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I am trying to install a Honeywell RPLS740B to control my outside lights. It has a black white and blue wire coming out of it. When I went to remove the existing wall switch I discovered that it has 3 all black wires connected to it. The wall switch in the same box controlling my internal entryway lights has 2 black and a red wire connected to it. In the back of the box the whites are all connected to each other just like all of the bare ground wires are connected to each other and pushed to the back of the box. neither switch is connected to the ground or the white wires.So can I use the Honeywell switch? If so, how? If I need some other switch, I'm assuming it will not have 3 black wires, so how do I install that switch?Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Optional Information: Make: Honeywell Model: RPLS740B
welcome to Just Answer
Thanks. This is the first time I've tried Just Answer. Do you need any further information yet?
Do you have two switches controlling the same set of light for which you will be installing this timer Switch?
no
OK
So you just have one switch controlling the set of lights for which you will install the timer inplace of?
yes. there are 2 switches in the same box. One controls the outside lights. the other is a 3-way contolling the entryway lights. I'm trying to install it on the outside lights
ok
Is it a toggle style switch you had and are taking out to replace with the Timer Switch?
yes.
i'm not sure it makes a difference, but it is the bigg toggles
it has 2 screws, and a ground screw. and two holes to accept copper wires
Basically on the old switch your replacing with the timer you had 3 black wires tied together with a tail to the switch termination screw and one wire by itself tied to the other screw?
no. it has one wire in each of the copper wire holes and one attached to a side screw
i believe all of the wires go to a different location.
on both screws
i'll be right back. I'll verify
just one screw has a wire
Right
That is the hot
Turn off the circuit before we begin
it is turned off before i took off the plate.
the 3 black wires are coming and going to three different sets of wires.
one set coming from the top of the box
one from a hole on the bottom right, the other the bottom left
ok hold on just a moment
all we need to verify is one thing
You said earlier that there were 3 black wires in the box wirenutted together right?
let me check. some of the wires are nutted together., but I know that I have four romex sets of wires entering the box
What enters the box does not help me. What is wired together does
don't touch the whites. leave them alone
The 3 black wires are what I want to discuss with you at the moment
Ok. it appears there are actually 6 sets of Romex entering the box. One of the wires (the one screwed to the side of the switch, goes directly up and out (right side). One black goes direct and down (right side).
The last black goes to a bunch of other black wires
That is your feed wire
those blacks are wire nutted together connecting the left upper and lower romex blacks
yes
where the bunch of black wires go and tail to each switch is what you will tie your timer black to
than the white of the timer will go to the white bunch in the back of the box and the green will go to the bunch of bare copper in the back of the box. the only one left is the blue which will go to the light wire.
We can confirm this with a volt Meter if you have one
so what do i do with the other black wire coming up on the right side?
i have a meter somewhere, might take a little while to find it
it is by itself correct? and was the one poked in the back of the old switch by itself?
Hold on the meter
yes. it was poked in the back right next to the screw with the other wire heading upper right
Did the switch control an Outlet also?
in addition to the outside light
I don't think it controlled an outlet, but there is one outside the door not far from the switch
i think it is always hot and not switched
There should only be one wire going to the outside light. Because we have 2 we need to find out where it goes
The always hot is where you will connect your timer black
we need to confirm that.
i mean the outside outlet is not switched.
does it appear to you the wire connected on the screw goes to the outside outlet nearby
or does it tie to a bunch of blacks in the box
it appears that the wire attached to the screw goes up to the outside lights
the wire punched in the back next to that screw comes from below
We need to verify where the other poked in the back next to it is going
the other wire punched in the back goes to the other black wire nutted wires
we need to find out if these are both the switched wires
ok. how?
not anything we can do now on a chat platform
lets move on
the bunch of black wires tied together should tail off to the the other switch
correct. that switch is also connected to the bunch
That is where you will tie your timer black wire
sorry. the other switch doesn't share any of the same wires
do you have a diagram that came with the timer
and can you take a picture so I can see?
not much of a diagram. the wires are labelled. blue is load
black is line
white is neutral
Line is you constant hot
Blue goes to the light
white goes to neutral
That is ultimately what we are trying to do is figure what each set is
so white to white, blue to the one going up (we assume) and black to the bunch of other blacks?
i had a remodel in 2007 and an electrician did the job, so I'm assuming the white is still white
right
he installed some of the outside lights and a new outlet outside
That explains the extra wire on the side of the screw.
