I have an old Honeywell thermostat-type switch that controls the heater in the bathroom. Teenagers frequently forget to turn it off and so it runs for hours. I want to replace it with a push-button timer switch to prevent this.
The heater unit in the ceiling also has an exhaust fan connected to a typical light switch. It is on a different breaker than the heater.
The new switch has three wires on the back: green for ground, red for load, black for hot. So far so good.
When I removed the old switch, I found the following setup
The two black wires connected on the switch are labeled L1 and T1, while the two red are L2 and T2. Obviously the bare wire is the ground that I would connect to the green on the new switch. I believe I should connect the red wire on the new switch to the white wires. I'm confused about what to do with the existing black wires and the black wire from the new switch.
Needless to say, my electrical experience is mostly limited to light fixtures and ceiling fans. This house was built in the 40s and the bathroom was obviously a later renovation, so I have no experience with how it's wired.
Am I correct in what I think about connecting the new red to the existing white? And what should I do with the black wires?
Best Answer
NO, NO, AND NO!!! RED DOES NOT CONNECT TO WHITE. The "hot black" from your new switch goes to the black wire in the box that is feeding the circuit. The "load red" from your new switch then goes to the remaining black wire in the box. Yes, the green wire goes to ground.