The bare (hopefully) solid copper wire is the ground. What’s crucial here is the dimming functionality. You can run a neutral wire from an outlet to a switch … Turn your breaker box off. Smart … The black “hot” connection is broken to turn the light on/off, the white “neutral” connection completes the circuit. Am I correct? For these lights, the switch box is where a neutral wire will be connected. Disclaimer Yes, the ground wire will function as a neutral wire and the ground wire and neutral wire are bonded together at the panelboard. It would seem to me that, like bonding the ground and neutral, using the neutral from another circuit would work but be a bad idea. Power runs to the switch box through a neutral wire, and it is then passed on to the lighting fixture. Smart switch with neutral. Some dimmable smart switches can be fitted with no neutral wire. This is a diagram of a switch with a neutral. "Is it ok to use earth or ground as a neutral in AC?" Buying a smart light switch that doesn’t require a neutral wire is an easier and more affordable option. In several cases there is a switch with no neutral sharing a junction box with an outlet that DOES have a neutral. The third wire should be the ground wire and is usually colored green or bare wire. This light switch will not work correctly without this neutral connection. Turning the lights off will cut-off the power source that the smart switch needs to do this. So since the ground and neutral wires are essentially the same and bonded together, why would you not use the ground wire as a neutral? 2) Use Smart Switches That Don’t Need a Neutral Wire. There are several options out there but in my experience the best is the Lutron Caseta Smart Home Dimmer Switch. Below is a diagram of a smart switch installed in the first configuration (with neutral). It get’s amazing reviews and is easy to setup yourself. The switches have black, white, and bare, but the white is not neutral because it is just used to complete the circuit. C by GE's new smart switches don't need a hub, or a neutral wire. Smart switches and the missing neutral! 99. This reduces the flow of power from your light to your switch to a trickle. For those homes, we recommend buying a switch that doesn't need a neutral connection. Most smart light switches require a ground wire, an “in” wire, an “out” wire, and a neutral wire. Smart light switch that doesn’t require a neutral wire. The actual neutral may be at the fixture or in a junction box somewhere. One is bare and goes to the yoke/frame of the switch, and the other goes inside to the circuit board with the other leads. While most modern homes were built with a neutral wire, some older homes were not. Of course, there are standard light switches that will use a neutral wire. In a house that was built in 1908 and rewired in the 70s… The outlets have black (hot), white (neutral), and bare (ground). In our example, we'll be using a TP-Link Switch that needs a neutral wire for installation. Notice that regardless of whether the switch is on or off, there is a clear path from line to neutral that includes R1. It protects from static build up and from electrical insulation failure, in short it’s only job is to make your home safer. I have one more to install this week. No, you should never use a ground wire as a neutral. However, the outlet and switch are on different circuits.