a relay from the switch.. and hook the motors to the relay.<br /><br />That way the all the current isn't going through the switch and switch wiring.<br /><br />Also, be sure to put an inline fuse in that line somewhere, (the closer to the power source the better.)<br /><br />If you need help with the wiring of the relay, let me know. but its definately the way to go.<br /><br />rgds<br /><br />frank

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Wiring help.........

By any chance, is one of the pumps the type that automatically cycles on and off? If they are both manual pumps, my first guess would be a bad connection -- off-again/on-again. Spade-type connectors, such as those used on fuse assemblies, can work loose.

 

[steve forsythe]

Re: Wiring help.........

I will check on the pump to make sure it not doing that on purpose, but when they go off they both go off. The 1100 that is used to fill the tank full of water never used to shut off, now it shuts off when the Rule aerator pump shuts off. I will put a relay in. Tell me what it does, can i get it at West Marine? As far as a fuse, the switch has a reset breaker on it, is that good enough? If it gets overloaded it pops out and you have to reset it. Brief me on how and where to instal the relay. Thanks,.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Wiring help.........

It sounds like you have an inline connection between the the pump that shuts off (sounds like it does so automatically) and the pump that would otherwise keep running -- but shuts down when the first-in-line pump breaks the connection. Is that the way you have it set up? If so, you could probably wire the always-on pump ahead of the one that cuts off (i.e., the always-on pump would be the first device to get power from the battery). <br /><br />don't know if this helps....