6/23/2023 0 Comments Smart switch no neutral hack![]() The resultant overheating of the BX’s armor ignited combustible materials that were in contact with the armor.” “In other fires, the connection between the neutral wire and the ground was inadvertently opened so that substantial currents were conducted through the BX, or armored, cable to other equipment that was independently grounded. One Consumer Product Safety Commission study of residential home fires found: You have to think in terms of the whole circulatory system. While it is tempting to think only in terms of “this switch turns on that light,” in fact all of the wiring is connected. The first rule for light switches and receptacles is that you never try to wire around the switch. In the US, code for electrical devices requires that you follow the manufacturer’s directions. ![]() I just wanted to mention it because people who are looking for information about three-way set ups will need more than what is included in the FAQ on wiring a master switch. None of that is to take away from the excellent description in this FAQ. So that’s when things can get really complicated because it depends on the exact details of each wiring segment. Three-way and four-way set ups can be wired many different ways (from 5 to 8 depending on how you count), and not all of them work for networked switches. So the auxiliary could even be battery operated sitting on a table. And it won’t need a traveler wire to talk to the master. In this case the auxiliary has to be powered, but it does not have to control the load to the light fixture. Two switches controlling one light is called a “three-way set up.”įor a three-way or four-way set up, the auxiliary and the master will commonly talk to each other over a “traveler wire” which is not included in the diagrams above.Īn alternative that is possible in a networked set up is to just have the auxiliary talk to the hub and have the hub pass the messages to the master. In order for them to communicate to each other, there are different approaches with network switches. In that case, normally you have one master and one auxiliary. It does not cover the situation where you want to have two switches control the same light. Just one note for clarification: all of the above excellent discussion applies only to adding one master switch to control a light. So are pliers, electrical tape and those yellow caps. Picking up a test kit (even if you return it after you are done) is a very good idea. Sadly there is A LOT of bad electrical work out there, ground is normally correct but everything else may or may not follow the color rules. If you have more than 1 switch in the same box (2 or more gang) The neutral is normally there.Īlso and this is very important, the wire color should be only used as a guide. This seams to be common not only older homes but also in switch boxes with only 1 switch. So if your wiring looks like the first picture an electrician to pull that neutral down to the switch box is exactly what you need. Regular switches just interrupt the flow of power so the only power they need is your finger. Neutral is what brings the Juice, so with out it your automated hardwired light switches can’t power up and neither can your light. Separating the two is important because wiring this backwards can cause an automated hardwired light switch not to work because the power is flowing in the wrong direction. Load is the “hot” run from the light to the switch and Line is the other half of the “hot” run from your breaker panel to your switch. ![]() Load and line are already there, they are the black wires that the switch uses the interrupt the flow of electricity allowing you to turn the switch on or off. If this is what you see when you remove your wall plate you are a go for hardwired automated light switchs. It protects from static build up and from electrical insulation failure, in short it’s only job is to make your home safer. The bare (hopefully) solid copper wire is the ground. The black “hot” connection is broken to turn the light on/off, the white “neutral” connection completes the circuit. This is a diagram of a switch with a neutral. It’s not as expensive as you think and will save you lots of frustration. This is not good for automated hardwired light switchs and i would HIGHLY recommend that if you want to automate the light, contact an electrician and have them pull a neutral for you. This is a diagram of a switch with the neutral run directly to the light. For those of us using LED, Fluorescent or some other energy efficient bulbs under 20w a neutral is REQUIRED! ![]() Yes, there are a few…(read very, very, very few) switches that don’t require a neutral, but those will limit you to incandescent only. The most common requirement of any hardwired automated light switch is a neutral wire. So you want an automated hardwired light switch, but you’re not sure where to start.
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