For the vast majority of the smart light switches, they do need a neutral wire as the pre-requisite to function. However, you will be glad to know that there are few smart switches I have reviewed below that don’t demand a neutral wire connection attached and can work without it.
Do you need a neutral wire for a light switch?
You do not need a neutral wire for a light switch as it only requires one live wire plus one switched live wire plus one earth wire (CPC Conductor). In the UK we use the following wiring colours: Brown for Live (Phase), Blue for Neutral and Green and Yellow combined for Earth.
Do all smart light switches need a neutral wire?
The neutral wire allows the circuit to be completed and the switch to be powered on. This is true even when you have a smart light switch in the “off” position. The majority of smart light switches on the market do require a neutral wire, but there are some that don’t.
Is there a neutral wire in this light switch?
The light switch has three wires. The white is also known as the neutral wire, and this wire connects with the silver screw. The black or sometimes red wire, also known as the hot wire, goes into the brass screw. The green wire, a ground wire, connects with the green screw in the switch or the electrical box. Source: www.belkin.com.
What to do if you dont have a neutral wire?
If you want to use smart switches and don't have a neutral wire in your switch box, you can hire an electrician to run a neutral wire between the light fixture and the switch. You can also have an electrician rewire the switch and light fixture, which is potentially more expensive.
Will a light switch work without a neutral wire?
The neutral wire allows the completion of the circuit and the switch to have power even when it's turned to the off position when you want the lights off. Without this neutral wire in place, the circuit is broken any time the switch is now in the off position.
What happens if a light switch doesn't have a neutral?
If you want to use smart switches and don't have a neutral wire in your switch box, you can hire an electrician to run a neutral wire between the light fixture and the switch. You can also have an electrician rewire the switch and light fixture, which is potentially more expensive.
Do all light switches have a neutral?
Houses built before that may or may not have a neutral wiring. If there is an outlet (wall receptacle) near the switch, most likely that switch has a neutral. Switches that are ganged together have a much higher likelihood of having neutrals, no matter what year.
Can you have a neutral at a light switch?
Count them. If there are two conductors and an earth in the switch then there is no neutral. One conductor will be permanent line and the other will be switched line. If there are three or more conductors and an earth in the switch then there is most likely a neutral.
How do you wire a light without a neutral?
0:4111:13Adding A Neutral Wire To A Light Switch - How To - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut it is an easier solution than adding a neutral wire most of the time. Because typically it meansMoreBut it is an easier solution than adding a neutral wire most of the time. Because typically it means you're gonna have to open up walls or that you're gonna have to run new wiring through conduit.
How do I wire a wire without neutral?
0:006:36How To Wire A Smart Light Switch With No Neutral Wire - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's just got a hot wire in a load wire and the other nice thing about this is that these areMoreIt's just got a hot wire in a load wire and the other nice thing about this is that these are completely reversible it doesn't matter if you install them in the hot or the load.
Is a neutral wire necessary?
The presence of a neutral wire is not required (many computers do not have a neutral wire connection). Grounding problems only exist in computer installations when two separate pieces of grounded equipment are interconnected through data communication lines.
Is neutral wire required?
A neutral wire is required to install a Brilliant Control. Normal electrical switches do not consume any power - they simply connect the power line to the light bulb. The Brilliant Control requires power, and power has to flow from the power line through the Brilliant, back out through the neutral.
Where does the neutral wire go on a light switch?
4:325:51How To Identify Neutral Wire - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe white wire is always a neutral wire. No matter where you are.MoreThe white wire is always a neutral wire. No matter where you are.
Can I use ground as neutral?
A ground is not a neutral period. The last thing you want is the chassis of your washer as a current carrying conductor. If your house has a bonded neutral and ground then it should be at only at one connector and that is your circuit breaker panel and nowhere else.
Do new homes have neutral wire?
US houses built in the 1980s usually have a neutral switchbox. The national electrical code requires a neutral at most switch boxes.
What happens when neutral wire is disconnected?
If the neutral wire is broken or disconnected, the out of balanced current cannot return to the supply through the star point, but it must return. So, this current takes the path back to the supply through the lines.
Why use neutral wire?
A neutral wire makes smart home creation easier and also better completes your electrical circuits. If you are adding a smart home switch box to your place, chances are that you might need to add a neutral wire to your current setup. You can either add a new neutral wire to your switch box, or you can choose to extend your older neutral wires ...
