Intermatic timer

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Nyc10036
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Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

I have an Intermatic E1500 in the downstairs bathroom.
https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-EI500 ... B003A3WUU2

It has gone completely dark.
Not sure when it happened as we don't use it.
One of the Amazon reviews mentions a backup battery which is apparently not replaceable.

Is the reason it is completely non-functional because a wire came loose
or does the backup battery having anything to do with it?
EagertoLearnMore
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by EagertoLearnMore »

Based on your link, batteries are required and probably need to be replaced.

included Components EI500WC
Batteries Included? Yes
Batteries Required? Yes

I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

Thanks.

It looks like the Honeywell one would be a better choice.
bob60014
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by bob60014 »

Likely the battery but, did you try the reset button to bring it to factory settings?
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

I shouldn't have to ask this, but...

Did you check the breaker?

That timer replaces a switch.

Those that are telling you to replace a battery don't understand the timer. It has a battery BACKUP. Backup means that if the power fails, the battery kicks in. Therefore, if the battery is dead, but power is on, the timer works fine. This battery is rechargeable and non-replaceable, easily found on the Intermatic site - https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... rs/ei500wc

Wires don't just "come loose".

$10 bucks the breaker blew.
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

RickBoglehead wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:16 pm I shouldn't have to ask this, but...

Did you check the breaker?

That timer replaces a switch.

Those that are telling you to replace a battery don't understand the timer. It has a battery BACKUP. Backup means that if the power fails, the battery kicks in. Therefore, if the battery is dead, but power is on, the timer works fine. This battery is rechargeable and non-replaceable, easily found on the Intermatic site - https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... rs/ei500wc

Wires don't just "come loose".

$10 bucks the breaker blew.
The Intermatic is the third switch in a set of three that are side by side.
3 gang wallplate Image
The other two switches turn on the light over the vanity and the light in the shower stall.
I expected some "life" from the Intermatic, but it is completely unresponsive.
No display whatsoever.
The other two regular switches work.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

Nyc10036 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:25 pm
RickBoglehead wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:16 pm I shouldn't have to ask this, but...

Did you check the breaker?

That timer replaces a switch.

Those that are telling you to replace a battery don't understand the timer. It has a battery BACKUP. Backup means that if the power fails, the battery kicks in. Therefore, if the battery is dead, but power is on, the timer works fine. This battery is rechargeable and non-replaceable, easily found on the Intermatic site - https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... rs/ei500wc

Wires don't just "come loose".

$10 bucks the breaker blew.
The Intermatic is the third switch in a set of three that are side by side.
3 gang wallplate Image
The other two switches turn on the light over the vanity and the light in the shower stall.
I expected some "life" from the Intermatic, but it is completely unresponsive.
No display whatsoever.
The other two regular switches work.
So the timer powers what?
3 switched in a box could have different sources of power and different breakers (IANAE)
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EagertoLearnMore
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by EagertoLearnMore »

This is the brand I have found reliable. Easier to program than Intermatic also.

ENERLITES - HET01-C-W Programmable Digital Timer Switch for Lights, Fans, Motors, 7-Day 18 ON/OFF Timer Settings, Single Pole, Neutral Wire Required, UL Listed, HET01-C, White

Various models on Amazon.
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

RickBoglehead wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:30 pm
Nyc10036 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:25 pm
RickBoglehead wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:16 pm I shouldn't have to ask this, but...

Did you check the breaker?

That timer replaces a switch.

Those that are telling you to replace a battery don't understand the timer. It has a battery BACKUP. Backup means that if the power fails, the battery kicks in. Therefore, if the battery is dead, but power is on, the timer works fine. This battery is rechargeable and non-replaceable, easily found on the Intermatic site - https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... rs/ei500wc

Wires don't just "come loose".

$10 bucks the breaker blew.
The Intermatic is the third switch in a set of three that are side by side.
3 gang wallplate Image
The other two switches turn on the light over the vanity and the light in the shower stall.
I expected some "life" from the Intermatic, but it is completely unresponsive.
No display whatsoever.
The other two regular switches work.
So the timer powers what?
3 switched in a box could have different sources of power and different breakers (IANAE)
But there isn't a separate breaker for just that switch.
The circuit breakers in fuse box are all accounted for.
I know that the Intermatic worked once, but I don't use it.
It turns on/off heat lamp in the ceiling (I think).


.
Last edited by Nyc10036 on Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:31 pm This is the brand I have found reliable. Easier to program than Intermatic also.

