Mechanical Timer Not Toggling Power On And Off

HI all,



I have a rain barrel system with a pump (110v) and I ran a 3way switch to my patio and one by the pump (in a shed).  My wife now wants the pump on a timer (to water the garden).



So...I could just add a timer to the switched outlet, but I want to be able to override the timer with the switch (at the patio or shed), without interfering with the pump timer operation.



I've drawn up a diagram showing my proposed setup.



Question: can I rig up the pump with two power cords and plug one into the timed outlet and one into the switched outlet and not burn down my shed in the process?




      

Hi,



I need some help connecting a programmable electronic timer switch to an electronic door lock.  My goal is for the door to only unlock during a set period of time (when the timer is in the "on" position).



I have found two locks that I think may work, I just have no idea what wires to connect to what.



I attached three pictures.  Two of them are of the electronic timer (two different versions), and one is of the locking mechanism. 



Any help is greatly appreciated.
      

I installed an Intermatic brand programmable timer switch to operate some outside house lights (2 CFLs, total 30 watts). The thing worked for a few months and then became non-operational. I just realized that the sticker on the back of the timer switch states "max load ratings: 15 amp, 120 vac", and the circuit I installed it on is 20 amps. Is this why the switched failed? If so, why did it work for a few months? I thought 'load' was the amount of power needed to operate whatever is downstream of the switch, in this case my outside lights, which is under one amp?



Thanks!
      

I am trying to install a SunSmart Digital Timer to my hall lightswitch (single pole). The timer has 5 wires: Black, White, Blue, Red, and Green. My switch box only has 3 wires: Black, White, and the bare ground wire. I connected the black to the black, white to white, and green to the bare ground. I have power to the timer but the light doesn't work. What should I do with the blue and red wires? Right now I have each capped off. Thanks.
      

We are in the process of redoing the area around our pool. As part of this we are adding a pool house and hot tub (separate from pool).



I have a couple Elecrtical Contractors coming out this weekend to price/put together a plan. Along with talking to several indivuals, I've been lurking around reading and trying to gather info but feel the need to have as much info available prior to getting these estimates and plans. Please excuse any incorrect verbage i might use and appreciate any corrections to my terminoligy



So this is what i have 



The pool house is approx 100 ft from the house.

It will have a few and outlets for blenders, minifridge, tv etc

the pool equipement consites of a pump, heater and a sand filter. The pump and current heater run off standard 110 lines (however if i upgrade this I dont know if the new one will require a 220 line



The pool light seems to run off a standard line as well



The hottub requires a 220 40amp line



There will be landscaping lighting as well as 2 more outlets for accesories



The original setup prior to last year had what looks like 6 or 8 guage (3 wire) directly buried about 6-8 inches under  ground. it was running what look to be two 20amp circuits from the main panel inside the house. This wire got split to two separate outlets near the pool. One went directly to the pool equipment and on directy to the pool light switch and some landscaping ighting.



With all the enhancements we are making i'm wondering what the best approach will be.



I assume a sub panel in the pool house that has one "main breaker" and has its own ground. Then one run to the pool equipment and one run to the hottub and a couple runs to the accesories i mentioned.



I have seen several replies on here where individuals talk about  "if they were doing the job this is how they would do it". Id be interested in some responses



What type of wire would be best to get it to the pool house

Does it run right from the main panel in the house?

Does direct burial make sense or shold i put it in conduit? I'm already digging a trench three feet deep for water and RG6 (which will be pushed thru conduit)



Any question i should make sure i ask the contractors?





Thanks in advance for any input
      

This is a bit beyond a DIY job, but some of you know that I just opened a new laundromat.  In doing so I took 10 dryers we had in storage for 2 years and installed them at the new location.  They are gas, but of course the controls are electric.  The fan motor is 240/208-120v.  The timer is 120v.  All the relays in the timers are 120, no transformers.  When we hooked everything up after two days of operation the customers complained that the time on the controls did not match their watch.  To our dismay the timers were counting down at twice the normal rate, ie. buy 6 minutes you only get 3 minutes.   This is crazy because all ten worked fine at the old location and now they are all counting down double time. 



