I tried installing an Aube T1033 timer to replace an old Intermatic
timer that died (EJ351 - the kind with the push button in the middle).


In the switch box, I have 4 wires: a bare copper ground, a black line,
a red load and a single white wire that I assumed was a neutral. The
old timer was connected to the black and red, the white was capped.
There is only one cable coming into the junction box. This switch
controls a chandelier in the dining room. There are other things on
this circuit.

I tested the wires in the box beforehand. I connected a circuit tester
to the black and ground wire and got a bright light. Connecting it to
the red and ground produced no light.

I installed the new Aube timer and it didn't work. I wired the white
to white, black to black and the blue on the timer (load) to the red.


I called Aube. Their tech support guy told me that I can't use this
timer here, I need the T1032 which is the 2 wire version. He said my
neutral must not really be a neutral. He said I should have 2 white
wires capped together. He suspects my white wire is connected to
nothing. I've installed 7 other Aube T1033s around the house and all
work, but all the other installations have multiple white wires in the
switch boxes.

Here's my question. How can I test the white wire to see if it's a
neutral or whether it's dead? Can I connect my circuit tester to the
white and black and if the white is neutral, I'll get a light and if
the white is dead, I won't get a light? Is this correct?

wrote in message
oups.com...
I tried installing an Aube T1033 timer to replace an old Intermatic
timer that died (EJ351 - the kind with the push button in the middle).


In the switch box, I have 4 wires: a bare copper ground, a black line,
a red load and a single white wire that I assumed was a neutral. The
old timer was connected to the black and red, the white was capped.
There is only one cable coming into the junction box. This switch
controls a chandelier in the dining room. There are other things on
this circuit.

I tested the wires in the box beforehand. I connected a circuit tester
to the black and ground wire and got a bright light. Connecting it to
the red and ground produced no light.

I installed the new Aube timer and it didn't work. I wired the white
to white, black to black and the blue on the timer (load) to the red.


I called Aube. Their tech support guy told me that I can't use this
timer here, I need the T1032 which is the 2 wire version. He said my
neutral must not really be a neutral. He said I should have 2 white
wires capped together. He suspects my white wire is connected to
nothing. I've installed 7 other Aube T1033s around the house and all
work, but all the other installations have multiple white wires in the
switch boxes.




Here's my question. How can I test the white wire to see if it's a
neutral or whether it's dead? Can I connect my circuit tester to the
white and black and if the white is neutral, I'll get a light and if
the white is dead, I won't get a light? Is this correct?

Yes, that's correct. If you can find the other end of the cable, perhaps
there is a neutral conductor there that you can connect the white wire to.