ENERLITES - HET01-C-W Programmable Digital Timer Switch for Lights, Fans, Motors, 7-Day 18 ON/OFF Timer Settings, Single Pole, Neutral Wire Required, UL Listed, HET01-C, White

Various models on Amazon.
Thanks.
I will keep in mind.
sport
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by sport »

EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:39 pm
I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
I have one like this. It has been used daily for 15 years. It still works like new. https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... mers/fd2hw
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

sport wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:34 pm
EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:39 pm
I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
I have one like this. It has been used daily for 15 years. It still works like new. https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... mers/fd2hw
I wonder if the ones they sell now are as good as the ones from 15 years ago.
That's the problem with things these days.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

Nyc10036 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:33 pm
But there isn't a separate breaker for just that switch.
The circuit breakers in fuse box are all accounted for.
I know that the Intermatic worked once, but I don't use it.
It turns on/off heat lamp in the ceiling (I think).


.
That makes no sense. The timer you linked to is a 7 day timer. It would be used for example to turn on your foyer lights every day at sunset and keep them on till midnight.

A bathroom heatlamp timer would be used to turn in a heatlamp and then say 10 or 15 minutes later turn it off. Most of those look like this Image or this Image

Sounds like you need an electrician to figure out what you have and why it is not working.

So you found a breaker for the heatlamp?
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Watty
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Watty »

One other thing to check for is if there is a GFC outlet on that circuit that has been tripped. That could be anywhere in the circuit like in a different bathroom.
123
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by 123 »

If you get nothing on the display there's a good chance the unit had an internal failure of some kind.

You may want to confirm the problem is with the switch by replacing the heat lamp bulb with a known good bulb (doesn't have to be a heat lamp bulb but it has to be able to fit the socket) and see if the on/off feature of the switch works. A bulb can fail in the base so they don't always fail with power on.

If you don't use the timer features it might be better to replace the timer with a regular switch.

As another poster noted it seems unusual to use the linked switch as a timer for a heat lamp, unless someone wanted to warm up the bathroom, perhaps in the morning before getting up.
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by GrowthObsessed »

Guys this isn't rocket science. The timer died. Doesn't matter what's connected to it or if whatever is connected to it even works. The timer is dead, period.

Replace the timer. End of story. It also doesn't matter that it's "strange" that a 7 day timer is there. Any previous homeowner could have installed it because they wanted it for whatever reason, thought it would be useful, was the only one available at the time in their local store, was the only timer compatible with the electric system or what it was going to control, etc.. who knows why and doesn't matter. It was there, it's dead, now it can be changed to a regular timer.

Turn off your breaker, verify that the switch is connected to that breaker and has no power, and install new timer one wire at a time in the same configuration as the old timer.

However, this is only general advice for a DIYer with some general knowledge of electricity. You think it controls a heat lamp but aren't sure doesn't inspire confidence in suggesting to DIY anything.

Also since it might be used to control a HEAT lamp, do not use a regular switch. If you forget to turn off the HEAT lamp while you're gone for 8,9,10,12 hours............ use a timer switch.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

Watty wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:55 pm One other thing to check for is if there is a GFC outlet on that circuit that has been tripped. That could be anywhere in the circuit like in a different bathroom.
Right.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by lazydavid »

EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:39 pm I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
Agreed, I had an intermatic timer switch for our front lights that almost never worked properly. Would be ok for a week or two, then would turn lights on/off on a totally random schedule--check the programmed schedule and it still claimed to be correct (and of course the time was right).

Eventually I smashed it with a hammer and replaced it with a smart switch and set routines in the app. It works perfectly 100% of the time.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

Thanks all for the insights.

Since I will be hiring an electrician to replace the three outdoor lights when I sell my house I will have him replace this broken timer as well.

.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

lazydavid wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:25 pm
EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:39 pm I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
Agreed, I had an intermatic timer switch for our front lights that almost never worked properly. Would be ok for a week or two, then would turn lights on/off on a totally random schedule--check the programmed schedule and it still claimed to be correct (and of course the time was right).

