On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:59:04 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:47:35 -0500, RBM wrote:

On 12/16/2011 4:34 PM, micky wrote:
Both my friend and I have the same problem, a wall switch box with
only two wires and a ground entering the switch box. We both had
24-hour timers that worked fine; we both bought replacements to find
that they need 3 wires, they need the neutral. There were no
insturctions on the outside of the packaging.

Do they still sell timers that need only two wires?

These will NOT use fluroescent lights.

Not counting the ground wire from here on:
The new ones have white, black, and red wires. The white goes to
the neutral which is usually also white, the black to the hot which is
usuallly also black, and the red goes to the load, the light bulb.

But we don't have a neutral wire in the boxes that hold the switch. I
havent' seen his but I have one piece of 12-2 Romex. Plainly, the
neutral and hot wires went to the ceiling, but only the hot and its
return went to the switch.

The original toggle swich just made or broke the connecton beween the
two wires. The first and second timers I had did the same thing.
Those timersr broke years ago and I know what they looked like, but
not the brand, and I haven't found them on the web.

I could maybe put in a neutral if I have to, but the house he rents
iisnt't suitable for that.

Thanks.



Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9YUGU/...N=B000Q 9YUGU

Thanks RBM (and thanks all). This one will be just fine. It's very
much like the one I had first.

Plus this pointed me to www.1000bubls.com which includes pdf manuals
for this one, and a couple other Intermatic that I looked at.


I'm confused by the ST01.
http://www.1000bulbs.com/pdf/Inter-ST01C-Operating.pdf
It says:

Resistive (heater) 15 Amp, 120-277 VAC
Tungsten (incandescent) 15 Amp @ 120 VAC, 6 Amp @ 208-277 VAC
Ballast (fluorescent) 8 Amp @ 120 VAC, 4 Amp @ 208-277 VAC
Motors 1 H.P. @ 120 VAC, 2 H.P. @ 240 VAC
DC Loads 4 Amp @ 12 VDC, 2 Amp @ 28 VDC

Does "Ballast (fluorescent)" include all fluroescent? Especiallly
CFLs?

It uses a battery like you said, so maybe that means it works in
anything. From the installation pdf, you can see that it too only
uses 2 wires (3 for 3-way.)
Ballast includes all flourescent and vapour lamps with a ballast,
including CFL.

They are pretty much the "swiss army knife" of timers - work on ac or
dc from pretty well o to 277 volts AC and 0 to 28 volts (and likely
higher at very low current) dc. (likely 48 volts and 1 amp)