Fred McKenzie formulated the question :
In article ,
Jennifer Murphy wrote:

I have a programmable switch that requires a neutral line to work. The
switch boxes in this old house do not have a neutral line. I was told
this by an electrician.

However, my son has a newer house, which may have a neutral line. I have
an old Wiggy voltage tester. How can I test for a neutral line? How can
I tell the identify the line, the load, and the neutral (if there is
one)? I believe the ground will always be a bare wire, right?

Jennifer-

The wire coming from your fuse/breaker box to the switch box is the
"Line". The wire that goes from the switch box to what is being
switched, is the "Load" wire.

Now go to the load being switched. One wire is the "Load" wire from the
switch. The other wire is the Neutral line you need.

I think your best alternative would be to re-route the existing Neutral
line through the switch box. Otherwise you may need to run a new
Neutral wire from the fuse/breaker box to the programmable switch, and
on to the load.

Perhaps your electrician can advise you.

Fred

Perhaps is a very gentle word.
If someone with absoutly no understanding of electricity had got an
electrician in the firt place we could have saved this whole thread and
avoided a lot of rubbish from the semi literate.

--
John G