water pump light(s)

[Ted III]

My coach is a 2005 and has a little green light up in the panel on the overhead bulkhead which tells me the water pump is on. This is on the right where all the little goodies are and the munchkins run around on the screen like pac-man. Other things shown like black water tank levels, etc. There is a switch in the head for the water pump also but no light. Has anyone attempted and accomplished I hope adding a light for that switch. I have tried with no success. Everything works like a typical three way switch but for the extra light. The only solution I believe is to run a line from the pump itself.
Any great minds with great thoughts. Norm, no reason for you to respond.

[Jim A]

Ted,

Try talking to Vagabondman. I know he talked to me abut putting in multiple water pump switches, like in the service bay, when I bought my SeeLevel gauge from him. I don't remember if that would have included lights too. I never did add any more switches. I would think it should be doable with what you have, just a matter of knowing which wires to connect from the switch in the bathroom.

[Oregon Coyote]

Ted: Read your PMs

OC

[takepride]

Ted:

After lots of looking around, and asking several Forum members and the owner of SeeLevel, it looks like the only good answer is an Intellitec pump controller. With it, you can add lots of switches and light indicators. There are two sizes of controllers, 10 amp and 15 amp. I was told the 10 amp is easiest to wire and will do all that is needed. Altohough I cannot get it to appear on their website, it is referenced (with part number) here:

http://intellitec.com/pdfs/catalog.pdf on the bottom of page 5.

The 15 amp version is here:

http://intellitec.com/pdfs/MOTOR%20C...300776.000.pdf

The website is really very poor. I imagine a phone call will be in order.

Good luck!

[rmmpe]

Ted,

Assuming the switches are connected in parallel and the green light on the control panel illuminates when either switch is on, buy a simple installation-ready LED from an auto parts store (about 6 bucks), run a short wire from the cold side of the switch to it and another for ground. Connect the wires as shown on the LED package, mount the LED and you'll have the light.

Another method is to buy a 3, 5 or 10mm Blue or Green Superbright LED for about $1.00, a mount for about $0.50 and 470 Ohm resistor for $0.05 from a source such as Oznium ( http://www.oznium.com/led ). They also have Amber, Red, Pink and White LEDs but they require 560 Ohm resistors (all similar prices). Solder the resistor to the Anode (long wire) of the LED and connect it to the cold side of the switch. You'll need a wire from Ground to the Cathode (short wire) of the LED. The light will illuminate whenever the pump see power.

Questions: E-mail me and I'll send you a schematic or call me.

[Ted III]

Bob, It is a great thought except it does not work. You would have to try it rather than me explain it. It does not work. We believe it needs a line from the pump, not a load line.

[Retiredfields]

I bought a flush mount LED from Radio Shack for $2. Ran a #24 wire from the bathroom switch to the water pump itself. Now I have light, whenever the pump is on.

[rmmpe]

I don't question what you say because quite often the systems have been wired contrary to logic. That and it could be a 3-way thing.
If you run a line from the hot side of the pump to the light you'll have power to the light whenever the pump has power, regardless of whether it's pumping or not.

[dgerstel]

Ted,

According to the WRV wiring diagrams, the power wire to the pump comes off of the tank monitor panel and the power to that circuit is supplied (started) at the bathroom switch. I would put a meter on the wire coming off of the switch, it should have power when ever the pump is on. There might be a wiring problem in the tank monitor panel. If the wiring between the 2 switches were wrong then the 2 switches would not work as 3-way, either should turn pump off and on independent of the other. You may just need to add a light to the power out to the pump at the panel.

Bob,

The switches are not wired in parallel. They are 3-way switches with 2 wires wired between them, power supplied at the bathroom switch and power out to the pump at the tank monitor panel.

Takepride,

If you have the Extreme™ Smart Sensor™ 5.7 pump and use the 10 amp system, you will need to add a relay to power the pump. The stock wiring is not sufficient for the 5.7 pump, see other posts. If you have one of the earlier pumps check the amps required. While the Intellitec pump controllers are very nice, I think that Ted is trying to add the light with a minimum of work. The Intellitec pump controller requires running extra wires and changing to momentary switches.

[rmmpe]

Hi Dale.
Regardless of 3-way or parallel, a wire from the 12VDC input of the pump to a properly grounded light in the Head should work fine and indicate any power from any source to the pump.

Personally, I'd rather not go into any panel for fear of waking the Gremlins that lie in wait and prefer independent "workarounds". Example: I broke the power line to the pump , ran 2 wires from there to a series connected illuminated SPST switch on the dash. That way I have independent control of the pump and can isolate it while driving (so I don't empty the tank into the Coach if I have a break and we have forgotten to turn off the pump at the panel). I guess it's the "Old Boater" in me that has seen boats flood/sink because people forgot to shut down the pump or left the shore water on when they were away and the bilge pump couldn't keep up.

[dgerstel]

Bob,

I wasn't recommending going into the panel, although as I remember that panel, the switch is separate from the gages circuit board. I would just find the wire, at that point, that goes to the pump and use that as a source for a light. I try to keep all systems as easy to use as possible for the wife and any future owners. (and because I have been known to forget what I did sometime later.) Part of that is not to have any way for one switch to undermine the operation of others. This generally means no multiple series or parallel switches.

[Brian_R1]

If you have 3-way switches, just putting a light at one of the terminals will not work as an indicator.

I tried a diagram but it did not work in text. Sorry.
There is an animated picture here that shows a 3-way in operation.

Bottom line is - you cannot wire a light to any leg of a 3-way (or 4-way) and get it to light when the circuit is completed because the path of the +12V thorough the switch is different depending on the position of the other switch, ie. the circuit could be on with the switch in either position.

The only way I can think of, is to take a wire from the line running to the equipment as has already been suggested.

[rmmpe]

Dale,
Forget what you did? That's NEVER happened to me. I forget if I did anything at all.
I would still run an independent wire from the hot side of the pump (or the single wire to it) and go from there. That will be downstream of all the other circuits/switches and nothing can happen to disrupt their function(s). The worst that can happen is the bulb will be burned out when you go to test your work. Then you'll really be scratching your head.

In other words, take Brian's advice.

[dgerstel]

Brian,

Great link to explanation on 3-way switches in circuit. The wire, the light in the panel should be connected to and the wire I am talking about, is the one on the output of the last switch that goes to the pump (light shown in link.)