Need Help: Inovelli VZM35-SN + VZM36 Fan/Light Canopy with Old-Style Switch Loop (No Neutral)

Product Support Wiring Discussion
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I’m trying to get an Inovelli VZM35-SN wall switch working with an Inovelli VZM36 fan/light canopy module in an older home that has a traditional switch loop and no neutral available in the wall switch box.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting this and would appreciate some guidance.

My Current Wiring Setup

  • Older home with a traditional two-wire switch loop.

  • Only one cable enters the wall switch box.

  • That cable contains a black wire, white wire, and ground.

  • There is no neutral in the wall switch box.

  • Power originates at the ceiling fan box.

  • The black wire at the ceiling is the incoming hot/line.

  • The wall switch previously controlled power to the ceiling fan/light.

  • The VZM36 canopy module is installed at the ceiling fan.

What I’ve Confirmed

1. Bypassing the wall switch works

I disconnected the wall switch and connected the black and white wires together in the wall box.

With the breaker turned back on, the ceiling fan and light work through the canopy module.

This confirms the canopy can receive power when the switch loop is bypassed.

2. Attempted to install the VZM35-SN

I initially connected:

  • Black wire → LINE terminal on the VZM35

  • White wire → LOAD terminal on the VZM35

With this configuration, the fan/light started flickering.

I was subsequently advised to try a different wiring configuration involving the neutral terminal, but this did not resolve the issue.

3. Tested an Inovelli bypass module

I also experimented with installing a bypass at the ceiling fan to see whether that would allow the VZM35 to operate correctly without a neutral at the wall.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the wall switch and canopy module working together reliably.

4. Tested the canopy module independently

With the two switch-loop wires connected together at the wall, the fan/light receives power and operates.

At one point, the canopy was flashing blue approximately once every few seconds and wasn’t appearing in Zigbee2MQTT, so I also began troubleshooting/resetting its Zigbee connection.

What I’m Ultimately Trying to Accomplish

I use Home Assistant with Zigbee2MQTT.

My goal is:

  1. Keep the VZM36 canopy module continuously powered.

  2. Install the VZM35-SN at the wall to serve as a physical controller.

  3. Use Zigbee binding or Home Assistant automations to control the fan and light through the canopy module.

  4. Avoid having the wall switch physically interrupt power to the canopy module.

Ideally, the VZM35 would act as a smart remote rather than switching the electrical load.

My Questions

  1. Can the VZM35-SN operate in a no-neutral configuration with a traditional two-wire switch loop while keeping the VZM36 canopy continuously powered?

  2. Is there a supported wiring arrangement that allows the VZM35 to receive power without interrupting the canopy module?

  3. Would an Inovelli bypass module help in this configuration, and if so, where should it be installed?

  4. Is this configuration fundamentally incompatible with the VZM35, meaning I should use a battery-powered Zigbee wall controller instead?

  5. If a battery-powered controller is the better solution, does anyone have recommendations for something that works well with Zigbee2MQTT and can control both the fan and light?

I’d prefer to use the VZM35 if possible, but I’m open to another approach.

Has anyone successfully installed a VZM35 and VZM36 together in a home with a traditional switch loop and no neutral at the wall?

Any wiring diagrams, configuration recommendations, or examples would be greatly appreciated.

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My suggestion would be to do a little bit of rewiring in your ceiling box to send a hot and neutral down to the wall switch. As the VZM36 needs constant power anyway, there is no need to try and run it through the load on the VZM35.

You can then bind the switch to the canopy module for control…