"PipeDown" wrote in message
.net...

"FDR" wrote in message
...

"LurfysMa" wrote in message
...
Can anyone explain to me the electrical terms "neutral", "ground",
"line", and "load"?

I have an Aube TI034 programmable light switch that I want to replace
with an Aube TI035 programmable light switch.

The info for the 034 is he

http://www.aubetech.com/products/pro...=77&noLangue=2

and for the 035, he

http://www.aubetech.com/products/pro...=78&noLangue=2

The reason I want to replace the 034 with the 035 is that the 035 can
handle up to 2400 watts, whereas the 034 can only handle up to 500
watts.

According to the manual, the 034 goes in just like a regular light
switch. I've had it in there for a couple of years and it works
perfectly.

I bought an 035 and the electrician I called to install it said that
he couldn't because, unlike the 034, the 035 required a "neutral" in
addition to the line and the load wires. This is an old house and
there is no neutral in that j-box.

On the web page above, it says that the connection required 3 wires
(line, load, neutral). But the installation manual (pdf file available
on that same web page), has an installation diagram showing only 2
wires: black (line) and white (neutral).

I am confused. Isn't "neutral" the same as "line"? I thought that
"load" is the hot wire, "line" is the return (or neutral) wire, and
'ground" goes to ground.

Can anyone tell me if I can install an 035 where I only have 2 wires?

Thanks

--
For email, use

On the 034, the switch draws it's operating power through the light in
series with the neutral. Notic e that the instructions say that if the
display is blank to make sure the bulb works?

On the 035 the switch has it's power come directly from the neutral.
Mayeb this was done to reduce the hassle of losing operation when the
load is disconnected. Or perhaps it's because this unit can be used to
operate motor type loads.

Looks like you are stuck.




They probably changed it because they had too many returns or support
calls due to just a blown bulb.

It also makes the switch compatible with fluorescent lighting (actually
the real reason to change) particularly CFC bulbs.

So why would it not be compatable with CFC bulbs already?
I have a fixture fed by neon lit 3 way switches which work fine with a CFC
bulbs.
The lighted switches get the neutral by the same principal- through the
unlit bulb.
Kevin