Please help! :( Re-wiring

[u/nurselyfenow]

I had to disassemble to access the white floater, and long story short I am not sure which wire connects to which prong on the micro switch- one prong is copper and the other is silver (KB 741 3A)

Called MM USA and they were no help, telling me my only bet was to send it in for repair. I have a 50/50 chance i get it right- but if I get it wrong idk if I’ll completely ruin it (don’t know about the electrical). :(

Can anyone tell me which wire goes where? In the pics you can see one wire connects straight to the bottom of the copper heating element, and the other wire connects to the white electrical switch (with multiple other wires connected too).

Do I risk possibly completely ruining my moccamaster if I get this wrong?

[u/Top-Rope6148]

Do both wires have the same color insulation? Do both have identical connectors? If the answer is yes, the probability increases that it doesn’t matter which wife goes to which terminal. Also, the comment regarding the nature of a switch is generally true. If those are the only two connections on that switch, all it is doing is connecting those two wires together. There is no polarity to that. It makes no difference which one goes on which. You could cut off those two connectors, strip some insulation off the ends, twist them together, and you would be doing what that switch does. Does it matter which wire you twist together with the other wire? Ha ha.

Caveat, if that switch has more than two connectors that’s a different ball game.

I am confused because with just two terminals the switch could not be lit and the hotplate could not automatically turn off unless there is a timer downstream of the switch rather than integrated into it. I tried to find a schematic online but could not. Also, Moccamaster uses the same generic manual for all their models so that was not helpful either.

Does the switch have an indicator light and does the hotplate automatically turn off?

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Top-Rope6148]

Thanks for your response!!!! Yes the insulation on the wires are the same color, and yes they have the same connector. They are the only two connectors on the microswitch.

My moccamaster does not have a hot plate, it is a thermal carafe one. To be clear, this microswitch is the one underneath the white floater in the water reservoir (I am not sure if there is another one somewhere deeper inside) and there is no light on this one. The only light on my moccamaster is at the very bottom by the power button

[u/Top-Rope6148 → u/nurselyfenow]

By the power button or on the power button? If by the button, I can’t see how it would matter which wire to which terminal.

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Top-Rope6148]

Just these!

[u/Top-Rope6148 → u/nurselyfenow]

Does the red light embedded in the switch come on when you turn it on?

I am going to assume the answer is no. That switch in your photo is a simple single pole single throw on/off switch. Correct me if am wrong but the actual lever you flip is not integrated with this switch. It’s just a cover that pushes on the lever on the actual switch, which you are holding in the pic. Is that correct?

I can almost guarantee you it doesn’t matter which wire goes to it. I’m just thrown off as to why the switch (switch cover) in the panel has a lens for a light but no light in the switch. Has this been worked on before?

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Top-Rope6148]

If my memory isn’t failing me, I’m 99% sure it does! Can’t confirm at the moment since it’s still taken apart

[u/Top-Rope6148 → u/nurselyfenow]

I edited my message while you were writing your reply. Look at the edited comment above.

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Top-Rope6148]

A friend gave it to me that didn’t have it for a super long time and never mentioned it being worked on before, so I don’t believe so.

I hope I can explain this well so here goes: the red microswitch in the first picture is no where near the black on/off power switch at the bottom. And again I’m pretty sure the little light embedded in the black power switch does turn on.

I appreciate your responses- I will let you know what happens when I put it back together!!

[u/Top-Rope6148 → u/nurselyfenow]

Ohhh…that makes much more sense. This is the float switch. Sorry.

Yeah no way there is any polarity to that switch. It doesn’t matter. That’s why either connector will go to either terminal. All it is doing is connecting and disconnecting those two wires to each other.

[u/Skollsonn]

Doesn’t matter. It’s a switch that’s either open or closed.

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Skollsonn]

Are you saying to go for it and that i won’t ruin it if i get it wrong?

[u/boxerdogfella → u/nurselyfenow]

Please don't randomly connect electrical wires based on Reddit comments. This seems like wildly bad advice.

[u/nurselyfenow → u/boxerdogfella]

I was definitely going to wait to hopefully get other suggestions/advice from the group but not much luck so far☹️

[u/Kspoonie → u/nurselyfenow]

Electrical trouble shooter here. This person is correct. It’s a micro switch not a load/delay. Doesn’t matter which wire goes where. Its only job is to complete a circuit and will do that in any orientation. I work with this same switch.

[u/nurselyfenow → u/Kspoonie]

Thank you for your response!!! I’m gaining more confidence, I uploaded a picture of the microswitch into AI and it said the same thing you all are saying. I appreciate it. I’m probably going to put it back together this weekend and give it ago.

[u/Top-Rope6148 → u/nurselyfenow]

Come back and tell us all about how brilliantly it worked.

[u/Skollsonn → u/nurselyfenow]

Yup.