Help me be an electrician!

[Mar]

From the people that brought you "Help me be a plumber" comes my newest attempt at home renovations!

I bought fan timer switches for both bathrooms about 6 months ago and it's finally time to install them. I have no clue where the wires go here, nor do I know why 2 of them are twisted together. Can anyone help match up these wires please? Thanks.

Instructions state:
- copper wall wire -> green
- wall hot wire -> black
- wall load wire -> red
- wall neutral -> white
- yellow unused because this is a single switch install

[ExtraSlow]

Green is ground to the bare copper that should be buried in that receptacle box. Connect whit to whit and black to black and the red and orange go to your fan.

If that doesn't work, try hooking it up to the four-pin connection at the hitch of the veloster.

[Thaco]

in for the lolz

[Mar]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Green is ground to the bare copper that should be buried in that receptacle box. Connect whit to whit and black to black and the red and orange go to your fan.

If that doesn't work, try hooking it up to the four-pin connection at the hitch of the veloster.

Green and white I got but I have no idea which black goes to black and which other black goes to red.

[Mar]

Got it with the multimeter, the 4 wires twisted together are hot. Other blacks must be the load.

Hot is what always has power right?

[Thaco]

Originally posted by Mar
Got it with the multimeter, the 4 wires twisted together are hot. Other blacks must be the load.

Hot is what always has power right?

no, hot and neutral alternate who has power, thats why its called AC, alternating, they switch back and forth.

[FraserB]

In on epic thread.

[Buster]

At least we have a before picture of the OP's hand.

[mobius]

Originally posted by Thaco
no, hot and neutral alternate who has power, thats why its called AC, alternating, they switch back and forth.

Ahhh, no. If that were the case it would be called AP not AC. AC is Alternating Current. The current direction changes within a completed circuit, however the identified conductor (white) is not required to complete the circuit. Any old path to ground will do, (ie a grounded human body).

The identified conductors (white) are bonded to ground at the service entrance and at the transformer. There is no voltage potential on them normally.

The black wires twisted together are hot, they come from the circuit breaker and DO have voltage potential.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by mobius
Ahhh, no. If that were the case it would be called AP not AC. AC is Alternating Current. The current switches directions at a rate of 60HZ (60 times per second).

60hz=60 cycles per second. If you look at the waveform it actually changes direction 120 times.

[revelations]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
If that doesn't work, try hooking it up to the four-pin connection at the hitch of the veloster.

on so many old Mar threads.....

[dj_rice]

Trial and error. Make sure the main power switch is off. That is all

[Mar]

All done and working. I didn't realize I had to keep all the neutral together at first, I just pulled one out and hooked it up to the white wire from the switch solo. Once I got all white wires back together it worked great. Thanks!

[mobius]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2

60hz=60 cycles per second. If you look at the waveform it actually changes direction 120 times.

Yup, my bad.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Mar
All done and working. I didn't realize I had to keep all the neutral together at first, I just pulled one out and hooked it up to the white wire from the switch solo. Once I got all white wires back together it worked great. Thanks!

For the record and the benefit of anyone reading, opening a neutral like that is EXTREMELY dangerous, maybe one of the most dangerous things you can do in a 3 wire system like a house has.

It's not only extremely dangerous, it's easily possible to create a situation that will permanately damage devices and equipment. If you absolutely have to open a neutral make sure that you understand how the cct operates and what opening it will do, ensure the power is off, and you re-close the neutral before re-energizing the cct. More professional electricians are injured and equipment damaged by mistakes with neutral conductors than nearly anything else.

[mr2mike]

Disappointing read.

When does "Help me be a roofer" come out?

[revelations]

Does someone have a list of Mar "help me with..... " threads?

[RealJimmyJames]

Coming soon: "Help me be a sex worker"

[BokCh0y]

Help me be a man and kick out my roommate.

Help me mount this ski rack on a roof made of glass.

Help me be a plumber.

Help me be an electrician.

[FraserB]

Wasn't there a trailer hitch thread too?