![]() ![]() With one of these smart switches, the existing wall switch does not need to be changed and will continue to work. So, if you don’t have a neutral at the switch, you can use one of these compact smart switches installed at the light fixture. There are several compact smart relay switches which can fit inside electrical boxes and light fixtures. Therefore, if there’s no neutral in your switch box, the light fixture will have one. In any installation, either the light switch or the light fixture MUST have a neutral wire. Install a smart relay switch at the light fixture ![]() But manufacturers responded to demand, and now there’s a handful of good ones available. When smart switches first came out, it was hard to find a good “no neutral” switch. Buy a smart switch that works with no neutral If you want smart control of your lighting, and your home has switch boxes with no neutral, you have 4 options: 1. The third wire should be the earth ground wire and is usually colored green or bare wire.įour ways to fix the “no neutral” problem They will usually be colored one black and one white (potentially with black stripe or marked with black electrical tape). Two of the wires will be the current carrying wires that power the light. You should be able to install any smart switch.Ī switch box with no neutral will usually only have three wires (see image below). If you open your switch box and you see two white wires joined with a wire nut (not connected to the switch), you can be fairly sure your switch has a neutral wire. And if the Shelly app isn’t good enough for you, you can go “full geek” and install custom firmware. You can set the relay to work with an existing toggle switch, momentary switch, or even 3-way switches. Additionally, the Shelly app is quite versatile. You can choose to use them with cloud integrations or without (local control only). The Shelly products are WiFi so you won’t need another hub. Since the Shelly is installed with a neutral, you don’t need to worry about needing a bypass for small loads. You can keep your existing wall switch(es). If you don’t have a neutral at the switch, then you will have a neutral at the load (light fixture).Therefore, you install the relay in the light fixture box where there is a neutral. It includes all the great features of the Caséta line, but features a more standard looking rocker style switch. To address those problems, Lutron created the Lutron Caséta Diva smart switch ( check price). It’s a non-standard look, and the buttons are flush with the surface which doesn’t provide great tactile feedback. Lastly, some people are not big fans of the button layout on the Caséta switches. The Lutron Caséta on/off switch (product number: PD-6ANS) WILL NOT work with no neutral. If you don’t already have the hub, you can save a little money by buying a starter kit bundle which includes the Lutron hub along with a couple dimmer switches.Īlso for no neutral circuits, make sure you get the Lutron Caséta dimmerswitch (product number: PD-6WCL). In addition to each switch being relatively expensive, you also need to purchase a Lutron Caséta Smart Hub. However, the Lutron switches are some of the most expensive smart switches. Even with LED bulbs (must be marked as dimmable), the lights can be dimmed to almost nothing. Not all dimmers are created equal, and Lutron’s dimming performance is exceptional. I’ve tested a number of other smart switches, and Lutron is the only one that has NEVER failed me. I’ve been using Lutron Caséta switches for over 3 years, and I don’t remember a single time when I pressed the button and the light didn’t come on. If reliability is what you’re looking for, then look no further. Therefore, if your electrical box lacks a ground wire too, those switches won’t work for you. Some of the no neutral smart switches require a ground wire. Typically, the manufacturer will list the minimum power required for the switch to operate effectively, and at what point the bypass will be required. This potentially adds an additional cost and an additional step in the installation process. Some no neutral smart switches require an additional part (usually called a bypass resistor or capacitor) in order to work with low power lights. ![]() However in no neutral mode, the power monitoring feature does not work. For example, the Inovelli switches have a power monitoring feature that works when a neutral is connected. When using them in no neutral mode, some features may not work. Some of these smart switches can work with, or without a neutral. In addition to all the normal deciding factors for a smart switch, some additional things to watch out for when buying a no neutral smart switch are as follows: Limited features When buying any smart switch or dimmer, you are probably looking for the right look, the right wireless protocol, and the right price. What to look for when buying a no neutral smart switch? ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |