Rocker Switches

[rkscott]

Has anyone chosen to replace their existing rocker switches with ones that are lighted when not in use or lighted when in use to indicate i.e. the pump or the fan is in the "on" position? Honey has stubbed her toe a number of times searching for the vanity light/water pump/bathroom light during the night in the total darkness. Are there replacement switches out there that glow when on or off as opposed to the current ones which don't indicate if the circuit is energized or not? Thanks.


Keith
2000 National Tradewinds

[AFChap]

I bought a pak of 2 very small "neon" lamps and installed them as pilot lamps on my 120v water heater and engine heater switches ...got 'em at Radio Shack and they had all kinds of 12v and 120v led's and neons. And many automotive parts places have lighted 12v switches. Depending on exactly what switches you have, I would imagine an auto parts place could find lighted switches for you if they had one in hand to work from.

[WSRG]

I installed a motion sensor light that plugs into the outlet next to the vanity in the bathroom for when we are plugged into shore power, and an LED motion sensor light [Harbor Freight] that sits on the vanity when we are boondocking. Works great!

Bill

[Theberrys]

You may not be able to light the pump switch. It's momentary and the pump cycles using a control box. Although there is a light in the switch in my control panel. If you get a hold of Surflo they may be able to tell you how it's done.
http://www.shurflo.com/customer-support/default.html

Dick

[Dick1142]

NAPA has some switches of this type.

[rivrduk]

I have a 2000 tradewinds and i hate the switch situation in the bathroom. One is to the water pump and the one right next to it is the over the sink lights. When connected to water and the ac is running one cant hear the pump if the switch has been accidently hit while turning on the sink lights. in mine it is a rocker type switch on the pump and an on and off switch on the light, and both look just alike. By the way the switch in the outside bay in the water hook up area there is the same kind of switch. Wonder why tradewinds did not put an on and off switch where anyone could tell if the pump switch is on.

[Theberrys]

The reason the pump works like it does is the control module. A latching control module is needed in order to control the pump from multiple locations. You could install a lighted switch but you would need to run a additional wire back to the control module to get it lighted. Here is a link to a wireing diagram of the typical module.
View or Download (23.4KB .PDF file)
Updated: 2/25/2007 1:50:03 PM

And here is a link to the writeup or pitch.
http://www.westhaverassociates.com/m...g%28On-Off%29/

Dick

[Noleakman]

Electronics, lighting and mold convenience items from American Technology Comp This is where I got mine They made them for National

[wa8yxm]

Another option: I visited an electronics supplier.. The kind of store that "Joe's TV repair" might well shop at.

They had bins of indicator lights. both 12 volt and 120 volt These are light assemblies 1/4 inch plastic tube with a metal ring and lens on one end.. Leads on the other.. They also had a bin of quarter inch speed nuts (Spring nuts)

Drill a hole next to the switch, shove the pilot lamp assembly into the hole, slip the spring nut on the back and push it up and then connect it so ti either comes on with the switch is on or is on when the switch is off.. I can tell you how to do that too if you can not figure it out.

[dieselclacker]

I installed a very low wattage 12volt night light bulb years ago in the bathroom. The bulb I used was the stereo indicator bulb from a dash radio for automobile use, sorry don't know the number. Stays on all night long. Works great for us.

Dieselclacker

[Bill WA6YBD]

Try this. Get a green or blue LED and a 1000 ohm resistor from Radio Shack. Put the resistor in series with the LED. Put the other end of the resistor to one side of the switch. Put the other lead from the LED to the other side of the switch. The LED will illuminate when the switch is in the off position. LED's are polarity sensitive so if the LED will not light simply reverse the LED and resistor connections at the switch to flip the polarity. A small LED will produce a quite a bit of light. If the LED is too bright you can increase the resistor value slightly. Total current draw will be less than 10 milliAmps. Radio Shack should also have mounting hardware for the LED. Put this on the light switch not the pump. As someone mentioned an extra wire would be required if you want to see if the pump is on or off. My 2005 Dolphin has a light in the pump switch and the pump can be controlled from multiple locations.

[rivrduk]

does your switch have a light to tell if it is on or off? I cant believe they did not put a lighted switch to tell one this. Rivrduk

[rivrduk]

Well, being electronically challenged, I wont be able to figure it out. Both what to purchase and how to install it without specific instructions. Thanks, Rivrduk

[Bill WA6YBD]

Rivrduk,
I think I got headed down the wrong path. I originally thought you needed a night light but I now know you want a light to tell you if the pump is on or off. In my 05 Dolphin there is a red light in the center of all my pump switches. There are 3 of them. They are a momentary switches that is, push on, push off. I can turn the pump on in the galley and off in the bathroom or the outside shower. If your rig has not been wired with this type of switch latching system (also mentioned above) with a return wire for the light it will be a little difficult to make it work but not impossible. However it will require you running some wire. The simplest thing to do would be to run 2 wires (one pair) from the pump to the bathroom cabinet or wherever the current pump switch is located. You would need to splice into the 2 wires that currently go to the pump right at the pump. At the other end you would put a pilot light or LED next to the pump switch. So whenever the power has been turned on to the pump the pilot light will light. Not sure where your pump is, mine is very close to the bathroom. In fact it is right below the bathroom in an outside compartment. If you can get a wire from the pump to the switch location I can provide you with instructions and a schematic.
~Bill