No Neutral, No Problem!
Smart Switches That Work Without A Neutral Wire
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iDISRUPTED » Lighting & Power » Smart Switches That Work Without A Neutral Wire (2019)
Thankfully, they do exist.
And in the case that your home does not have neutral wires, hope is not lost!
Although you are limited to only a handful of smart switches that work in a 2-wire circuit and most are dimming devices.
A big caveat however.
Most of the available smart switches for no-neutral installs only work with incandescent or halogen lamps.
So make sure your shortlisted devices will work with the type of light bulbs you plan to use before you make your purchase.
No-Neutral Smart Switch Comparison Table 2019
Smart Switches That Work Without A Neutral Wire
Of course you can always bite the bullet and hire an electrical contractor to run neutral wires to each switch.
Just don’t forget to factor in the disruption (and mess) to walls and ceilings and making good at the end of the job.
And lets not forget you can always opt to go with smart bulbs instead of switches.
One drawback is cost, depending on the size of your home and number of bulbs required.
The other drawback is a family member or guest could inadvertently turn off a switch rendering your smart bulbs useless.
And cutting power to smart bulb also seriously impacts their lifespan and should be avoided.
The other thing to be aware of is only people with access to the app are going to be able to control them.
Other Options If You Don’t Have A Neutral Wire
In-wall Nano Dimmers That Work With Existing Switches
If you don’t want to use in-wall switches or dimmers, recently launched are a handful of in-wall micro controller devices that do not require a neutral wire and work with any switch you choose.
Aeotec Nano Dimmer & Bypass
Fibaro Dimmer & Bypass
They are generally installed directly behind the switch in the existing gang box.
As always check the fine print first, as you may need a bypass device added to make them work with certain lamps like LEDs.
It's also important to note that both the Aeotec & Fibaro devices communicate using the Z-Wave protocol.
This means you'll need a Z-Wave hub or controller, like Samsung SmartThings, to use these devices in your home.
The pick of the bunch that work with both LED and incandescent bulbs is undoubtedly the Lutron Caseta range.
While not the cheapest solution, they have arguably the most reliable and robust professional-grade smart lighting technology on the market here in the States.
Certainly for a vanilla installation project, where you are taking your first steps in upgrading from traditional dumb switches, Lutron gets our recommendation.
And their starter kits keep things affordable.
Which no-neutral switch option did you choose?
Or perhaps you decided to use bulbs instead of switches.
Leave a comment below and share your experiences!