I am installing the timer for a whole house fan. I hooked red up to load, black to hot and white to neutral per instructions...confirmed with meter....the timer does not seem to work..I can turn on and off via the toggle/manual as well as the timer, but the timer does not count down to shut off automatically...this is the second timer I have tried.

The white wire is used to power electronics inside timer:

Single pole switch has two insulated wires.
Remove both insulated wires from switch.

Timer black connects to one of the insulated switch wires, or to Hot wire from breaker
Timer red connects to the other insulated switch wire, or to Load wire going to fan, light, motor.
Timer white connects to Neutral wire from breaker box. Neutrals are white wires that are twisted together and pushed to back of box.
If box does not have Neutral wires, then connect timer white wire to bare ground wire.
Timer green connects to bare ground.

Turn power on, and check if timer is working. If timer is not working, then reverse timer black and timer red wires.
This wiring information has been tested and is accurate.
If timer does not function correctly with correct wiring, then move timer to another location to see if timer is defective, if timer does not work on specific Load, then noise or interference on line can be suspect. Also check ratings for timer and compare with Load ratings.

If you have countdown timer connected to whole house motor/fan, then horsepower rating is important consideration. If timer is rated 1/6 HP and whole house fan is 1/2 HP, then timer will not work.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Countdown-timer-horsepower-ratings.html

Electrician test wiring before connecting anything.
First of all, you don't mention what type of switch was replaced.

1) Leviton 6230 countdown timer is made to replace single-pole light switch only.
Single pole is where 1 switch controls the Load (light fan motor)

Your wiring sounds like 3-way switch.
3-way is where 2 switches control same Load.
For example a hallway usually has 3-way switches.

To confirm. If old switch has 1 dark screw, 2 brass screws, and 1 green screw, then that is 3-way switch. Use Leviton LTB15, LTB30, LTB60, LTB02, LTB12 countdown timer for 3-way.
Smarthome sells product and shows .pdf manual
http://www.smarthome.com/4255/Leviton-LTB60-1LZ-4-Button-10-20-30-60-Minute-Countdown-Timer-Switch/p.aspx


2) If old switch has 2 brass screws and 1 green screw then that is single-pole switch.

3) If you are replacing single-pole switch, here are testing & wiring instructions for Leviton timer.
Remove device and separate wires for testing.
Use ordinary two wire tester.
Tape tester leads to wood sticks so hands are away from power.
Do not untwist wires that were twisted together before you started.
Turn on power.
Test each wire to bare ground wire.
Tester lights up on Hot wire. This wire will connect to timer black wire.
Now you know Hot wire.
Test Hot wire to each of the other wires, excluding bare ground wire.
Tester lights up on neutral. Timer white wire connects to Neutral wire.
If box does not contain Neutral wire, then timer white wire connects to bare ground.

Timer green wire connects to bare ground wire.
Timer red wire connects to wire going to Load.

The timer is wired differently than the old spring-loaded timer.
This is because the timer has an electronic clock instead of a spring.
The electronic clock needs power just like an alarm clock.
The white wire powers the clock.

Here's the wiring.
Black-timer wire connects to Hot-wire-from-breaker
Red-timer connects to Load (attic fan)
White-timer connects to white Neutral
In absence of a Neutral, connect white-timer to bare ground.

If you have your black-timer and red-timer wires reversed, it might cause the symptoms you describe.
Simply reverse the black-timer and red-timer.

If you want to test your wires to make certain:
Remove timer.
Separate wires for testing.
Turn on power.
Use ordinary tester.
Tape tester leads to wood sticks to keep hands away.
Power is ON.
Test each wire to bare ground wire.
When tester lights up, that is hot-wire-from-breaker.
Now test hot-wire to each of the other wires (except ground)
When tester lights up, that is Neutral
Not every switch box will has a Neutral
In that case white-timer connects to ground

You posted under ST01C timer which has 3 wires: black blue and red (no white wire)
Your description seems to say your timer has 3 wires: black white and red

These are two different timers
I'm going to give you two different instructions that are dead-accurate for both types of timers above:

1) Instructions for ST01C and EJ500 Intermatic timers with black blue and red
Lets do the black and white with electricity:
The black Hot wire connects to Timer-black-wire
The white Neutral wire connects to white wire going to Load (to lights)

Now the black and white to the Load (lights)
The black to Load (to light) connects to Timer-blue-wire
The white wires are connected together with wire nut

The red wire is capped off, and used only if you have 3-way switching.
Green connects to bare ground

2) Instructions for all in-wall timers with black, red and white wires (except Aube series timers)
Lets do the black and white from electricity
The black Hot wire connects to Timer-black-wire
The white Neutral connects to Timer-white-wire and to white wire going to Load

