Setting the Woods Outdoor Light Timer
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How to Wire an In-Wall Timer Switch for Lighting: With this lighting timer you will notice that it requires a white neutral wire which is needed for the timer to operate. © By: Dave Rongey |
Wiring a Timer Switch for Outdoor Lighting
Electrical Question: I am replacing a single pole wall switch timer which controls our outside house lights. The timer worked for many years with no problem until recently. I was hoping to purchase the same timer but it is no longer in production.
- I purchased a Woods Model 59018 digital timer. The switch for these lights is in a junction box which also has a switch for our foyer light.
- The foyer light works fine so there was no need to replace that switch. In the junction box there are many sets of wires with various colors. There is a set of 3 white, a set of 3 blue wires (dark, medium and lighter blue), 2 wires (one yellow and one orange), and 2 black wires.
- The timer has 4 wires which are black (hot), red (lead), green (ground) and white (neutral). I know that the black wire needs to be connected to the black wires in the box. I also know that the green wire is the ground wire which goes to the ground screw in the box.
- I don’t know what color to connect to the lead wire to or the white wire. I have tried various color connections. The digital time on the timer works fine. It’s the outside lights that don’t work either with the programed timer or pushing the ON button to over ride the timer.
- The ON light on the face of the timer lights up when the ON button in pushed but the lights don’t go on outside. Obviously the load (red) wire is not connected to the correct wire in the box.
Please help. I’ve tried every variation of color connections and still don’t have it working.
Thank you.
This electrical wiring question came from: Monica, a Homeowner from Mundelein, IL.
Wiring a Woods Model 59018 Digital Timer
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Monica.
Application: Wiring a Timer Switch.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced. This electrical wiring project is best performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience and ability to work with tools.
Precaution: Identify the light circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the timer switch wiring.
Notice: Installing additional fixture wiring should be done according to local and national electrical codes with a permit and be inspected.
Materials: Make sure the timer switch has the same amperage and voltage rating as the original switch, and is fully compatible with the electrical circuit, the light fixture and the type of light bulbs being used.
Light Switch Electrical Wiring
- When the switch box has a number of cables with black, red, white and ground wires, then each wire set will need to be identified in order to make the right wiring connections for a light switch.
- There is no need to take all of the wiring apart, in fact this can create a lot of confusion. In many switch boxes there may be cables that are used for the Power Source or Power In, Power Out, and the cable that sends power to the light fixture, and there are different ways that these wires may be actually connected depending on how the circuit wiring was installed.
- Noting how existing switches are connected to the wiring is the first key to wiring a replacement switch, then careful examination and testing of the remaining wires is essential for further connections.
How to Wire an In-Wall Timer Switch for Lighting
- With this lighting timer you will notice that it requires a white neutral wire which is needed for the timer to operate. The ground wire must also be attached. The timer switch designates the Black Wire as the power line source.
- The Red Wire is the lighting load which is attached to the power out to the light that is being controlled by the timer. The wiring assignments for this light timer are typical for most other time switches as well where the Black Wire is always the Line and the Red Wire is the Load.
Woods Outdoor Lighting Timer Switch
Monica, this is the link for the instructions: In Wall 7-Day Digital Timer
Product Note:
The Coleman Cable completed the acquisition of Woods Industries, including Woods US and Woods Industries (Canada) Inc.
More about Home Electrical Wiring
Wiring a Light Switch
Wiring a Light Switch – Diagram 1
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