Non-neutral wiring help - lights always on

Switches Wiring Discussion
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#1

I was hoping to get some assistance on how to properly wire my new dimmers in a non-neutral setup.

I hooked up the line and load with the bypass connected directly to line and load terminals on the switch, in parallel with the lights. When I flip the breaker back on, the lights turn on but the switch does nothing - no LEDs, doesn’t control the lights, etc.

I feel like I’m doing something dumb, any assistance would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

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#2

Shortly after turning on the breaker, the relay warms up pretty fast - is that expected?

#3

I tried installing the relay at the line and load at the back of the switch and had similar results. Ultimately I had to install it at the light fixture as pictured in the manual.

#4

Could you post pictures of the wiring behind the switch? Is this a three way switch (two switches control the same thing), and what are the light(s) attached to this switch?

#5

The bypass should be connected from the load to the neutral. Typically this would be done in the box with your LEDs.

Is this a 3-Way installation?

John

#6

Non-neutral, non-3-way setup. It controls two LED lights in my kitchen.

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#7

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#8

Them be old wires!

Seriously, there is a neutral in the ceiling fixture. Simply connect the bypass across the LED. The bypass acts like an additional load (without drawing much power) to allow the Inovelli to work with no neutral.

BTW I like your ceiling.

John

#9

Old for sure. I’m not sure if I follow - I wouldn’t expect a neutral in the fixture if there isn’t one at the switch, right? Also, if a single switch controls multiple lights, I only need to add the bypass to one?

Here’s what it looks like under the fixture:

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#10

Just to be clear there are three wires in a newly wired home, often only two in older homes.

Newer homes:

  • Black wire = Line = Power
  • White wire = Neutral = return
  • Green or bare wire = safety ground.

In older homes there is often no safety ground, or in the case of metal jacketed cable, the metal jacket is the safety ground.

Basic operation:

  • power comes from the Line to the LEDs and returns through the Neutral. There must be a complete circuit to work.

Often the switch is in the Line to the LEDs since it is before the LEDs it may not have a neutral in its connection box. See below.

HOWEVER, for your situation just connect the bypass right across the LEDs. i.e. connect the bypass with the current wires connecting to the orange wire nuts.

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John