Push pull switch installation??

I am trying to install a push pull switch for my boat light. There are two wires coming out of the light, and when I conect those wires, one to the positive terminal and one to the negative terminal of my boats battery the light works. It is when I hook up the push pull switch that I am having the problems. when I hook the negative and the positive to the switch, one wire to each screw on the push pull switch the light works when the switch is off? However, when I turn the switch on the wires get really hot and start to smoke. Can I hook this switch up to my battery or is the starter battery too much for the switch? or do I just have the push pull switch hooked up wrong?

Re: Push pull switch installation??

Sounds like you have it wired wrong.

Pretend that the light is wired just as you described, directly to the battery.

Now pretend that you took a knife and cut just the positive wire to the light, somewhere in the middle. That's what the switch does. Connect one contact of the switch to the boats 12V and the other to the positive wire going to the light. Other side of the light connects to ground. When the switch is 'open' it interrupts current flow to the light, just like cutting the positive wire. When the switch is 'closed' it allows current to flow to the light.

When you had both the positive and a negative wires (from the light AND from the boat) attached to the switch, when open, no problem., the light is working JUST like it was connected directly to the battery.. BUT when you closed the switch, it was shorting the positive to the negative wires, guaranteed to generate sparks and heat!

Hope this helps.

Good Luck!