GE Smart Digital Timer

Trevis

Hi,
I'm trying to connect a GE Smart Digital Timer. The instructions state to:
a) Connect the Hot/Live wire of main power to the Black wire from the Timer.
b) Connect both the neutral wires of the main power and Load to the White wire from the Timer.
c) Connect the Hot/Live wire of Load to the red wire from Timer.
d) Connect the Ground wire to the Green wire from the Timer.

How can I tell which wire is the Load wire? It appears that the Red wire from my wall is the 120v wire. The other two wires from the wall are Black. One black wire does not give me any reading from my voltage meter. The other black wire gives me 25. (See photo)

Thanks!

brric

What were the wires connected to before you removed the old switch? Is there a white wire in the box? Is the old switch a 3-way? What did the old switch control?

Trevis

The wires were connected to a simple rocker switch by the front door that turns on the porch lights. There is another rocker switch in the garage that turns on the porch lights as well. There are no white wires, just one red; two black; and a ground wire.

Thanks

brric

That is a 3-way switch. Your timer will not work for that circuit. You'll have to locate a 3-way timer. I personally have never used one but I'll try to see if I can find out if they are even made.

Trevis

Thanks for your help brric!

brric

The wiring could be respliced in the garage to allow the timer to be used in the garage or in the house but not at both locations. I.E. if you resplice to put the timer in the house you will lose the switching capability in the garage and vice versa.

Trevis

Would either one of these switches work?

http://cableorganizer.com/upm/etw-pr...LAID=261929066

http://www.amazon.com/Aube-Honeywell.../dp/B00027EWN2

brric

From what I can tell either one will work. They will require a modification in the garage (I.E.) jumper as shown in the innstructions.

Trevis

Thanks again!

Denys

Hello Trevis & Brric,

I purchased the same digital timer (single pole). As mentioned by Trevis, the timer comes with 4 wires including a ground. My problem is that my electric box only have 2 wires (2 blacks...old house); one is live, one is not (I easily figured out which is which).

I've tried many permutations with the 3rd (red) wire but nothing is working....the closest I got is when I put the white and the red together on the non-live wire from the box (unfortunately it just made the light go on/off...).

HELP!!!!

radler

Hello Brric
I have a two-way switch (single pole) but have old wiring to an outside llight. I had an old timer that worked for ten years. The timer had a red, blue and black wire. When I pulled the timer out of the wall, there were two connections, the black to a black wire and the blue to a pair of black wires grouped. The red timer wire was capped and not connected at all.

So now I have the GE Smart Timer, which has 4 wires. The green is the ground, but how do I connect the other three to the two wall connections? If I connect the black to single black and the red & white togerther to the double black the on/off switch works but the unit clicks and t helight flashes onand off.

Radler

chinook

This thread seems to have ended in December. If it is appropriate I would like to reopen it or at least continue it.
I have the same timer GE Smart Digital Timer. The timer has Red/White/Black/Green leads. My box has White/Black/Bare Ground coming through a romex(?). My breaker panel uses whites for grounds, black for hots, and bare wires for ground.
I have wirenutted the blacks together, the whites together, and the green to the bare wire - and nothing. I did try tying the black & red (from the timer) to the black coming into the box - nothing.
Obviously I am missing something, but for the life of me I can't see it. Any assistance would be appreciated.
Thanks

jbfan

See my reply in the other thread!

__________________
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

chinook

Thanks jbfan - I tried to delete my original question and start a new one - so I caught both of your responses.
chinook

Gundish

Chinook- I have the same problem you have with single pole, (i.e., 1 white, 1 black, 1 bare ground wire from the box and 1 red, 1 black, 1 white, 1 green (ground) from the timer). What is the proper wiring connection? I didn't see jbfan's solution.