![]() In this case, you will not have a neutral wire, and your existing configuration will look like this: Switch without neutral wire One way to wire a light switch is to have the power source wiring enter the light fixture directly, and the switch is used to complete a circuit. ![]() What is a Neutral Wire, and Do I Have One? There are a few options for installing a smart switch without a neutral wire, but first, let’s check to see if you have 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. In this article, we will talk about smart switch no neutral. However, houses built during the mid-1980s and onwards may not have a neutral wire going to the switch housings. Generally, homes built after the 1980s will have a neutral wire going to the switch housings therefore, no problem exists. Non-licensed people are limited as to what electrical work they can legally perform also, some work may be legal if under the direction of a suitably qualified electrician. The right one for you will depend upon where the power enters the circuit (at one of the switches or at the light fixture), and the placement of the switches and lights.Notice: Always consult a licensed electrician for questions regarding your home’s circuitry, and be sure to refer to relevant building codes before doing any electrical work, which varies by location. There are three basic ways three-way switches may be set up to control one or more lights. For this reason, the white wire is painted or taped black to identify it as a black (hot) wire when the cable is used to connect two three-way switches and lights. This type of cable contains a white wire that needs to serve as a black wire. When the circuit’s power is turned on, any of these may be “hot,” depending upon how the switches are toggled.īecause “3-wire-with-ground” nonmetallic electrical cable such as Romex is often used to wire switches, a slight modification is often made during installation. With a three-way switch, three wires connect the pair of switches-two black “traveler” wires and a third “common” wire. But the “hot” or “charged” (usually black) wire coming from the power source connects to the switches. The white wire from the power source always goes uninterrupted to the light fixture and the bare grounding wires are always fastened to grounding screws. It’s important to recognize that a light switch is designed to interrupt the “hot” wire that goes from the power source to the fixture when it’s turned off. Note that the diagrams below assume that you’re following all recommended practices for safe installation of electrical circuits.Īlways turn off the power to the circuit before working with exposed electrical wires. For clarity, check out the illustrations below. The other two wires can attach to either of the paired terminals. To do this, put a piece of tape on the wire that goes to the “common” (third) terminal screw. When replacing an existing three-way light switch, be sure to return the wires to the proper screw terminals. The green screw at the bottom end is for attaching the ground (green or bare) wire. For example, the switch shown below has one silver and one gold screw opposite one another and a bronze screw in the third position. Unfortunately, they are not standardized. Not all three-way switches have these terminals placed in the same configuration, so you have to pay attention to the terminal screw colors (and the instructions that come with the package) when wiring a 3-way switch (or a pair of them). On most 3-way switches, two of the terminals are the same color (typically silver or brass), and the third terminal, called a “common terminal,” is a different, often darker, color.
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