what am I doing wrong (wiring) Update

[codewritinfool]

I'm not an electrician, but this is my opinion.

Get rid of that ground wire to your switch. When the switch is in the off position, you're connecting neutral to ground through the motor, probably doesn't look good to a GFCI.

By the way, if you are using ground anywhere in your system as a return path, it is wrong. That's what neutral is for. Ground should be connected to your metal faceplate and frame, if they are conductive.

Another thing... Find an electrician and give them some homebrew to look over your wiring. You're working in a wet environment; a mistake can kill you.

[Landshark]

Thanks for the feedback.

I've cut out the ground from the switch. FYI - The ground bus is tied into the frame via mega-heavy copper wire.

I tried the new setup and the GFCI tripped again the moment I threw the switch. Everything is stable until that point.

Next, I will replace the #3 post (formerly ground wire to gound bus) with a neutral wire going back to the neutral bus.

...that means that the neutral from the pump and the switch neutral will be connected to the same bus.
Reasonable?

If that doesn't work I'll go the electrician route. The pump wiring should be the easiest thing to do. :(

-Shark

[codewritinfool]

No. Do not connect a neutral to that switch. It isn't needed. Your problem lies elsewhere.

[LordUlrich]

Sometimes a GFIC will trip if too much current is pulled through a circuit. Try using another outlet (someplace else in the house, with nothing plunged into it)


I am also not an electrician, and if you have concerns about things being wired incorrectly find someone to look at it in person.

[Moby]

I want to add that toggle switches, or any type of switches, should almost never have a neutral, and rarely a ground connected to them. A switch is just a control device. It controls your hot (or energized) wires. A switch has a hot coming in, and one or several hots going out, depending on the type of the switch. The position of the switch lever energizes or shuts off the flow of electricity to the hot wires. The two photos of the toggle switches in this thread both show three wire terminals. Almost always, these are for your hot wires, not the neutral or ground. They can be ON-OFF-ON switches, or Single Pull Double Throw switches, etc. Most times you need a multimeter to test the resistance of the terminals to determine the proper way to connect the wires.

[Landshark]

..took the advice of the board and did not connect the neutral wire. No need to explore electricity any more than I have to.

I did however purchase two new switches from Home Depot (SPST). These look to be much more robust switches vs. the Radio Shack ones I'm attempting to use (SPDT-three prong). Tonight I'll wire them up for another test.

Also, I'm now connected to a 100% designated GFCI outlet. 20Amp breaker at main panel.

Stay tuned!

-Shark

[Landshark]

It was the switches. Needed 20Amp capable switches. Once I swapped out the Radio Shack toggles with the Home Depot versions everything worked!

Thanks everyone for your help and patience!

brew on!

-Shark

[Cliff]

Why are you guys telling him not to ground his switch?
If there is a short inside the switch and he touches it ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It could be a big ouch~!!

Every single electrical interface on a system should be connected to a ground.
Ideally every single interface would be low voltage switches that control high volt relays which do all the power handling such low voltage switches should be no more than 12 VDC at zero amps.
Seriously if one is concerned about conductive fluids splashing around it might be a really good idea to isolate all the real power from the operator leaving strictly low voltage switches at the user end of things.

Water is a lousy conductor, but it does increase contact surface area & the salts on your skin can make it more conductive. In a furious rainstorm I had a Main panel in a Cellar fill with water in a building I'd purchased. Some one installed the outdoor pigtail wrong. I was unaware of this. Breakers were popping so I went down to open it up and look inside, About 3 feet of water spilled out onto me onto the floor and the main power from the street & the main 200 amp breaker was still on. I got no shock. The rain water is mineral and salt free.
But, beer is not water. As Miracle Max might have said: "Beer is Mostly water." Beer is loaded with minerals which we often add to it.
ERGO: Beer should have greater capacity to carry current than water.
How much? I'd prefer not to find out the hard way.