On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 11:36:37 -0800 (PST), jamesgang
wrote:

On Monday, December 9, 2013 2:13:51 PM UTC-5, Jennifer Murphy wrote:
On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 13:34:40 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"

wrote:





"Jennifer Murphy" wrote in message

.. .

compressor motor.



It also requires a minimum load of 40 watts. Why is that? Why would it

be damaged if the load were just a 25 watt bulb or a few 5 watt LED

candelabras?







It needs a minimal load. It will not be dammaged, but may not work. It is

using the load on the end to get a sort of 'fake neutral'. The switch is

getting the incomming power from the hot wire. As there is no neutral in

the box, there must be a return path so a small ammount of return power goes

through the load. Not enough power will go through it to light a 40 watt

light bulb, but some power is. Probably enough to give you a shock if you

touch the load side of the switch even if the light is 'off '.



OK. Thanks.



The other switch (the 740B) requires a neutral line, which I don't have

in the wiring in this old house. I guess there is no way to use that

switch in my situation, right?

Nope. This is why some of the newer code requires neutrals at switch boxes.

How far is the outlet from the switch. If you can get a piece of 14/3 between the two you can add a neutral.

The outlet is only about 10 feet from the switch box as the crow flies,
but it goes under the porch or over the front door. The existing wiring
is from the 1940s, at least some of it. One of the lines coming into
that switch box is fabric covered. I think fishing a line would be
impossible, at least for me.

But doesn't the neutral have to go back to the circuit breaker? That's
clear at the back of the house.