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How to wire bathroom fan timer (lemmynsfw.com)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi all. I have a bathroom fan on a simple switch but wanted to upgrade it to a time. When I pulled the switch out of the wall I found one ground wire, and a singe wire with some of the sheathing removed to loop around the other terminal.

Can I cut the looped wire and connect it to the load / line on the timer? Then I connect the ground to the uncapped ground/neutral on the switch?

Edit: the advice worked.

I put the unlooped black wire with one of the black wires on the timer. I cut the black loop and tied the two wires to another black wire on the timer. I put another grounding wire on the metal box and attached it to ground. Likewise, I pigtailed the neutral bundle and connected to neutral.

It took a few tries to get the box to close correctly since the timer is so big, but it worked out! Thanks again all.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I'm not seeing a ground wire in the photo you posted. I see what appears to be a line (the wire with sheathing removed) and a load (the other black wire).

Normally what should have been done is that instead of removing sheathing that wire would have been cut, and a pigtail added to provide the line to the switch, with all three wires bonded via a wirenut.

So you'd want to do that, and you'll want to add a new pigtail wire for the neutral to the existing bundle of neutral wires in the back. The ground wire will go to the ground screw in the back of the box.

The picture of the instruction shows the no neutral installation, but you have neutral present so I would recommend that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I’m not an electrician, but is it common to not have ground/neutral on a switch? When I disconnected it only those two wires were actually connected to the switch.

It’s a 3 gang box.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

The requirement for everything to have a ground wire is fairly new in the scheme of home construction. Depending on when the house was built, and depending on if everything up to now was done to code, would impact if it's there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Ground is connected to the metal box. The switch (is supposed to be) in contact with the box via the metal screw and the metal tabs. If a ground connection is provided, I usually add it to the ground bundle or screw or to the box.

Neutrals aren’t on simple light switches. Without a neutral, your smarter switch will need to pass a bit of current through the fan. If you have a high efficiency fan, you might have a problem. They call that out in the instructions usually. Either way, it’s a good plan to connect the neutral. You might need a new wire nut for that. Or get some (name brand) wagos, which are way easier to work with.

The stripped loop is builder grade electrical work when they’re paid piecework. It does save space in the box, but it’s not something I love. It is the line.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

I'm only going off of the picture. I see ground wires tucked in the back of the box. The green/ground need to be tied into the other grounds. The white wire with the green sleeve on it needs to tie into the neutrals. You can pull off the green sleeve on it because it is truly a neutral.

I'm only assuming the wire with the loop on it is the line or hot. You'll need to confirm that with a voltage meter if you're not sure. You can cut that and make a pigtail to feed the switch.

The single wire looks to be the leg or the wire going to the fan. Once again, this needs to be confirmed.

Make sure all the connections are tight and the proper sized wire connectors are used.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Edit: I missed the first image.

That looped wire looks really weird. I think wildbus8979 is correct. The looped wire should be cut, and both ends connected with a wire nut to the the "line/load" wire. I assume the other loose black wire is the other "line/load" wire, it is probably not a ground wire.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Thank you all for the advice and education on what to do. I really appreciate it!!