What does neutral wire mean in smart outlets?
A neutral wire is meant to carry voltage back to the power source, which means that your switches won’t entirely cut off from electricity.
What is a good example of a smart switch box?
Another good example would be the Lutron Caseta Wireless. Fans of smart switch boxes will probably need to choose this one until they can find other solution, if they even need one. Choose Smart Bulbs Instead. Smart bulbs have dimming functions, can be plugged into regular lamps, and can plug into regular outlets.
How much does it cost to install neutral wire?
A neutral wire installation is a relatively simple job. You should expect to pay $50 to $100 for two switches. A good handyman company will be able to do this, so technically, you don’t need a fully licensed electrician to take the job.
What happens if you don't have experience with switch boxes?
If done improperly, it can lead to injury, fires, or just a non-function switch box. It’s a somewhat complex project that can easily lead to mistakes if you don’t have experience. You really should hire someone to do this for you, since it’s better to be safe than sorry.
How does an electric switch work?
In a simple electric setup, you will have energy that is led through a power source. The switch will either connect your appliance to electricity or cut electricity off. This is great for old school inventions, but not if you want to have a smart outlet. Smart outlets need to have a constant stream of power.
Can you connect a switch box to an existing wire?
Connecting Your Switch Box To An Existing Wire. If you have a switch box that does have a neutral wire connected to it, this will be your solution. Your electrician will splice the existing wire and run it to your other switch box. This option is somewhat less complex and will most likely be cheaper as a result.
What does a 120V switch look like?
It looks like a neutral connection in the photo.In a 120v circuit a switch is wired in series with what it controls,without a neutral you have no circuit. Only in certain industrial circumstances is a neutral allowed to be switched.
What is the white wire?
The White wire is the "Identified" circuit-conductor, and is also the "Grounded" circuit-conductor, the NEC requiring all Grounded circuit-conductors to be identified by the color White, and NO OTHER color.
Why do light switch boxes need neutral wires?
The reason is a direct result of the increasing popularity of "control devices" which are also known as smart switches.
What is neutral wire?
The neutral wire is the electricity's return path after it has entered a load, which is a fancy way of saying any device that uses power. An electrical circuit will always have two wires going to and from equipment needing to be powered.
Why is neutral wire important?
The neutral wire is as important as the hot wire, they function together as a pair to power things, and both are needed for the light to turn on. All electrical circuits have a return path. This is just a very simple one.
What happens when a switch is turned off?
Once turned off, there will be no current flow in the circuit, and nothing will be powered on. Same circuit as earlier. Notice the switch only. has access to the hot wire.
Why do we need a ground wire?
The ground wire exists to provide a way for the electricity to get back to "ground" safely. In the absence of a ground wire, an unknowing human who touches a faulted circuit could bridge the hot to ground through their body, leading to severe injury and even death.
Do smart switches work with ground?
While connecting the neutral of a smart switch to ground might work, never do this! The reason it will work is that ground is often connected to neutral in the electrical panel, meaning it will be at a very similar voltage allowing current to flow from hot to ground.
Do smart lights need neutral wire?
There is often a lot of confusion over the neutral wire within smart homes. This is because many devices, especially smart light switches, require a neutral wire to function correctly. However, when homeowners remove the light switch, there is no neutral wire in the box! What gives?
What is a switch with a neutral wire?
Here is a diagram of a standard switch with a neutral wire: Switch with a neutral wire. A smart switch can simply tie into the white neutral wires to complete the circuit and get a source of power to keep the radios in the switch working at all times.
Why won't my smart switch work?
The reason that some smart switches won’t work in this configuration is that the switch is breaking the circuit when it is off so power is not flowing through the switch . Smart switches require a source of power because they are always communicating with a hub. If the power is cut (because the switch is off) the smart switch will not be able ...
Can you use a neutral wire in a switch box?
If you want to use smart switches and don’t have a neutral wire in your switch box, you can hire an electrician to run a neutral wire between the light fixture and the switch. You can also have an electrician rewire the switch and light fixture, which is potentially more expensive. Either way, running a new wire inside the walls and ceilings ...
Do smart switches need a neutral wire?
One common problem for new smart home users is that they want to install some smart switches to control lighting, but their existing light switches don’t include a neutral wire. There are a few options for installing smart switches without a neutral wire, but first let’s check to see if you have a neutral wire.