Eventually I smashed it with a hammer and replaced it with a smart switch and set routines in the app. It works perfectly 100% of the time.
Ours has been running the foyer lights for 16 years. Two twist timers in bathrooms, also Intermatic, 16 years. Outdoor landscape light transformers too...
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Vanguard Fan 1367 »

Watty wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:55 pm One other thing to check for is if there is a GFC outlet on that circuit that has been tripped. That could be anywhere in the circuit like in a different bathroom.
Took me a while and some effort to finally find the tripped GFC outlet in my new to me house.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by lazydavid »

RickBoglehead wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:54 pm Ours has been running the foyer lights for 16 years. Two twist timers in bathrooms, also Intermatic, 16 years. Outdoor landscape light transformers too...
I've never had a problem with their twist timers, or their outdoor (120V or low-voltage) rotary units. But their electronic programmable ones are absolute garbage in my experience. This is not the first thread on here where people other than myself have had problems specifically with their digital timers.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

I finally got around to buying a replacement for the Intermatic timer that broke.

I bought an Eaton from Lowe's.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-Digital- ... 1002943550
This Eaton timer does not require a neutral wire.

Is this going to be a problem?

Should I buy one that does require a neutral wire?
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by BuddyJet »

Nyc10036 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:36 pm
sport wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:34 pm
EagertoLearnMore wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:39 pm
I have not had much success with Intermatic timers as they seem to fail before they should. Just replace it with a new timer.
I have one like this. It has been used daily for 15 years. It still works like new. https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... mers/fd2hw
I wonder if the ones they sell now are as good as the ones from 15 years ago.
That's the problem with things these days.

I have a dozen or so of these Intermatic timers in various houses. Never had a failure in 15 years other than needing to replace CR2 battery every five years.

https://www.intermatic.com/en/in-wall-c ... rs/ei600wc

I don’t like models with built in batteries since they lose programming after a long power outage.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RetiredAL »

Nyc10036 wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:38 pm I finally got around to buying a replacement for the Intermatic timer that broke.

I bought an Eaton from Lowe's.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-Digital- ... 1002943550
This Eaton timer does not require a neutral wire.

Is this going to be a problem? -- No --

Should I buy one that does require a neutral wire?
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by GrowthSeeker »

+1 for the idea it could be a GFI on one of the outlets in the bathroom that is on
the same circuit. Test if any outlets in the room are not working, if not press the reset button until it clicks
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

GrowthSeeker wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:14 pm +1 for the idea it could be a GFI on one of the outlets in the bathroom that is on
the same circuit. Test if any outlets in the room are not working, if not press the reset button until it clicks
It was not a GFI trip.

I ended up going to Home Depot today and buying a rocker switch similar to the other ones in the house.
There is no point in having a $20 timer for the downstairs bathroom when the fans in the upstairs bathrooms don't have a timer.
I removed the broken Intermatic timer and replaced it with the rocker switch for a simple on/off.
The exhaust fan now works again.

I will be returning the Eaton timer I bought at Lowe's.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by dratkinson »

Late to the party.

I had a switched bath vent... and was always forgetting to turn it off.

Swapped it out for a simple electronic model (first picture in RickBoglehead's reply) and it has worked well. No problems noted.

I was so happy with simple electronic bath vent timer that I swapped out my spring-wound attic fan timer (would sometimes stick and not turn off attic fan) for a similar 1-2-4-8 hour electronic timer. (Quibble. Wish electronic timer could be set for smaller increments: 15min increments from 0-12hrs---15min to vent cooking odors, 9hrs so I can start at 10PM and off at 7AM.)



OP. Your original electronic switch was much too complicated for it's intended use. So your switch is much simpler. The problem is in remembering to turn it off. Why? You typically want a bath vent fan to continue running for a few minutes after you leave the bath... so remembering to go back and turn it off is where the forgetting comes in.

If you find you are forgetting to turn off the switch to your bath vent fan, go back and buy the simple electronic model. Put them on all of your bath vent fans. I believe you'll be happy you did.
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

dratkinson wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 5:30 pm OP. Your original electronic switch was much too complicated for it's intended use. So your switch is much simpler. The problem is in remembering to turn it off. Why? You typically want a bath vent fan to continue running for a few minutes after you leave the bath... so remembering to go back and turn it off is where the forgetting comes in.

If you find you are forgetting to turn off the switch to your bath vent fan, go back and buy the simple electronic model. Put them on all of your bath vent fans. I believe you'll be happy you did.
I see your point about having a simple timer, but I don't want to re-do it again.
The wires were very difficult to work with.
I am not sure what gauge wire but they were single strand.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by RickBoglehead »

Nyc10036 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:43 pm
dratkinson wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 5:30 pm OP. Your original electronic switch was much too complicated for it's intended use. So your switch is much simpler. The problem is in remembering to turn it off. Why? You typically want a bath vent fan to continue running for a few minutes after you leave the bath... so remembering to go back and turn it off is where the forgetting comes in.

