Question: This outlet is two rocker switches. Left controls my bathroom light (4), right controls my bathroom fan (3). I am trying to install a timer switch so the fan is only on for ~30 min at a time.

The instructions insist a neutral wire is connected to the switch.

My house was built in the late 60s. Many of the wires have paint on them which makes things difficult.

The wire nut under (1) contains wires which come from the wall and don't connect to the existing switches. They are an egg-cream color which I believe is white + age. All the other white looking wires are black wires that have paint on them. I think what's going on with the wire nut in 2 is that the hot line from the wall is joined with two other small wires, one for each switch.

My thought is that (1) is the neutral wire, and I should undo the existing wire nut, add an additional wire which will goto my new switch as a neutral, then wire nut them all together.

Is that correct? Is there anything else I can do to verify this? What's the risk if I'm wrong?

(note 3 is the actual timer switch, once I realized I didn't know what the neutral was I took the pictures and then put it back how it started)

(edit: additional note, this bathroom has a small room for shower/toilet, where this picture is, connected to the area with two sinks... basically the other side of the wall in the same position is a gfci outlet by the sink)

[![Wiring Picture](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ripze.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ripze.jpg)

Answer: 
Yes, #1 is your group of neutrals and you would need to pigtail into that connector with a piece #14. Naturally, you want to shut off the breaker before doing any work. You're going to have to be careful arranging the existing wires so you can get the new timer switch into the box, and even then, you might need to add a box extender.
I believe that up until the NEC 2017 version, neutral conductors were not required in a box with switches in it. So the only reason there would be a neutral present would be if the circuit fed through the box. From what we can see of the box, it appears that the lighting circuits are fed to the light fixture first and the a line leg is sent down to the box and a switch leg is fed back to control the light. Since most NM comes with a white and a black conductor, white does not always indicate a neutral.

The bundle wires you have labeled 1, have a green wire nut on them. That would indicate that they are a ground. Then again it could be the neutrals with an incorrect wirenut on them.

So unless you can use a voltmeter to find 120V power between a line side conductor and another conductor other than the ground wires or verify that the #1 bundle are the neutrals. I would guess that there is no neutral in the box.

Good luck