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#1
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
Hello I tried to install the switch yesterday with all possible cable combinations and I was not able to get it to work. The best outcome was when I hook the black wire to the black wire, the red wire to the red wire, and the white wire to the white wire. The green wire goes to the cooper line inside the box. This house was build in 1960. There is a regular switch on one side of the 3 way setup. If that switch is ON the light on the 3 way is ON. If I push the button on the 3 way woods switch while the light is ON, the lights go ON for less than one second and then it jumps to the off positon after a small click sound. This happens with both switches that I got. What could be going on?
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#2
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
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#3
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
On Thursday, September 26, 2013 9:02:48 AM UTC-4, bud-- wrote:
On 9/26/2013 6:09 AM, wrote: Hello I tried to install the switch yesterday with all possible cable combinations and I was not able to get it to work. The best outcome was when I hook the black wire to the black wire, the red wire to the red wire, and the white wire to the white wire. The green wire goes to the cooper line inside the box. This house was build in 1960. There is a regular switch on one side of the 3 way setup. If that switch is ON the light on the 3 way is ON. If I push the button on the 3 way woods switch while the light is ON, the lights go ON for less than one second and then it jumps to the off positon after a small click sound. This happens with both switches that I got.. What could be going on? Manufacturer and model number for the 3-way timer? Or, better, link to the installation instructions? (How does it work?) The timer white is probably a neutral and the wiring white is not a neutral. Sounds like a good possibility. If the new timer is electronic, it needs a neutral. But some things don't add up. It would seem to me an electronic 3-way timer would have 5 connections: common, two travelers neutral, ground. And the old switch would have had the same, minus the neutral. Also possible the old switch was grounded by using the metal box. But it sounds like we're only talking about 4 wires total, not 5? Seems bizarre that a white wire would be coming out of a 3 way timer that doesn't need a neutral. So, where did the white wire come from? Two possibilities: 1 - It was connected to the old switch, in which case Bud's theory is confirmed, it's not a neutral. 2 - It was a new pig tail added off of a group of white wires that were wire nutted together, ie neutrals. Also, just to clarify, he said that the switch on the other end is a "regular" switch. I'm assuming that means it's a 3-way switch that's not a timer? When I first read it, I thought he meant it was a "regular" single pole switch, ie not 3-way. A final possibility. Depending on how fancy this new 3 way timer is, it might need one of it's own kind on the far end. |
#5
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
On Thursday, September 26, 2013 10:39:47 AM UTC-4, bud-- wrote:
On 9/26/2013 8:23 AM, wrote: On Thursday, September 26, 2013 9:02:48 AM UTC-4, bud-- wrote: On 9/26/2013 6:09 AM, wrote: Hello I tried to install the switch yesterday with all possible cable combinations and I was not able to get it to work. The best outcome was when I hook the black wire to the black wire, the red wire to the red wire, and the white wire to the white wire. The green wire goes to the cooper line inside the box. This house was build in 1960. There is a regular switch on one side of the 3 way setup. If that switch is ON the light on the 3 way is ON. If I push the button on the 3 way woods switch while the light is ON, the lights go ON for less than one second and then it jumps to the off positon after a small click sound. This happens with both switches that I got. What could be going on? Manufacturer and model number for the 3-way timer? Or, better, link to the installation instructions? (How does it work?) The timer white is probably a neutral and the wiring white is not a neutral. Sounds like a good possibility. If the new timer is electronic, it needs a neutral. Some of them are battery. I think gfretwell wrote that some of them used the ground as a neutral and got away with it because the ground current was less than the allowed leakage current. But would a new 3-way timer have a white wire coming out of it that was not a neutral? Would that even be code compliant? |
#6
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
J,
Before you hook the switch to these wires you need to figure out what the wires do. Do you have a volt meter? What country are you in? Do you have written instructions? What model number is your switch? Dave M. |
#7
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
On Thursday, September 26, 2013 12:16:00 PM UTC-4, David L. Martel wrote:
J, Before you hook the switch to these wires you need to figure out what the wires do. What? You don't believe in the trial, flash, bang method? |
#8
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
When you find the wiring that doesn't trip the
breaker, you're getting close. .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. On 9/26/2013 12:20 PM, wrote: What? You don't believe in the trial, flash, bang method? |
#9
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
On 9/26/2013 11:30 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
When you find the wiring that doesn't trip the breaker, you're getting close. It's part of what I call "The Jesus Method", remember? ^_^ TDD |
#10
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
Shor thin honeychile. Ah rememmer.
.. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. On 9/26/2013 12:33 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote: On 9/26/2013 11:30 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote: When you find the wiring that doesn't trip the breaker, you're getting close. It's part of what I call "The Jesus Method", remember? ^_^ TDD |
#11
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Help installing woods 3 way timer switch
Trader,
Been there. Done that. Older and wiser now. Dave M. |
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