The key to creating a smart switch that works without the neutral loop is to make R1 the perfect resistance. R1 needs to restrict the current enough so that the light bulb doesn’t turn on when the switch is off. At the same time, it needs to let enough current through so that the switch can power itself.

Can you install a smart switch without neutral?

Yes, you can install a smart switch without a neutral wire. There are some smart light switches and dimmers that do not require a neutral wire. These are great for DIY installers looking for an effective smart lighting solution.

What happens if there is no neutral wire?





Without the neutral wire, all sorts of instabilities occur in the system like unstable voltages, unexpected currents and even dangers of electric shock.

How do I install a smart dimmer switch without neutral?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So we're going to teach you how to install this smart dimmer that does not require a neutral wire in this existing light switch.

Is it OK to use ground as neutral?

A ground is not a neutral period. The last thing you want is the chassis of your washer as a current carrying conductor. If your house has a bonded neutral and ground then it should be at only at one connector and that is your circuit breaker panel and nowhere else. This is actually a huge safety issue.

Can I connect neutral wire to ground?

No, the neutral and ground should never be wired together. This is wrong, and potentially dangerous. When you plug in something in the outlet, the neutral will be live, as it closes the circuit. If the ground is wired to the neutral, the ground of the applicance will also be live.

Can you run a circuit without a neutral?





A 240V-only device has no need for a neutral since the load is connected across both ‘hot’ legs. So the current is always in balance, thus no need for a neutral to carry any imbalance.

Will a light switch work without a neutral wire?

Every smart switch needs a neutral wire attached because they need to stay powered all the time. Without a neutral wire, there is a single circuit between the bulb, power source (or junction box), and light switch.

How do you add a neutral wire to a smart switch?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Find that neutral wire which will be on the other side of wherever the load wire is and you could run that wire back down into the light switch and now you have a neutral wire.

Can you connect a hot wire to a neutral wire?

If the hot wire comes into contact with both the neutral and the ground, then it will flow through both wires back to the source but as the ground has less resistance more current will flow through it.

Does the neutral wire carry current?



To sum up, a live wire carries the full load current, while a neutral wire carries some current, only when the loads are not balanced.

What is a floating neutral?

iTechworld portable generators are “floating neutral”, meaning that the neutral circuit is not connected to the frame or to earth ground. This also means that both legs on the receptacle are hot legs, which is normal for floating neutral generators.

What happens if neutral wire touches ground?

In Short if neutral wire touches a earth wire,



An earth wire carrying load current is a risk of electric shock because a person touching this earth may present an alternative path for the load current and thus the risk of electric shock.

Can neutral and ground be on the same bus bar?



The answer is never. Grounds and neutrals should only be connected at the last point of disconnect. This would be at main panels only.

Can you get a shock from the neutral bus bar?

Basically you connect both the ground wires and neutral wires to it when you installing a breaker. If electricity flows back through the neural wires why is that neutral bus bar not have current in it and electrocute you.

Why does the neutral and ground have to be separated at the panel?

With ground and neutral bonded, current can travel on both ground and neutral back to the main panel. If the load becomes unbalanced and ground and neutral are bonded, the current will flow through anything bonded to the sub-panel (enclosure, ground wire, piping, etc.) and back to the main panel. Obvious shock hazard!

Where do you bond ground and neutral?

Neutral wires are usually connected at a neutral bus within panelboards or switchboards, and are “bonded” to earth ground at either the electrical service entrance, or at transformers within the system.

Do I need to bond neutral and ground?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: It's a type of problem. And that is between a hot and a neutral or it could be a hot and hot but either way with a hot and another hot we have a complete circuit.

How do you make a neutral ground bonding plug?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: It's just a very simple bonded neutral and ground so let's reassemble this and let's get to building our own all you need to build one of these is a 15 or 20 amp plug just like this.