So for that switch that is the constant hot I assume
that doesn't seem to make sense to me. we are assuming the load wire is the one coming from upper right, that is attached to the screw. the lower right (possibly the outlet) is in the push hole next to the screw (load) and the bottom push hole goes to the bunch of other blacks
The switch you are replacing with the timer had 3 wires tied to it . 2 poked in the back and one on a scre
w
The two one the one side where extra wire ties to a screw I believe is the two you will wire nut together and tie your timer black to
this seems to be the constant hot to me. since an outside outlet was added
the other wire poked in the back by itself seems to be the wire you will tie the blue to
But the screw wire is the one that goes up and the poke wire goes down by itself.
here is the honeywell manual link http://customer.honeywell.com/Honeywell/getliterature.axd?LiteratureID=69-2455EFS.pdf
i HAVE THE MANUAL
I was just asking if you had it
i think the big question is what to do with the lonely black wire coming up from the lower right
We wiil need to use a volt meter to verify which is which
if the screw wire goes up (possibly to the lights) it is likely the load? and the other poke wire goes to the nutted blacks? then where does the lone black go?
The loan black goes to the light even though it goes down in the box
If you look at it this way it will simplify things unless for some reason you are certain it is a loan hot by itself, which I do not think so
If you can locate your meter we can verify all this and save time
hold a sec while I check for it
ok found it. is is the kind with multiple settings and a red and black pointy probe
ok have you check Voltage before or do you need a quick tutorial?
i think i have it set up to put each probe in a outlet, but it wouldn't hurt to verify what you want me to do
it is anorthtech st-380tr
The probes need to be - black in the com hole and red in the volts a/c port hole
The dial will be selected to the 200 +- A/C
ok i have the black in the -com and the red in a hole labelled P or + and I have another hole that is not used called output+
The AC is set to 250
i have also turned the power off and I removed the original switch before I got online
Now we need to turn the circuit on and make sure the area is clear of kids and dogs and such for safety reasons. approach the energized switch with the leads one to the bare ground and one to the switch screw with 2 wires and the switch turnded off
but I labelled the wires so I can replace it if need be
so i need to pull the ground out so i can touch it with one of the probes
yes just enogh to touch one of the probe leads to it during the test
i just found a probe Connector with an alligator clip
sweet
should i connect that to the ground first?
use rubber gloves if it is not booted
ok. hold on. i'll go check the 3 wires for current
should I expect 1 or 2 with current?
1
unless you put the sw back togthr
than I expect the 2 that were on the one side of the sw
if oyu are check ing with the sw removed than only 1
with the switch removed there was only one with current. it is the one connected to the wire nutted other blacks
Only ckeck the switch wires your replacing
the three wires originally connected to the switch i'm replacing are the ones i checked
ok good
the one wirenutted with the other blacks is the one you will tie your timer black to
that leaves 2 blacks left right
correct
ok those will tie togthr to the timer blue
Why there is 2 I don't know but it is better to put it back the way you took it out
white to white
s
so if one is the outside outlet it will be switched from now on?
i can live with that
I suppose. if you want to change it than you can move it with the other blacks, that is if you are certain wich one it is. other wise we will need to verify
I would say it is the one going down like you said
the one going up should be the light wire
If you cool with the way it is turn the power off and wire it up and I'll wait
just did it the way you originally said and it looks like it is working. Thanks!
Is this where I hit accept?
if you need help programming let us know
not sure about where the other wire goes.. but oh well.
I appreciate your help and patience.
I'm hitting accept now.
your welcome
thanks
Experience: Fully licensed and insured electrical contractor