[onemind]

I need help with this asap, big thank you in advance!
There were two switches in one box for two separate lights, I took one switch out and replaced it with a timer, however, the timer now is a switch for the other switch. What should I do exactly, how to separate those two lights. The switch (#1) that was instead of a timer was on white and black wires and another switch(#2) was on red and black wire. So how to wire it so both lights would be separate???

 

[Nealtw]

Is the new switch labelled to what each wire is for?

How was the old switch wired.

 

[chandler48]

You'll need to determine which wire (red or black) is your hot wire. It will need to be pigtailed to each switch. The red wire from your timer will most likely be the LOAD wire, so it will go to your application. Untape the other switch so we can see how it is wired as well.

 

[onemind]

I am not near the switch, I can't show it right now. I connected the timer myself, so yeas, the red wire of a timer is a load wire, but how do I separate the switches?

 

[onemind]

The old switch was wired to white and to black wire, I mentioned it. this is so stressful
Thank you for replying, I need to understand this so tomorrow I can fix the problem ( this is at a small church)

 

[Nealtw]

I don't think you have a neutral. Colours will be mixed up.

 

[Wiredindallas]

Was there a jumper between the 2 switches? You probably jumped the switch leg instead of the hot.

 

[99 wirenuts]

Just guessing, but the black might be your Hot wire, fed to each switch. The red and white could be your switched legs going back to , probably a juntion box to splice to the feeds for each light. If that’s the case, you wouldnt have the neutral needed for the timer to run. Just guessing by your pic that your wire is a single three wire romex.

 

[joed]

The old switch was wired to white and to black wire, I mentioned it. this is so stressful

The old switch is wired as a switch loop. The white wire is a hot, not a neutral. You need to find a timer that does not require a neutral.

 

[onemind]

The old switch is wired as a switch loop. The white wire is a hot, not a neutral. You need to find a timer that does not require a neutral.

oh, boy, more complicated than I thought. Thank you for the advice

 

[surferdude2]

As has been stated, you can't use the timer you have since it's electrically operated and needs a neutral connection. You can get a twist timer instead. Those are available from 15 minutes to 12 hours. Google "twist timer" and select.

If you can't get a twist timer right away, wire nut two short jumpers on the white wire and connect each one to a different switch. Then connect the red to one switch and the black to the other. That will get it back the way it was originally.

As has been stated, this is a switch loop and the white wire is the "hot" or incoming power. There is no neutral in that box, so the switch you have can't be used since it's an electrically operated timer and not a spring wound twist timer. When you get the proper timer, simply remove the wires from one of the switches and connect them to the timer.

 

[onemind]

Thank you

 

[onemind]

I have wired the switch back, but now one switch is dependent on the other, the light doesn't turn on unless I flip the second switch. I wired one switch to black and to white and the second switch to black and to red - so common black. then I redid it and put white wire as common, both switches to white then one to black and another to red. - the same problem. one switch depended on another. I tried to flip the wires on one switch, still same
Why one switch depends on another??? How else can you wire it?

 

[99 wirenuts]

Sounds like red is the common hot. In your first post you mentioned one switch was black/white and the other was black/red, which would appear to mean black was the hot. If red is the hot and you hooked up switches with red as a switch leg on one, you “backfed” thru the switch to white/black which then fed the 2nd switch.

 

[onemind]

Thank you for answering. I have to take out everything again, probably, and check which one is hot. Don't wanna check when the power is on to the box. I feel stupid, couldn't put the switch back properly, although I thought I remembered how it was, maybe I should call an electrician.
Found this timer online without a neutral, I think https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-E...XwVrS4mQn-msE.RA&slotNum=7&tag=fhmeag-20&th=1 a bit too expensive

 

[Wiredindallas]

I looked this timer up and it states no neutral required. An internal battery runs it. OP, you can do this with help here.

 

[Wiredindallas]

Lets start over. How many cables and colors of conductors in the switch box. Was there originally a wire between the 2 switches?

 

[onemind]

the box has three wires : black, white, and red. There are two switches, one for outdoor light and one for the inside. So, as far as I remember it is how I connected it now, which seems wrong because one switch depends on the other - which is one switch connects to white and to black, another switch connects to same black and to red.

 

[onemind]

I tried connecting the two switches to white as common, the switches were dependent, one switch controlled the other. So I put it back to common black, which is now how it is and one switch (which is white and black) depends on the other (which is black and red), (black is connected to both switches)

 

[joed]

You had white as common. It didn't work.
You had black as common. It didn't work.
Only one option left. Red as common.

To be code compliant it should have been white as the common.