I am trying to replace a single pole light switch with a light switch with a digital timer on it. The new light switch has 3 wires (neutral, line, load). The switch doesn't need a ground. My current light switch has 3 light switches in the box. The wiring to the light switch has:
1) a bare wire (ground) going to a green screw
2) a black wire going to one of the holes in the back that you have to push to release the wire with another black wire that is looped around the screw next to the hole were the other wire is. This looped wire then goes to the next light switch (daisy chained) which then goes to the last light switch).
3) a 3rd black wire going to a screw on the opposite end of the other black wire.
4) there's a group of white wires capped off.
I was going to proceed as such to rewire the new light switch:
1) Remove the black wire going to the hole and assume this is the load wire.
2) Cut the loop on the black wire that is daisy chained and cap the ends of the wire together such that the wire just goes to the other 2 light switches.
3) The 3rd black wire, I'm assuming is the line to the light switch.
4) The white wires I'm assuming are the neutral and going to use the correct one for the light I'm putting the new switch on.
Is this correct?
Best Answer
The black wire that goes to multiple switches should be your hot leg. If the black wire in the back is on the same side (top / bottom) as the wire going from the screw to the other lights this is the line and it will need to be connected to the other switches and your new one or they will no longer work if capped off if that is the case the other wire is the load. The whites are the neutrals when bundled (some times in a switch loop a single white can be hot, they are supposed to be marked but many times they are not).