Neutral Wire In Light Switch

Here is a diagram of a standard switch with a neutral wire.

Neutral wire in light switch. This is because the neutral wire for the circuit is actually in the junction box that holds the light fixture and the two wires coming down to the switch are the hot leg that will power the light. 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 only way to be absolutely sure that you have found a neutral wire is to check the voltage 110v 120v between the white wire and the hot usually black in color wire in the box. In a standard switch dimmer the hot is using one of the two wires connected to the switch.

The most common requirement of any hardwired automated light switch is a neutral wire. Call in an electrician and get him to run a neutral wire running from the light fixture to the switch. This is an updated version of the first arrangement. You should be good to go with any smart switch.

An electrician should be called to add a neutral wire to the smart switch from a light fixture. 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 loop. 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. 1 run a neutral wire.

The red and black are used for hot and the white neutral wire at the switch box allows for powering a timer remote control or other programmable switch. Because the electrical code as of the 2011 nec update requires a neutral wire in most new switch boxes a 3 wire cable runs between the light and switch. For those of us using led fluorescent or some other energy efficient bulbs under 20w a neutral is required. You could also ask the electrician to rewire both the switch and light fixture but this is more complex and therefore costlier.