Smart switches with no neutral / Earth wire
By Bradly Spicer January 15th, 2020Even if you have a fairly modern electrical set up, you may find that some switch boxes simply don’t have a neutral, unfortunately, this means that there will be a large range of Smart Switches don’t work. However, there are alternative non-neutral Smart Switches that can work.
It’s worth noting, some level of knowledge with electrical wiring is required for this, although, I will do my best to explain where I can on what to do with this. I may even do a video down the line on what the best non-neutral smart switches are.
Let’s start with the most obvious reason you’re here, what are the best smart switches that work without a neutral wire and why?
Table of Contents
What are the Best Smart Switches that work without a Neutral/Earth wire & why?
To cut straight to the point, here is a list of the best Smart Switches that work without a neutral wire, I will explain further down in the blog post:
- Yoswit BlueTooth Smart Switch
- MOES WiFi Wall Touch Switch
- Philips Hue Smart Wireless Dimmer Switch
I saw a lot of out-dated blog posts which had a lot of not-viable switches available now and I thought that wasn’t great, given I wanted to find my own no-neutral switches.
I know Philips Hue has a lot of hate due to it’s overpricing, but I really can’t say anything more positive about their Wireless Dimmer Switches, they’re honestly very easy to set up!
They are pretty cheap in comparison to their competition (Especially on sale), I definitely recommend getting one and trying it out!
Yoswit BlueTooth Smart Switch
I’m going to warn you now, this is quite a cheap Smart Switch, but it does the job.
It’s not that well put together and it barely holds up if you tweak it a lot.
But if you get this as a test to see how you feel, it can be a fine little opener into the world of Smart Switches.
This doesn’t work natively with Alexa as it says, it only works with the phone app.
MOES WiFi Wall Touch Switch
This is a better device than the Yoswit and still quite affordable, so no stress there!
Whilst stylish, it’s got a few drawbacks. One of the main issues is that users find they need to add additional capacitors to allow this to work fluidly. Which is NOT something we’re aiming for here.
The idea is complete fluidity, as such, if you’re looking for quick and easy, this isn’t for you. If you’re happy with some level of DIY, this may fit your needs.
Philips Hue Smart Wireless Dimmer Switch
This is my favourite Smart Light switch, it’s sleek, simple and believe it or not. Affordable!
Ok so, this is simply screwed or attached to the wall with adhesive tape, it’s essentially a bracket for a wireless remote to control all lights on the Philips Hue hub.
I love it personally, yes, it does require the Philips Hub to make the most of it, but the flexibility and cheap price of the switch makes it perfect to place around your home!
Smart Bulbs vs Smart Switch
There’s a very distinctive difference between a Smart bulb and Smart Switch which is often forgotten. But, it’s worth keeping in mind for when you plan your Smart Home automation.
What is a Smart Bulb?
A Smart Bulb is in place to be controlled individually, it can be added to clusters or work solo. It’s connected to a network of other bulbs or as part of a subnetwork to be controlled.
This allows it to be multiply managed as a parent or child of other devices
What is a Smart Switch?
These tend to be cheaper than bulbs, but this is purely because they’re considered a parent controller. Bulbs will be assigned to your light switches in whatever way you need them to be.
For example, You can have a different switch for each room and that switch will control every light in that room.
Perfect for a movie night!
What bulbs do I get if I want a Smart Bulb instead?
If you’re looking for Smart Bulbs instead, I have a short guide on my best Smart Lights of the last few years, it’s updated whenever I have something new to try or something I want to show off.
