A question about installing Timer Switch

[T-Narg]

Hi all,

I bought a GE 60-Minute Timer Switch which I plan to replace one of my existing standard wall switches with. My current wall switch has only one BLACK wire and one WHITE wire.

This GE 60-Minute Timer Switch, however, has three wires (BLACK, BLUE, WHITE). I'm a bit confused by the given instructions:

1. Remove wall plate and existing single pole switch.
2. Connect wires per wiring diagram as follows: BLACK lead to circuit's Line conductor; BLUE lead to circuit's Load conductor; WHITE lead to circuit's Neutral conductor.
3. Securely connect wires to device leads with twist-on connectors provided.
4. Mount the timer securely with long mounting screws provided. Install wall plate.
5. Restore power at fuse box or circuit breaker.

Since I only have two wires (BLACK & WHITE), how should I connect them to the GE Timer Switch which has three wires (BLACK, BLUE, WHITE)?

Here is a photo of the GE Timer Switch.

Thank you in advance!

[rck]

Somewhere in that outlet box you should see a white wire that is not connected to the switch. This is your neutral conductor. The white wire from the new switch must be tied to this wire. The other two go to the existing two wires on the old switch. If someone tied the neutral in another box and ran only two wires to the switch box without a neutral, you won't be able to install the new switch in that box unless you run a line in. Installing the neutral wire to the ground is a no-no (if there is a ground in the box).

Bob

[T-Narg]

Thanks for your feedback.

Should the wires be connected as follows?

Timer Switch BLACK to existing BLACK Timer Switch BLUE to existing WHITE Timer Switch WHITE to white wire that is not connected to the switch

Just out of curiosity, if the Timer Switch WHITE is connected to the ground, what would happen?

[I-zheet M'drurz]

WHICH IS IT??? First post you tell us your switch has only a black and a white wire??! Now you ask about this???

If your switch has a black and white wire connected to it, there should be no white wire in the box that is not connected to the switch.

You obviously don't have a clue. Call somebody who does before you hurt yourself or start a fire.

[T-Narg]

You said that the white wire not connected to the switch is the neutral conductor. How can I identify which are the "Line conductor" and the "Load conductor"?

Thank you.

[Terry]

Possibly you can't! You probably have a live black wire that brings current in from the fuse/circuit panel. When the original switch is 'on' it closes the circuit to the white wire (which would be called a 'switched live'), that switched live goes back up to say ceiling boxes to activate a lighting circuit. The various lights (or whatever) are connected between that switched live and the neutral circuit up in the ceiling etc. That switched live should be either marked (as a switched live) with tape or paint, or be a red wire, depending on code and acceptable practice in various jurisdictions. In other words with an 'ordianary' switch the neutral wire doesn't need to come down to the wall switch so it does not do so. Recommendation if you don't understand electrical wiring don't mess with it; get someone who does or an electrician. Just because you can buy such a timer doesn't mean that it will necessarily work in any/all situations. You can possibly take it back for a refund. My guess is that live AND neutral wires are required to power the timing portion of the device and that it won't work without a neutral..

[Chris Lewis]

According to T-Narg :

If you only have a white and a black in the switch box (single cable entering the box), you _cannot_ install this timer, because there is no neutral in the box. If wired exactly to colour codes (this is one case where they frequently won't be), the black wire will be the load hot, and the white wire the line hot. You can prove which one is the line side by turning on the power with the switch off, and using a neon tester. The line side will light the lamp, the load side won't.

But that doesn't help, because you have no neutral. There are timers that will work in this case, but the one you bought isn't one of them. Spring-loaded mechanical timers are the most appropriate here, and it won't matter which way around you get the wires.

Now you seem to be saying that there's two white wires in the box, implying two cables to the box.

If there are two or more cables in the box (at least two blacks and two whites), one cable _should_ be the line feed, and that on the switch should be the feed to the switched device. But in that case, _both_ wires on the switch _should_ be black, thus something is very screwy in your wiring. Or, it's a ganged switch, but it still doesn't make any sense.

You're going to need to hire someone, because we can't figure out your wiring from all the way out here.

[William Morris]

[I-zheet M'drurz]

I did, thank you.

Blow me.