So I am trying to wire a timer into my fart fan, error I mean bathroom exhaust fan, and the wiring on the existing single pole switch isn't like any diagram that came with the timer switch. Just wanted to pick an experts brain. Thanks in advance.
I'd be shocked if there weren't. But, I don't have even a spark of interest in that sorta thing. Ohm well... (you had to have seen that coming)
I never hear of anyone hooking up a timer to an exhaust fan. You should have 4 wires from the switch. 2 are power in and 2 are power to the fan.. I think. The 2 in should be fed from the bottom and the 2 out should be pushed out the top.. I would think the timer is attached on the out line to break the power when you set it. But I'm just thinking out loud and I am not an electrician.. I'm just diy home owner who's too cheap to pay for stuff like this to be done right...
The existing switch only breaks the hot lead to the fan and the neutral or common wire will be connected to the rest of the common wires in the box with a wire nut. A spring wound timer will do the same thing. Hot in hot out. What do you have. Pictures are required.
I will post pictures ASAP. Basically I have a bathroom fan and it is routed to a single pole switch. When I pulled the switch I had two black leads in one spot (1 hot one, 1 other something) and then in the other attachment point is another black wire. Essentially there are 3 back/white romex pieces fed into the box. All of the white wires from each run are spliced together. The timer switch has a "hot" lead, a "red" line in and then a neutral (white) attachment point. I am thinking, I wonder if I wire the hot and load in the one back wire slot, and then do I need to pigtail a neutral from where all the other neutrals are secured?
Do you have a meter? If so, can you disconnect your existing switch and measure the wires? My guess is one of the two blacks tied together is hot. The other probably runs to another switch. The single black should be your load. The timer you have requires a neutral, which is why it is a bit different. You will need to tie into the whites you have in the box with a wire to #2. If the two blacks were hot as mentioned earlier, then you need to connect these to #1. The other black should go to #4. Don't forget the ground.
So essentially the new timer uses power to perform it's functions. 1 is power in, 2 is the neutral and goes to the bundle of white wires. 3 is ground an should go to to green or the bare copper connection. Lastly the red lead goes to your device in this case the fan. I'm sending you a bill.
The 2 black wires connected together will be your hot in and one goes to another switch or outlet somewhere. The other one goes to the fan. They used the existing switch as a splice
IT WORKS! Thank you @Redfisher and @Jorvaljr for all the help. It turns out I needed that white "jumper" to the neutral wires. Not too mention, I bought a continuity checker to find which line was hot! It helps to have the right tools for the job. Got everything hooked up and voila!
The best topping ever. invented was the pomegranate seed. Not the hard kind where spitting happens, the soft kind. Great over dark chocolate sugar-free Jell-0
