Smart switches are a great way to make your home smarter. You can still use them the old fashioned way to turn your lights on and off, but also use your phone, or Alexa (Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant), or even set schedules to have your lights turn on/off automatically. It’s a great way to help you save some money or make it look like your home when you’re away. Below we’re going to talk about what things to think about when selecting a smart switch and even get into what to do when you don’t have a neutral wire.
The number one thing to determine before you can do anything with a smart switch is whether or not you have a neutral wire in your current wiring setup. The way to figure this out is to take off the plate to one (or all) of your current light switches and see if there is a 4th wire (usually with white/gray covering) that is a part of your wiring but is usually not currently connected to anything. Normally you have a hot (red), line (black), and ground (bare/green) wires. The 4th wire is usually your neutral. Go here for more info on determining if you have a neutral wire.
The reason we need to know if we have a neutral wire, is because we want to supply power to the switch without turning on the light that is connected to the switch. The neutral wire is the only way to do this. Don’t fret if you don’t have one, we can still connect a smart switch, but it is easier when you have one. Please keep in mind that just because one of your switches has a neutral wire doesn’t mean all of them do. Most of my house has a neutral wire, but for some reason my dining room doesn’t. Most homes built after ~1980 have a neutral wire, and it’s hit or miss before then and the older your house, the less likely you are to have a neutral wire.
Whether you have a neutral wire or not, here’s some things you need to make sure you take into account before selecting which smart switch is right for you.
-Do you have Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit? Make sure which ever one you have or plan to get that your switches are compatible with it.
-What other smart devices do you have or plan to get? If you already have a smart light, switch, or plug, see if the same brand has smart switches that would work for you. This way you can limit the number of apps on your phone to control the smart devices. This will also make it easier if you want to put controls on multiple devices at the same time or based on the same input.
-Do you need a dimmer switch? Most companies provide a variation of their smart switches with dimmer control
-Do you need a 3-way switch? Most companies provide a companion switch for 3-way setups. Some even don’t need to be wired.
-Would you like to set up schedules based on sun up and sun down times? Your smart switches will require IFTTT support in order to handle that.
-Most smart switches require 2.4GHz wifi but some are starting to use 5GHz as well. Most wifi routers support 2.4GHz but just want to make sure before you start any project.
If you don’t have a neutral wire most of the switches require a hub, which is separate from your Alexa, Google Assistant or HomeKit. This is an extra cost and you will want to make sure any other smart devices you have work with the same hub and your Alexa, Google Assistant or Homekit also work with the hub. My advice to everyone is to try to avoid a hub as much as possible, as they add an extra cost and an extra failure point, but sometimes you don’t have a choice.
Another thing that I recommend for anyone thinking about adding smart devices is making sure your wifi router is reliable. If you have to re-set your router often, you’re not going to enjoy your smart devices as much. You don’t want your wifi to fail when you’re away and you’re relying on it for security or other purposes. If you’re still using the router provided by your internet provider and they’re charging you $5-10 per month, you may want to think about upgrading. You could actually save some money in the long run and get better service. A new router costs about $150, and if you’re being charged $10 a month, it will pay for itself in 15 months. I bought a new one about 8 years ago and haven’t re-set it once.
Some recommendations for smart switches if you have a neutral wire:
- Leviton D215S-1BW Decora Smart Switch
- Lutron Caseta Smart Lighting Switch
- Kasa Smart Light Switch HS200
Recommendations for smart switches if you don’t have a neutral wire:
- Leviton No-Neutral Decora Smart Switch
- Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer Switch
- GE CYNC Smart Dimmer Light Switch & Motion Sensor
If you would like any help with this, please fill out the Contact Us page and we’ll setup some time for a free consultation.