Suggestions on intelligent switch selection

Once you got a smart light switch that does require a neutral wire , you need to do the following:

You need to find where the neutral wire is located on the same circuit as the smart light switch. Typically you will have a neutral wire in an outlet on the same circuit as the smart light switch or the neutral wire could be located in the light fixture switch box. To locate which lights and outlets are on the same circuit you can turn off the power to the circuit you want to work on and then test to see if the outlets in that circuit or room have power.  

Once you have located the outlets or lights that are on the same circuit you will need to inspect them for a neutral wire. To do this confirm that the power is turned off at the circuit breaker and then remove the cover plate for the device.

Once you have removed the cover plate for the device it’s a good idea to confirm the power is off with a non contact voltage meter or a multimeter. Then remove the screws holding the outlet to the junction box. Pull the outlet forward to inspect the wiring. If you see a white wire it means you have a neutral wire. You will need to extend this wire to your intelligent light switch.

Extend the neutral wire to the location of the WiFi or ZigBee smart light switch. If you have conduit you can fish the wire through the conduit to the outlet and will most likely not need to open up walls.  If you don’t have conduit in your walls you will need to run new wire from the outlet to the light switch. This typically requires opening up the drywall to create a path for the new wiring.

Connect the neutral wire at the outlet and switch box. Then install the new smart light switch.

If you’re thinking about installing a smart light switch, we highly recommend it. Don’t you love to being able to control the lighting using your phone or voice ? It would be one of your favorite smart home upgrades. If you have a neutral wire the vast majority of smart light switches will work with your home wiring. If you don’t have a neutral no big deal, my recommendation is to install the Mday "JL" series of smart wall switches as they are a high quality reliable option that does not require a neutral wire.  

There are of course other options for installing smart lighting without using a neutral wire but I feel that installing a smart switch that does not require a neutral wire is the best option if you don’t have the existing wiring.