Now the black and white to the Load
The black wire to Load connects to Timer-red-wire
all three white wires are connected and covered with wire nut
Green connects to bare ground

DO NOT CONNECT RED TO WHITE with any model in-wall timer and then turn on power or it can blow out the timer >>> I just did that while experimenting with the Utilitec 0192773.
Red wire goes to Load on all timers, except with Intermatic ST01C and EJ500

Tork 1103 is mechanical timer with 125V 3 watt clock motor
Dial on front face rotates when clock has voltage
Dark and light colored pins connected to dial, and turn timer on and off
There is removable brass bar that connects poles L and 1

You have 4 wires:
Red >>> I'm not sure about this wire, is this Hot wire coming from tandem breaker?
Black >>> this is Hot wire coming from tandem breaker
White >>> this is Neutral wire
Bare ground

Test wires:
Please test Black and Red to bare ground to see if these are both Hot
Test Hots to white to confirm this is Neutral
Solution ASSUMES black and red are both Hot, and white is Neutral

You have 2 problems:
Prob 1) Clock does not rotate dial: so clock is bad -or- clock not wired correctly
Prob 2) You are able to control 4 plugs using manual override, which means load wires are correct
However, you want to wire timer 'without red wire' (which is confusing, since red wires are connected to outlets)


Solution Prob 1:
1) The diagram show the N or Neutral wire is connected to Unmarked pole on timer
2) Black Hot has to be connected to pole L
3) Unmarked pole and pole L must be wired with 120V as shown before dial will rotate
4) If wiring is correct and dial does not rotate, then clock motor is bad
5) If dial rotates, check outer rim of dial to see if you have dark and light pins for on-off functions
6) Notice that all the Neutrals connect on Unmarked pole

Solution Prob2:
Are you saying that the household wiring extends beyond the 4 plugs, so when you turn off the 4 plugs, it also turns off more plugs and switches farther down the line? If so, you need to wire plugs with separate hot wire.
Let me review features on timer which might help:
1) There is removable brass bar between poles L and 1
2) If brass bar is removed, then you need Hot wires on both L and 1... but you can jumper between L and 1 with short black wire
3) If brass bar is there, then one Hot connected to either L or 1 will power both clock and load.
4) Timer is DPST double pole single throw ... so you can control 2 different loads ... one load connects to Unmarked pole and pole X ... another load connects to Unmarked pole and pole 2

If brass bar is removed:
Jumper between poles L and 1 ... so only one Hot wire is used on your timer.

Below shows jumper on poles L & 1: hot to load is on pole 2

EJ341 has 2 wires

Review:
Black goes to Hot wire from breaker box
Red wire goes to Load (light, fan, motor)
White wire goes to Neutral
Green to bare copper ground wire

Orientation:
Your original switch had 2 wires plus bare ground.
One of these wires is Hot, the other goes to Load.
You said original wires are Red and Black

How do you find Hot wire?
-Your original switch had 2 wires.
-Remove timer from box.
-Pull original 2 wires out where you can test them
-Turn on power
-Use regular tester
-Tape tester leads to wood sticks so your hands stay away from voltage
-Power is on
-Test each original wire to bare ground wire
-When tester lights up, that is Hot wire ... this wire connects to Black wire on timer
- The other wire goes to Load so it connects to Red wire on timer

How to test for Neutral wire
Test Hot wire to your white wires - No need to untwist them.
When tester lights up, that is Neutral
White wire from timer connects to Neutral.
Green goes to ground wire.

How to reset timer
I'm not sure which timer you have. Probably GE 15086. Reset is small round button below HOUR button. Use paper clip and push-in reset until timer flashes 12 o'clock.

OK, your new switch will require the use of a neutral wire. So you will have to do what is called a pigtail. You will have to twist another white wire in with your other white wires to attach your neutrals to your switch. Note: white wires are called neutral not common. Hook the wires that were originally hooked up to your LINE to your HOT (Black) on your new timer, and the what was originally LOAD up to the new timer LOAD. SO as far as wiring all that will change is your white wires that need to attach to your timer NEUTRAL.

The usual connection for this type timer is the house black power to the timer black, the house white power to the timer white and the , the light black wire to the red timer wire.
If you only have two wires, one black and one white, at the switch location, then you cannot use this style timer , as it needs a neutral. You should return this timer and get one that does not require a neutral connection.

Please Vote !!

I just bought one today and installed it. It does the same thing - flashes the lights off and on. After some research on the net, it seems that the problem is that an old house is wired with two pole wiring and the new fixtures, (timers included) are 3 pole. The conclusion I have found is that it will not work in a 2 pole wired house. There supposedlly are timers available for 2 pole wiring. I hope this helps. If you find out anything different, please let me know.