I bought a Husky bridge style wet tile saw for a bathroom remodel tile project in our Tempe house in 2007.
Tempe Bath Vanity Area Tile
That was the first really creative tile layout that I designed and it turned out pretty well I thought.
Tempe Bath Vanity
It helped to have a wet saw to make the cuts and I did several tile projects in Tempe. We also used the saw on my son’s condo and my daughter and son-in-law’s tile projects and of course in this house.
After over ten years of use though the saw is beginning to wear out.
Tile Saw Label
Last year we replaced the hose between the pump and the blade. The splash guard completely rotted and I tore it off. A pin broke on the cord cover and it needs to be taped to hold it together. The pump connector cracked off during the tiling of the master bath shower and I had to order a part and replace the hose connection with a brass fitting. It is frustrating to be delayed when the tool is broken.
Last week while finishing the shower floor tile I noticed that the switch sometimes had to be turned on more than once for the saw to start and it wasn’t long before the switch stopped operating completely. This is a common problem with these switches, especially with an older tool. I found a replacement that was rated the same 120/20A and 240/12A and ordered it.
Safety Rocker Switch
But when it arrived I took the switch out of the frame it came in and I ended up taking it apart. Then the tabs inside fell out and I had to reassemble the switch.
It was a difficult job to disassemble the power box. It is accessible but the wires inside are tight and I had to remove several clamps to get enough slack in the box to reach the connections and remove the old switch.
Wet Saw Power Box Opened and Unclamped
Unfortunately after the switch was installed and when I started to put the box back together I tested the switch first and it didn’t work! The switch was not engaging and I thought it could be due to a broken circuit breaker that was attached to the switch. So I ordered a new circuit breaker but when it came today and I installed it the switch still didn’t work. So I had to take the switch out of the housing and figure out why not.
I opened the switch and one of the rocker plates that makes the contact was skewed. I placed it correctly and closed the switch and then checked for continuity with a multimeter and it seemed OK. So I tested it outside the power box enclosure and it turned on the saw. Then I had to disconnect it and insert it into the housing again and fiddle around getting all the wire clamps back in place and the the housing cover didn’t want to line up with the screw towers and a screw to reassemble was missing so I just used a trusty drywall screw.
When it was back together I tried to reinstall the rubber boot and holder for over the switch but they didn’t have enough clearance for this new switch so I had to leave them off.
Finally the saw is back together and working, just in time for a bathroom redo at my daughter and son-in-law’s house and to finish the master bath floor. Whew, I hope it doesn’t break again for awhile.