Can a dimmable smart switch work with an incandescent light bulb?
However, it is very important that you confirm that your dimmable smart switch will work with the type of light bulbs you plan to use – many will only work with outdated incandescent bulbs.
Does a smart switch break a circuit?
The switch still breaks the circuit, but in this case the smart switch can tap into the neutral wire to keep power flowing through the switch – the electronics in the switch still break the circuit to the light, but the switch maintains a circuit so it is always receiving power.
Can you dim a smart switch without a neutral wire?
There are dimmable smart switches on the market that can be installed without a neutral wire. The key is the dimming feature, which turns the flow of power between the light and the switch down to a slight trickle. The flow of power is not enough to activate the light bulb, but it provides enough power to keep the switch communicating with your smart hub.
How many volts is a neutral wire?
In many other countries it may be 230 or 240 volts. The neutral wire is grounded at the circuit breaker box, so one might assume there would be zero volts if one measured between the neutral at a receptacle (the longer slot) and the ground at a receptacle (the semi-circular hole). This is not exactly true.
What is neutral cable?
The neutral cable is connected to earth at several places between the generator and the consumer. There are usually three phases of live wire. Sometimes called red/ yellow/ blue or L1/L2/L3. If you had a local earth rod driven into damp soil.
How to make a light bulb glow?
The voltage between the hot and either of the other two wires is enough to make a bulb glow. The circuit consists of simply a bulb between each pin of the plug. The light lights up if there is a voltage difference. The right bulb is between the ground and the hot. The middle bulb is between the neutral and the hot.
What is the white wire on a GFCI outlet?
The distinction is important when wiring GFCI outlets. The neutral wire is generally white. The hot wire is usually black or red, although a white wire can be used in a switch loop. When wiring an appliance or an outlet, the Hot wire is connected to the yellow screw, and the Neutral wire is connected to the silver screw.
What is the hot wire on a switch?
The hot wire is usually black or red, although a white wire can be used in a switch loop. When wiring an appliance or an outlet, the Hot wire is connected to the yellow screw, and the Neutral wire is connected to the silver screw. When wiring a. Continue Reading.
What wire is used to connect a flashlight to a 120V circuit?
So, the circuit is completed exactly the same way on the red (or black) wire to the white neutral wire of a 120V circuit, as it is when you turn on a flashlight. Out the front of the battery (red wire), through the light bulb, and back to the back of the battery (white wire).
Why is the neutral grounded?
It is because the neutral is effectively grounded . This grounding takes place at the circuit breaker box, where the neutral and ground are bonded (mechanically connected) together. It actually gets a lot more complicated than this, but as I said this is for the average Quora reader, not an electrical engineer.
How many wires are needed to wire a switch?
The black wire is going to be connected to the black screw on the switch. The main wire that will go from one switch to the other should have 4 wires total (black, white, ground and red). Review the diagram below for basic three-way wiring instructions.
What wire goes straight to the light?
The white or neutral wire bypasses the switch and goes straight to your lights. This wire is needed to complete the circuit. The ground wire (sometimes in a green jacket) should be connected to your switch and to your lights. When you are finished, it is a good idea to wrap the switch with electrical tape to cover the connections.
What is a three way switch?
Three-way switches will have traveler screws or connection points. These will be wired from one switch to the other so that the lights will turn on or off regardless as to which switch you use. The white wires in this situation are just connected together and never touch the switches.
What is a 3 way light switch?
A three-way light switch is one where you have two switches that have the ability to control the same light or set of lights. Therefore, the 2 switches + the light = 3 way. There will be an additional wire needed (often red) to connect the switches together to a dedicated screw or input on the switch that is specifically marked for this purpose.
How to strip insulation from wire?
It will either be 12 or 14 gauge wire. Then, use your wire strippers and strip away about 5/8 of an inch of the insulation from the wire. The wire strippers should have a spot marked for each gauge wire. Next, bend the wire into a pig tail loop so that you can easily attach ...
Why is it important to read the directions on a light switch?
It is important to also read the directions that come with your particular light switch because there may be something different about the one you purchased or a change in technology that would require a different light switch installation. Before you do anything, you will need to cut the power to the light switch.
Do you need to cut the power to a light switch?
Before you do anything, you will need to cut the power to the light switch. If you do not know which breaker feeds your switch, then just turn on the light and test each breaker until you find the one that turns off your lights.