The original equipment Attwood 1200gph bilge pump in my 268's engine compartment has 3 wires. One wire is power direct from the battery through the float switch to the bilge pump. I believe there should be a fuse in this line. The second wire is from the bus bar and fuse panel beside the captain's right shin and the bilge pump switch at the helm going direct to the pump. The third wire is the negative (ground) wire. The float switch should turn on the pump any time there is enough water in the bilge to raise the float, whether battery switches are on or not. The helm switch will only activate the pump when battery power is on. I have had issues with the Attwood float switches in my boat not lasting long. Four Winns uses the Attwood float switch (blue housing) for the bilge pump and another one for the shower sump. If you are having issues, I would look seriously at replacing the pump and switch with a pump that has an internal float switch. hope this helps.
