2-wire in-walll timer -- still sold?

[clare]

Then you have found what you are looking for. I believe there is also a model with a "randomizer" that changes the on-off times by a few minutes to half an hour each cycle.

[micky]

Thanks for all the help on finding a swtich.

Now my friend says his landlady doesn't want to spend 30 dollars for another switch, when she already bought one ( a 3-wire switch that needs a neutrral to power the ditgital timer, but the neutral is not at the swtich, only 2 wires and a ground are..)

My friend tells me, We can connect the "neuttral" wire to the grounded metal box that the swtich is in.

And I'm not sure how to convince him he's wrong. He says connecting to the ground is no worse than connecting it to the neutral, that it's just a tiny amount of current, that if the ground ever fails the timer will stop running, and if the switch ever shorts, ti will blow the fuse, just as if it were connected to the neutral.

And finally that the ground and neutral are connected together at the fuse box anyhow .

I haven't convinced him he's wrong, and in fact I fear he's starting to convince me he's right.

[clare]

He's right - it WILL work. But it is just plain WRONG to do it.