Requesting guidance from you Electrician gurus for installing Honeywell Econo Switch programmable timers (RPLS740B).

https://yourhome.honeywell.com...imer-switch-rpls740b

This is a "neutral wire required" switch for install in a 2015 built residence with the neutral wire bundle in all switch boxes.

All the current light switches in the house have a ground wire along with the Line and Load wires attached to the switch. The neutral wires in all the boxes are capped off.

The Honeywell unit has a Line, Load and Neutral wire with NO provision to attach a ground wire. The Honeywell installation directions do NOT address the ground wire, but the package insert tri-fold diagram shows the ground wire. Called the Honeywell technical support line and the guy would not acknowledge the diagram shows a ground wire - he told me to just wrap the ground wire in the box with electrical tape and push it to the back of the box.

Found a few "how-to's" for this type of install and some say to disregard the ground wire and some say to attach it to the metal portion of the switch or wrap it around a screw.

What say you?

Thanks for any help.

tp

quote:

All the current light switches in the house have a ground wire along with the Line and Load wires attached to the switch. The neutral wires in all the boxes are capped off.

You may be mixing up "neutral" with "ground".

Your switches should have a line, load, and neutral wire connected.

Ground often is a bare wire connected to the box or device with a green screw.

Where does the instructions have you connect group to? Can you post link to install instructions? If going in a multigang box with metal plate, then the plate is already grounded through other switches. If single gang box, box you can wrap ground around the screw attaching to box if there are no terminals for it. It is extremely uncommon to not connect a ground.

Here's what I found:



Shows no ground connection. Is the yoke of the switch all plastic, and did it come with vinyl plate screws?

I just installed these in about 5 locations in a new (to me) house, and installed exactly as indicated and they work fine. I just uncapped the neutral, added the new one to the bundle, capped and shoved it back in the box.

Link to instructions

I'd trust the electricians here more than me, but I don't see an issue with capping off the "unused" ground that you describe if it is in fact a ground wire. I did not have that in my circa 2012 house.

Give it a go. Hell, what's the worst that coul

quote:

Originally posted by Some Shot:

quote:

All the current light switches in the house have a ground wire along with the Line and Load wires attached to the switch. The neutral wires in all the boxes are capped off.

You may be mixing up "neutral" with "ground".

Your switches should have a line, load, and neutral wire connected.

Ground often is a bare wire connected to the box or device with a green screw.

I am 100% certain not mixing up "neutral" with "ground".

The current switches have three wires attached: line, load and a (bare) ground wire (attached to the green screw of each switch). The neutral wires are bundled/capped in the back of each plastic box.

tp

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Where does the instructions have you connect group to? Can you post link to install instructions? If going in a multigang box with metal plate, then the plate is already grounded through other switches. If single gang box, box you can wrap ground around the screw attaching to box if there are no terminals for it. It is extremely uncommon to not connect a ground.

Here's what I found:



Shows no ground connection. Is the yoke of the switch all plastic, and did it come with vinyl plate screws?

That's the same diagram on the paper "How To" guide in the package.
There's also a tri-fold insert with a diagram that shows a ground wire from box to switch, thus my concern/question.

No idea what the "yoke" of switch means. There is a thin band of metal near front edge of switch that connects the top/bottom tabs used to attach/secure plate to box. No plate screws included with switch - another reason for question concern since plate screw from original plate are metal.

tp

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
I just installed these in about 5 locations in a new (to me) house, and installed exactly as indicated and they work fine. I just uncapped the neutral, added the new one to the bundle, capped and shoved it back in the box.

Link to instructions

I'd trust the electricians here more than me, but I don't see an issue with capping off the "unused" ground that you describe if it is in fact a ground wire. I did not have that in my circa 2012 house.

Give it a go. Hell, what's the worst that coul

Confirming you did not attach the bare ground wire to new switch and just pushed it to back of box?

tp

The yoke is the frame the switch is attached to and where the mounting screws pass through to attach to box. If you are using a metal plate with one or multiple switches already grounded, the plate and plate screws will ground the switch.

Here's something I just walked out to my van to illustrate a yoke and alternative way to ground. You may need to coil the wire rather than a simple loop if the box sits back from the drywall. In the end you want ground tight to the yoke, you can also use small washers instead of a coil if the box is not flush with drywall.





Just grabbed fastest thing I could (outlet), but concept is the same.

Ooops pics are a little big, sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
The yoke is the frame the switch is attached to and where the mounting screws pass through to attach to box. If you are using a metal plate with one or multiple switches already grounded, the plate and plate screws will ground the switch.

Here's something I just walked out to my van to illustrate a yoke and alternative way to ground. You may need to coil the wire rather than a simple loop if the box sits back from the drywall. In the end you want ground tight to the yoke, you can also use small washers instead of a coil if the box is not flush with drywall.





Just grabbed fastest thing I could (outlet), but concept is the same.

Ooops pics are a little big, sorry.

Awesome photos - thanks!
The yoke of new switch is metal.
The boxes throughout house are all plastic.

If this was your house, would you ground each switch as illustrated in your pics?

tp

quote:

If this was your house, would you ground each switch as illustrated in your pics?

No. I would only do that in single switch locations. If two or more were present I would use the plate and plate screws to ground(assuming metal plates) and push the ground to back of the box.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

If this was your house, would you ground each switch as illustrated in your pics?

No. I would only do that in single switch locations. If two or more were present I would use the plate and plate screws to ground(assuming metal plates) and push the ground to back of the box.

Understood...
I think.

Please advise "plate and plate screws to ground (assuming metal plates)"

E-mail sent with 4 photos.

And I owe you dinner and beverages.

tp

If you are installing one switch with a ground screw on it and using metal plate for the cover I would just tuck the three grounds in the back.

The "standard" switch will ground the plate, the plate will then ground the timers by the metal plate screws. If you are using a plastic plate, use the method in the above pictures I posted. There is no harm in doing all three as I illustrated though.

Is the box picture you sent going to be the only location with timers?

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
If you are installing one switch with a ground screw on it and using metal plate for the cover I would just tuck the three grounds in the back.

The "standard" switch will ground the plate, the plate will then ground the timers by the metal plate screws. If you are using a plastic plate, use the method in the above pictures I posted. There is no harm in doing all three as I illustrated though.

Is the box picture you sent going to be the only location with timers?

Plastic plate, so I'll do all three like you illustrated.
Three timers for the box in picture sent.
One timer each for two other locations that are two-switch (vs the 4-switch in my pic) boxes.

Thank you again for your guidance!!!

tp

quote:

Plastic plate

Yep do them all as pictured.

Good luck!

Note: move the white screw retainer behind the ground wire as I did with black one in above pic.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Plastic plate

Yep do them all as pictured.

Good luck!

Note: move the white screw retainer behind the ground wire as I did with black one in above pic.

10-4 on the ground wire behind the white screw retainer.

tp

I see the switch in the picture has a green ground screw . Why not ground it there instead of the jerry rig wrap ?