If you find you are forgetting to turn off the switch to your bath vent fan, go back and buy the simple electronic model. Put them on all of your bath vent fans. I believe you'll be happy you did.
I see your point about having a simple timer, but I don't want to re-do it again.
The wires were very difficult to work with.
I am not sure what gauge wire but they were single strand.
They are supposed to be solid wires...
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Nyc10036
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by Nyc10036 »

RickBoglehead wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:28 pm
Nyc10036 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:43 pm
dratkinson wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 5:30 pm OP. Your original electronic switch was much too complicated for it's intended use. So your switch is much simpler. The problem is in remembering to turn it off. Why? You typically want a bath vent fan to continue running for a few minutes after you leave the bath... so remembering to go back and turn it off is where the forgetting comes in.

If you find you are forgetting to turn off the switch to your bath vent fan, go back and buy the simple electronic model. Put them on all of your bath vent fans. I believe you'll be happy you did.
I see your point about having a simple timer, but I don't want to re-do it again.
The wires were very difficult to work with.
I am not sure what gauge wire but they were single strand.
They are supposed to be solid wires...
The solid core wire was difficult to pull out, wrap around the new switch's screws, and push back into the electrical switch box.
Major PITA to work with.

.
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Re: Intermatic timer

Post by dratkinson »

Nyc10036 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:53 am
RickBoglehead wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:28 pm
Nyc10036 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:43 pm
dratkinson wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 5:30 pm OP. Your original electronic switch was much too complicated for it's intended use. So your switch is much simpler. The problem is in remembering to turn it off. Why? You typically want a bath vent fan to continue running for a few minutes after you leave the bath... so remembering to go back and turn it off is where the forgetting comes in.

If you find you are forgetting to turn off the switch to your bath vent fan, go back and buy the simple electronic model. Put them on all of your bath vent fans. I believe you'll be happy you did.
I see your point about having a simple timer, but I don't want to re-do it again.
The wires were very difficult to work with.
I am not sure what gauge wire but they were single strand.
They are supposed to be solid wires...
The solid core wire was difficult to pull out, wrap around the new switch's screws, and push back into the electrical switch box.
Major PITA to work with.

.
My spring-wound Dayton attic fan switch was flaky and sometimes would stop counting down--not turn off the fan. Assumed the internals were going bad (switch was >50yrs old). So though I'd replace it with a newer spring-wound switch as that seemed to be the simplest idea.

Bought a new spring-wound switch (HD) and tested it on a table top for several days to ensure it would count down to zero. It worked well so installed it. Long story short. It failed when installed. I'm guessing the pressure on the case from forcing the wires back into the box distorted the case enough to cause binding in the internal gears. That's when I went I changed to an electronic attic fan countdown timer as it should not care about case binding; worked well.

My finished product looks like this, but assembled it from individual pieces (HD: timer, high/low switch, switch plate) to save money.
Image
Source: https://www.ecomfort.com/QuietCool-IT-KIT-2/p97809.html


Getting solid wires back into electric box. I've learned you can't force a switch/wires into a box. Instead, you must collapse the wire into the box. This is by...
--(first) force the excess wire into the bottom/sides of the box, one wire at a time, until you have only short leads remaining connecting to the switch... while leaving a small space for the remaining wires attached to the switch.
--Then shape the remaining short wires attached to the switch into a "Z" or "V" shape, so when you push the switch into position, the Z/V-shaped wires will collapse at the folds, into the space you left for them.

That's the only solution I've come up with to get solid wires into the box.

I seem to remember that the size of the box is determined by the number of wires/switches you intend it to hold. So if you want to add a switch into a box that is already being used as a junction box for another circuit (has additional wires to feed a 2nd bath lights/outlets), then you may need to replace the box with a larger size.

Search: https://www.google.com/search?q=number+ ... trical+box


Bending solid wire. I use a small pair of needle nose pliers to bend solid wire; works well. Grab the tip of the wire with the pliers, roll your wrist to twist wire around the tip of the pliers, and the resulting hook is about the correct size for a screw terminal.
--The open end of the wire hook should be on the right under the screw head (righty tighty...).
--If you flatten hook so it's in the plane of the screw, the wire will fight you less.
--May need to flatten hook a little so it fits into the captive wire slot under the screw head.
d.r.a., not dr.a. | I'm a novice investor; you are forewarned.
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