I am trying to wire a digital time from one light switch to control two lamps outside my garage. There is another light switch right next to it that controls two lamps inside my garage. I tried to replace the switch this morning and could never get it to work. Attached is a picture of the wiring diagram at the switch. The switch I am trying to replace is on the left.

The Switch I am putting is is made by jascoproducts and is a model #15312. Here were the wiring instructins for it. I am confused about what to do with the red wire.

Good Football Afternoon,

Problem #1 with the switch on the left. The White wire coming from the feed is connected to Ground. You cannot do this anywhere but at the main panelboard or main disconnect switch.

Switches do not use Neutral (white). Switches only carry the ungrounded part of the circuit (hot). On a simple snap switch a "Switch Loop" is made by using the white wire (retasked as a ungrounded conductor) to connect to the supply line and feed the bottom of the switch. The re tasking is made by using electrical tape or a sharpie to color the conductor any color other than green, white or gray to signify that this is a hot conductor. The black conductor will then serve as the return to the fixture.

Starting at the left cable, it appears that you have one feed (red) and two black travelers or whoever wired this circuit, brought the feed into the circuit via red and did not use the neutral (white) so instead of capping it off as they should have, they grounded it.

On the handle of the switch can you see the words on/off imprinted or is the handle blank?

If this is a simple snap switch, you should see the words. If not, then this is a three way switch which, unfortunately brings a different set of problems for you. If this is a three way switch, then the two black wires are called travelers and they go to another switch. So that the switch can be operated from either of two locations. If this is a simple snap switch, there are to many wires coming to it.

In order to replace this switch, you must correctly identify the feed to the switch, bring the Neutral to the box.

The connections would be, Black on the new switch to feed wire. The White on the switch will connect to the re-routed White. Blue will supply power to the outside lights. Red will be unused (cap off) both wires. Green will connect to the bare copper wire.

At the lights, you must make sure the Black feed to the switch is correct and that it does not tie to the second switch.

You must also make sure that the White Neutral is the correct wire.

Under 2008 NEC code, Neutral was not required to be present at the switch outlet. Under 2011 NEC code it is now required. This change was mandated by the increasing number of speciality switches that required the presence of Neutral. When people did not have the neutral, they connect the Neutral from the switch to Ground which is forbidden by the NEC code.