![]() Smart bulbs have their place in lamps, but I don’t believe they are the best solution for light fixtures in a home that are controlled with wall mounted switches. The only alternative for people in older homes that wanted a smart lighting system was to replace all their bulbs with smart bulbs. When power is turned off, power is cut to the light bulb, but the smart switch/dimmer itself can continue to consume the small amount of electricity it needs to operate by using the circuit created by the hot wire going to it and the neutral wire in the electrical box which would also be connected to another terminal on the switch/dimmer. ![]() Then, when the smart switch/dimmer is turned on it, allows power to flow to the light bulb. In a modern home, with a neutral wire in the electrical box with the power flows to the smart switch/dimmer through the hot wire. With the circuit broken, just like the light bulb loses power and turns off, so does the smart switch. If the smart/dimmer is sitting in the electrical box and needs to consume a small amount of power to operate, when it is turned off it breaks the circuit. The second connection to the light bulb was a neutral wire that completed the circuit back to the circuit breaker panel. A second hot wire (since the wire hadn’t reached the light being powered yet) would exit the electrical box and go up the wall to a light fixture and a light bulb. As was common in older homes a hot wire would enter the electrical box where the switch was located and connect to the switch. So, why is it important for there to be a neutral wire in an electrical box where a switch is installed? A smart switch/dimmer needs to consume a small amount of power. Once it completes a circuit, it flows back to the electrical grid.Īny time that the flow of electricity through this circuit is interrupted, by a switch being turned off or a circuit breaker tripping, the flow of electricity stops and the light bulb being powered goes off. It then flows back to the circuit breaker panel through a “neutral” wire. It travels through a “hot” wire to an electrical device (I’ll use a light bulb as an example throughout this article). The wires that form a circuit in a home are called the hot wire and the neutral wire.Įlectricity arrives at the home from the electrical grid at the circuit breaker panel. ![]() Electricity in the home moves along wires that form a continuous loop or, in electrical terms, a circuit. To understand the issue requires a brief review of electricity basics. Owners older home were pretty much out of luck. Until recently, the only smart dimmers and switches that have been available on the market required a neutral wire to function. When older homes were wired, the electricians didn’t install neutral wires in all of the electrical boxes where light switches are located in the home. ![]() Yes, the owner of an older home could install a smart thermostat, but when it comes to lighting, they have been at a distinct disadvantage. Older homes have been left behind in the smart home revolution. In the place of the second switch, you can put an Aqara wireless mini switch, giving you the exact same function as before – wirelessly.Jasco has come to the rescue of people who own older homes with their new Enbrighten In-Wall No-Neutral Smart Dimmer. Your electrician will be able to install the Aqara smart switch on one side, and permanently close the circuit on your second switch. Since it’s a direct replacement, you’ll have a new switch installed with no obvious sign that anything has changed. Remote (offsite) control require internet connectivity at both sides.Ĭhanging the switch is a ten-minute job requiring only a screwdriver – no need for drilling or rewiring. The Aqara smart switch will always work physically, even without internet, wifi, or a hub. Maybe most importantly – you’ll never lose the ability to just flick the switch on and off with your fingers. Without this neutral wire in place, the circuit is broken any time the switch is now in the off position. 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. Have your entire home’s lights change, in the manner of your choosing, with a single voice command, or just one push of a button. The Aqara or Apple smart home system allows you to organize your lights into rooms and groups, and create preset scenes.
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