Smart light switches

[leeharper1]

Hi,

I'm installing new smart light switches in the house but not without issues. The switches need a neutral feed for the electronics. For the lounge light and the upstairs hall Iight i managed to pull out the 3 core wire with new 4 core attached and took the neutral from the rose down the extra core to the switch marking it up as a neutral feed. My problem is the downstairs hall light which does the downstairs hall light and upstairs 2way and I can't pull a cable through without chasing the wall. The upstairs and downstairs are 2 separate mcb circuits. As i see it My options are to use the common from the upstairs landing switch to supply the neutral for the downstairs switch as the switches will no longer physically connected as it will be software switched and all the neutral is doing is powering the electronics so not shared neutral or the long route of chasing out the wall and putting in new cable. Would just appreciate some thoughts

Thanks Lee

 

[bernardgreen]

Would just appreciate some thoughts

My thoughts are that lights on stairs are essential for safety should you need to use the stairs at night. Hence the lights and the switches controlling them need to be reliable and simple to operate especially if there is an emergancy.

 

[leeharper1]

My thoughts are that lights on stairs are essential for safety should you need to use the stairs at night. Hence the lights and the switches controlling them need to be reliable and simple to operate especially if there is an

Both the upstairs light and downstairs light will work as normal switches it's only the 2 way switching that will be on am internal network with no internet reliance so pretty reliable

 

[winston1]

Hi,

I'm installing new smart light switches in the house but not without issues. The switches need a neutral feed for the electronics. For the lounge light and the upstairs hall Iight i managed to pull out the 3 core wire with new 4 core attached and took the neutral from the rose down the extra core to the switch marking it up as a neutral feed. My problem is the downstairs hall light which does the downstairs hall light and upstairs 2way and I can't pull a cable through without chasing the wall. The upstairs and downstairs are 2 separate mcb circuits. As i see it My options are to use the common from the upstairs landing switch to supply the neutral for the downstairs switch as the switches will no longer physically connected as it will be software switched and all the neutral is doing is powering the electronics so not shared neutral or the long route of chasing out the wall and putting in new cable. Would just appreciate some thoughts

Thanks Lee

It WILL be a borrowed neutral. Do it properly and chase the wall out. You will only have to do it once.

 

[leeharper1]

It WILL be a borrowed neutral. Do it properly and chase the wall out. You will only have to do it once.

Yeah thinking about it I would be a lot happier doing that way in the long run

Thanks

 

[ericmark]

Some makes don't need a neutral, I fitted MiHome Energenie however the switch auto switched off with a power failure, or bulb failure. Also it only allows three timers to be set without using IFTTT and maximum of three remote controls plus the hub, so not perfect it depend what you want.

I already had the hub so it was not too expensive, and now you can wire with a slave so can get two way lighting, however the question is why do you want smart lighting.

Although one can use IFTTT to program the units to do all sorts, once done then you are relying on the internet.

 

[AndyPRK]

The borrowed N maybe ok. It’s only the electronics. Try it?

Would it work on with 2 lives?

 

[AndyPRK]

What agvantage do this switches give ?

 

[JohnW2]

The borrowed N maybe ok. It’s only the electronics. Try it?

Even if it is supplying "only electronics", a 'borrowed' neutral would still result in a risk of electric shock if the neutral conductor were disconnected or cut whilst only one of the two circuits concerned was 'dead'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[leeharper1]

I was thinking about it im sure ig will be shared because the live will be from the downstairs circuit and the neutral will be from the upstairs circuit. I did have energenie then I had lightwave but dropped both due to cloud Reliance and lack feedback in that i can get switch status to see if its on or off etc and price I now get sonoff and other devices which are cheaper and flash custom firmware and use with home assistant so all controlled in-house just use internet for google control