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Wiring issue swapping out old Intermatic switch

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    Wiring issue swapping out old Intermatic switch

    Hi,

    I took out an old Intermatic Z-wave dimmer switch and put in new HS-WD100+, so I can correctly dim new LED lamp (had incandescent before).
    Unfortunately, the switch is not working and can't figure out why... Load does not switch on and the LEDs on the face of the switch do not light up at all.

    The old Intermatic did not use neutral but I had neutral in the gang box so I pigtailed from there. My current detector shows the live wire is hot. I initially thought I got a bad switch so I ordered a replacement. I put that in and I get the same issue.

    Any ideas?

    #2
    Can you take a pic of how you have it wired? Are you using it in a 3 way config?

    You should have 4 wires: Hot (Black), Load (Generally Black), Neutral (White) and Ground (Bare). My suspicion without actually seeing is that you have your load and hot wire backwards.

    Comment


      #3
      Here is the pic:
      https://photos.app.goo.gl/XAFOVMcJbufBVcBz1

      No 3-way. The load and live are both black but I used a battery operated detector to show me which one is "hot" and put that into the "Line" hole.

      Comment


        #4
        Eureka! You nailed it! I did do a closer inspection and it I did indeed have the hot wire plugged into the "Load" hole... inverted and all working as it should - thank you!

        (I guess in my subconscious I think of "load" as in "loaded gun" and that means to me danger = hot wire... or so I rationalize why I made the mistake )

        Comment


          #5
          Good news Strategerizer!!

          You should also remove the light colored tape around the wires there on the right and replace the tape with wire nuts.

          Many times electricians utilize whatever wire is at hand whatever color. Not a good thing.

          Typically white is neutral, black is hot and some other color is a traveler. On a an overhead light sometimes yellow is used for the load wire.

          I always still utilize a VOM just in case. You can maybe too label the wire in question.
          - Pete

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            #6
            Pete, thanks for the tips; good to know. The white thing that looked like a tape is actually just some debris (a little chunk of plaster) sitting in the box, not doing anything (well maybe except making a mess and prompting confusion :-)

            The load and line wires are both black and, not being used to all the "terms", even being careful I still got confused and swapped the two; lesson learned!

            Comment


              #7
              Yeah here they used yellow and blue for overhead fan lamps and lamps and traveler wires.

              All of it though is in conduit and all metal cans here. No romex.

              BUT

              They used black for load and hot wires on the wall outlets which 1/2 of the duplex outlet is connected to the wall switch in most of the rooms in the home. (IE: bedrooms, living room, family room and dining room). Here have turned many of the duplex outlets to non switched. IE: accidentally plugging in a vacuum cleaner to an automated switch can be hazardous to the switch.
              - Pete

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