Bathroom fan timer install

I pulled out the old fan switch to find what you see in the picture, and am not sure how to rig this wiring to new fan timer unit. As a novice, I'm not familiar with the what looks to be preinstalled hot/black lines running into the cable behind the unit. Is it as simple as cutting these, stripping and connecting them to the red and the black of the new unit, and leaving the rest as is?

 

What is model number of that timer?

Without looking the manual, I cannot be 100% sure, but from what I see you should wire as following.

White to White wire. (undo wire nut and add white wire form timer)
Green to Copper wire (ground)
Red to black wire going to the fan.
Black to black wire that supplies power.
I cannot tell which black wire is which from the picture. You will have to test with multimeter or non-contact tester.
With switch off, find which side is hot. That will be your power and the other one is wire from the fan.

One problem I see in the picture is it appears none of the switches are grounded. There is no ground wire going to the switch you pulled, and switch next to it does not have ground connected either.

They have to be grounded to be safe.

 

Thanks. I hadn't seen blacks attached this way to the back of a switch before. They weren't screwed on or anything else, looked like more of an internal permanent set up. If I have to cut, I'll cut, will take a closer look soon.

 

If it's as simple as connecting copper to green on switch which I understood is standard procedure, any guess why previous electrician/person have configured this way beyond ignorance?

 

That switch was connected with what's known as back stabs. Approx 5/8" of insulation is removed from the wire and then the bare wire is pushed into the holes and is held captive there.

You can hold the switch and using a slight twisting motion..... pull the wires out one at a time.
Or.... looking at the picture.... the red circle is the wire. The blue line is where you can insert a small screwdriver to release the wire.

 

Those are backstabs. We advise not to use them because they are less reliable then the screws. There is a slot you insert a jeweler's flat tip screwdriver or a 4d nail to release the wire but cutting is good too. No, greed. Here some contractors hire day labors to do the install and pay them by the device. Back stabs are quicker and wraping a wire around a screw significantly impacts the number of devices they can do and thus their pay for the day.

Dang! Once again Pete types faster.

 

We work well together Ray.