Help from an electrician

[Valv]

I am installing an outdoor timer for my yard light, and the instructions are not very clear

Can you confirm my diagram (black wire and white wire)

I do need a jumper on the black wire from timer to COM, correct ?

[pikechaser]

If your going off the top diagram with a single power source, yes you need the jumper.

[Valv]

I fixed the picture, yes I am using the top diagram.

Thanks

[pikechaser]

yes you need a jumper..need to bring power to one side of the timer & the com terminal of the contacts.

[JohnMickish]

What I see in the diagram is that you put your incoming feed on the supply side.

Splice the white from the supply to your outside lights.

Hook a black wire to the NO (Normally Open) and run it to your lights.

So if your doing this in Romex you will have one 12-2 or 14-2 from your power source to the timer and one 12-2 or 14-2 from the timer to your lights. The white wires from each will be splice together and also go to the timer.

The dashed line you see on the diagram is internal (I bet it says that somewhere on the instruction sheet) It will bring power from your supply wires to one side of the NO contacts. When the timer says to turn on the lights, the contacts will close and it will supply power to the output side going to the lights. The neutral (white) is already spliced in.

Let me know if this dosen't make sense.

The reason I say that the dashed line is internal is that it is drawn in a different style than the other lines, and that is usually a tip off clue that it is internal. Of course, one way to find out if it is there or not is to put an ohm meter between the two terminals to see if you have continuity. If yes, then no jumper is needed, if no continuity is there then you need to add the jumper.

[BobT]

That's how I interpret it.

[Valv]

Thanks guys, it worked great !!