# Wiring GE Smart Digital Timer to 3 way switch.



## longbeach1125 (Feb 9, 2010)

i have done many many 3 ways and 4 ways, but never with a timer.

Does it say anything on the box about being a 3-way timer? With electricity we never guess or assume anything. Did the timer come with any paperwork.

As for the ground, it depends what type of box it is, if its metal put all your grounds to a wirenut with a tail to the box with a green ground screw. if its plastic just run your ground to the green on the timer.

for the timer to work i would think it would at min need a hot and a netral, so theres your black and white, your red is probably supposed to go to your load. So red would go to the wire going to the light. 

so it doesnt sound like a 3way setup to me. i could be wrong
just my 2 cents

if you want the light to only work from one of the switch boxes and using the timer you can use that one, let me know if thats what you were looking for and i could try and explain it to you.


----------



## Wing (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks for responding Longbeach. As I was looking around on the net to give you a link to look at the instructions for the timer I have, I found another website regarding my same question, same product. Apparently since there are several white wires in the back of the electrical box, the timer is not the right one for my set up. Thank you for trying to help. 

Guess I'll be making a trip back to Home Depot today! :wink:


----------



## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

The timer is not for threeway setup or it would have one more wire. It is only a single pole timer. You need a three way timer. 
The other thing you need to check is if there is a neutral wire in the switch box. That timer needs a neutral. Since there is not a white wire attached to your switch I suspect you might have the neutral in this case.


----------



## Wing (Feb 11, 2010)

Thank you so much for the help.


----------



## lsjdesigns (Apr 28, 2010)

*Help with GE Digital Timer Installation*

I need help with the install. Freaking me out with all the wires. Use to just a red and a black wire. I have a sktech of the wiring layout. Going to leave wires out until I receive help In my photobucket: http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e308/lsjdesigns/PatioLightSwtch.jpg

Any assistance will be appreciated.


----------



## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

What are you hooking up?
The timer?

The two black wires tied together are power in and power out.
The lone black wire is the switch leg.


----------



## lsjdesigns (Apr 28, 2010)

yes..just the timer

I failed to mention that the timer has white, red, green and black wire. The instructions states to connect the white and red wires to the neutral (assuming the white wired bundled together), black to the hot wire (assuming the one that shocked me) and the green to the ground (the bare wire (assuming it is the ground.) Nada


----------



## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

If the wires are black, red, white, and green, the it will wire like this.
The white wire connectes to all the whites, the two black wires connect to the black on the timer, and the red connects to the lone black, switch leg.
Green goes to bare grounds.

Are you sure about the red wire connecting to the neutral.
If you connect it like that, nothing will work because there is not a load wire.
Do you have a number to look up online.

ALSO, Turn off the breaker!


----------



## lsjdesigns (Apr 28, 2010)

additionally, the bare ground wire...should I just put a cap on the end to secure it? I just have it twisted by hand onto the wire. Or do you suggest i contact an electricaian before my house burns down? thanks for te help

I guess I live dangerously. The model is 15086. Here it is: http://www.jascoproducts.com/suppor...entLibraryManager/upload/15086-Manual-eng.pdf


----------



## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

Wire it like I told you.
The red and neutral do not get connected together. 
The diagram shows the light inline as a load.
Red to the light
All whites connected.
The 2 blacks connected to the timer black, and the green to the ground.
Use a wirenut on all connections!


----------



## lsjdesigns (Apr 28, 2010)

Hot diggity dang. Your instructions worked!!! I will secure with electrical tape. No fire should come out of this right? This is wonderful. Thanks so much for your help. I have two others i am doing this week. Hopefully your instructions will get me through this. Thanks man!!!


----------



## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

What is the tape for?


----------



## lsjdesigns (Apr 28, 2010)

I use to always wrapped the wire and nut with electrical tape...seems more secure. I am such a chicken. In Claifornia and wierd thoughts of an earthquake shaking loose the connections LOL.


----------



## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Yes the grounds need a cap (or something called a crimp ring) even if they are twisted together a lot.


----------



## Jeffga (Jun 26, 2010)

*This worked for me also!*

Just wanted to post a quick thank you to you guys, I was encountering the same issue and I had already hooked up the white from the timer to the white in the box. What turned out to be my problem was that I did not have the black from the timer connected to the group of black "line" wires. It appeared that I had them transposed. Thanks again to you guys this helped me get my timer working. I was about to take it back, thinking that the timer wasn't going to work for me.

-Jeff


----------



## Goby (Aug 26, 2010)

*Ge Digital timer - Help!*

I have the exact same timer and I read your (jbfan) reply and it is rigth on with the instructions. The problem I have is I have three switches in the same area and i am replacing one of them with the GE Digital Timer. There are three big wire nuts connecting 3-4 wires each, but none of them are white ! All the wires are black. I have the 2 black wires that are bound together and then the single black. I can connect the black on the timer ti the double black and the red to the singel black, but how can I locate the correct wire(s) for the white ??? I greatly appreciate your help.






jbfan said:


> If the wires are black, red, white, and green, the it will wire like this.
> The white wire connectes to all the whites, the two black wires connect to the black on the timer, and the red connects to the lone black, switch leg.
> Green goes to bare grounds.
> 
> ...


----------