I tinkered with the ground wire and even removed the ground to see if it would change.  Nothing.  I switched 120v hot phases and it solved the problem.  I rewired back to original and the problem returned.  I was stunned.  I then opened the sub panel and traded the two hot feeder wires from the main with each other to make the opposite phase and the problem on all ten dryers went away. 



We wired the building 120/208Y, 4 wire + ground.    Our old location was 240v delta 4 wire + ground.    Why would it do this?  I am really surprised this happened. I need to call the timer manufacturer because their engineer was stumped, also and had no idea why the timers were doing this.



What did we miss?



David
      

i have 3 switch sets in my house that are giving me absolute fits.



#1  kitchen switch, controls the light over the outside door




    Code:

   

3 sets of lines coming in,



line from the breaker panel (power)



line to the ceiling lights 



line to the outside porch light.

i cannot get this 3 line to work without tripping the breaker every time i turn the switch off



#2 bathroom switches




    Code:

   

power feed line



line to the light over the medicine cabinet



line to the second switch to control the exhaust fan.

same issue as the first set, flip the switch and trip the breaker (different breaker from the kitchen switch)



#3 living room switch and plug controlled via switch




    Code:

   

 power feed line



outside porch light line



line to wall switch to control the lower wall outlet

flip switch, trip breaker



the switches i have are "1 pole" am i using the wrong switches for this job?
      

I bought a Panasonic FV-13VKS3 vent fan. The fan is designed to run continuously at a preset lower level (e.g. 50CFM) that can then be elevated to its max level (130CFM) when switched on. When switched off, the fan has its own built-in, adjustable countdown timer that returns the fan back to the low setting.



What I would like to do is use a Leviton LTB30-1LZ to control the high fan level. For example, I would set the fan's built-in timer to 5 minutes. And when I switch on the LTB30 for 30 minutes, the fan will kick in to high mode for 30 minutes, then the LTB30 turns off and triggers the fan's built-in timer for an additional 5 minutes before returning to the low setting.



My question is, is this possible and how would I wire this?



Looking at the fan's wiring diagram, I think the two red wires from the fan would be used to switch the fan's built-in timer. But I'm unsure where to connect these two red wires onto the Leviton timer.
      

On my second floor with a High / Low switch and a timer hooked up to it.  The fan works fine on high and the timer works - but if I try to put it on low it stalls out.  I can hear it try to work - it sounds kind of like trying to get a car to turn over.  It starts up, spins for a second and stops and repeats that cycle until I turn it off or set it to high.  The fan was installed when I bought the house so I have no idea how old it is or its brand / model.



Does anyone know what might be causing the problems on low, is it still OK to run it on high, even with the issues on low and is this something that can be fixed easily or does it require special services - electrician or otherwise?
      

Getting ready to replace my well jet pump with a 240 volt model (currently I use a 120 volt pump. Currently I have a 20 amp, 120 volt circuit that runs from the house to the pump house about 60 feet. I use that circuit for the pump, a light and a receptacle. I want to replace that circuit with a 20 amp MWBC using 12/3 UF cable from the sub panel in my detached barn to the pump house (about 20 feet).



Question: Can I use 1/2" seal-tite to run from the sub panel to a a junction box prior to going underground with the 12/3 UF? The seal-tight run would be about 30". (I have a bunch of seal-tite, connectors and #12 THWN that I bought cheap at a storage unit auction.) The seal-tite would be run in the stud bay and along side the ceiling joist to get from one side of the barn to the other.



Question: Can I use an unfused air conditioning disconnect at the pump house to disconnect the 2 ungrounded conductors of the MWBC.



I can find nothing in the NEC that would bar either of these items, but I am a code novice.