Auto Float Switch wiring question

[brodyz]

Bought an Attwood auto float switch to add to my Johnson 750 cartridge pump. The johnson pump had previously been wired for simple manual operation as needed -- black wire screwed down to one battery terminal, brown wire hanging lose and touched to other terminal when needed to operate.

I have followed the directions on the auto float switch (one brown on switch to brown on pump, other brown on switch to battery terminal, black wire on pump to other terminal) and have tried every possible combination of wiring with the Johnson to try to get it to operate without success. I suppose i could have a faulty switch from the factory, but hard to believe.

Any suggestions or similar experiences? I'm far from electrically inclined, but can follow directions and can go through a process of elimination to attempt to narrow the problem, but neither worked in this case.

Thanks.

 

[TNtroller]

doesn't the switch need water to activate the pump?

 

[brodyz]

yes, i poured buckets of water to fload the area with the switch, and it didn't kick on.

 

[Jim]

Wow, sounds like an annoying issue. Did you get the float switch locally or online?

 

[brodyz]

locally at Walmart

 

[KMixson]

Take the brown wire from the pump and connect to the positive side of the battery. If the pump operates, your pump is good and the problem is between the switch and the battery. It could then be a bad switch or bad wire between the switch and the battery. Also make sure your switch is in the operating position (contacts closed). I have been called too many times to fix switches that were just in the contacts open position.

 

[crazymanme2]

Maybe test switch with an ohm tester [-o<

 

[brodyz]

thanks for the replies. I have no switch though. It is a direct wire -- one brown on the switch to brown on the pump, other brown on switch to battery, black on pump to battery.