Adding A Neutral Wire To A Light Switch - How To

In this video we teach you how to add a neutral wire to a light switch. If you have an older home that doesn't have a neutral wire and you want to add smart light switches you can either add a neutral wire to your electrical box or you can install smart light switches that don't require a neutral wire like the Lutron Caseta light switches we listed above.

Adding a neutral wire to a light switch will require you to find where the neutral wire is located in your lighting circuit and then route that neutral wire back down to your light switch. Typically you will find a neutral wire at outlets or on the other side of a light fixture. If you have multiple light fixtures daisy chained together you will need to find the last light fixture in the chain to determine which one has the neutral wire that returns back to the electrical panel or neutral wire in the circuit.

We've included additional resources below to help you identify your neutral wire and what light switches will work without a neutral wire:

[pauljuska]

Super clear explanation - only video to explain WHY some work with and without neutral. Nice work!

[jcf]

Of all the videos I've seen on the topic or various written posts, your video is the most straight forward and easily understood source. Thank you.

[longbranchjon]

This vid came in VERY handy. After checking a couple exterior switches and two in my master bed I choose Kasa/tp-link since they all had neutrals. Then I go to install my living room switch... no neutral!! ...dumb me figured I'd be good since my first four installs had neutrals. Thanks for the idea of running one from my lights. Luckily, my living room switch shares a wall with my garage which was a no brainer to open up. Coffee on me!

[WiseInetellect]

I appreciate your sound and grounded explanation of how to add a neutral device. I especially appreciate you making this video even though you're obviously against taking this route, for good reason. That's pretty cool of you

[internettop]

Best explanation of an electrical circuit I ever heard Thanks a million. I will say some of my outlets are right under the switch which makes it easy but the non-neutral wire smart switches are obviously the best choice for an older 1930's home.

[IsaacAWardell]

Very well done video, no extra fluff, just the information needed to understand what is going on and how the system works.

[justa.american]

Thanks for a good explanation of the neutral wire. I used to do theatrical lighting many years ago. At that time there wasn't a neutral wire, only the Load, what we called Negative and the Ground wire system.
Have a good week and stay safe.

[RobSAtlanta]

Thanks for the video. I had a unique situation with 3 path lights through the woods to another 3 way switch. I wanted to put a smart switch in the house. The breaker panel in the garage was a lot closer to the switch than the light, and no outlets on that circuit. Your video helped me decide that running a neutral wire from panel via attic to the switch should work fine, though not sure you mentioned that exact alternative. It's up and working, though the attic wire fishing near the edge of the low roof was difficult.

[JessicaJaniuk]

This was SUCH a huge help! Thank you for this video! I was able to run a neutral wire to my workshop lightswitch, and now I'm all set.

[WhiteZelda]

Your video helped me a lot to connecr my smart switch, i couldnt find the neutral of the lightbulb so i used the one for the outlet. Works perfectly.

[tjags]

Thanks, very much. Appreciate it very much. What you described by adding a neutral wire in my existing switch box, is exactly what I am faced with. Thanks again.

[compudude]

Thank you for the clear explanation! I've often wondered what was involved.

For what it's worth, there are lots of reasons to use a switch (or similar) device other than Lutron Caseta. I have quite a few Caseta switches, and absolutely agree that they are top notch switches. BUT they have limited form factors and limited functions (just as one example I'm not a big fan of smooth push button switches, and I prefer some active LEDs as indicators, and Caseta doesn't really do that... the Diva is a step in the right direction but it's also 2x the price per switch). If you have specific needs and Caseta doesn't do those, but others on the market do, there you have it: You need a neutral wire. There are also some device count and distance limitations, for larger houses or houses with massive numbers of switches.

My home was built in the 50s and we have no neutral wires, so this has frustrated me many, many times... But we do, for the most part, have conduit. I'm going to have to look into whether I can manage to fish some wires through those, at least for a few of the locations where I don't want to use Caseta switches.

[jasonbarnes]

You kinda lost me there for a sec but it made me realize the amount of work needed to add a Neutral to a 50 year old home. Thanks.

[KyleSalewski]

Thanks. I knew of the Lutron Caseta switches but I didn't know WHY those worked the way they did. Thanks for the explanation.

[Sk-tpxp]

Thank you very much for this great explanation, I added the neutral wire figuring it out myself, just wanted to make sure I did it correctly, and your video has answered all my questions, I did it correctly thankfully.

[miketony]

Very nice explaination. I was getting confused with terminology - load, line, hot, neutral. Your visuals and explaination cleared that up!

[almanac]

Thanks, your diagram @7:35 helped me add a smart switch to my bathroom. I'm luck the original drew 3 wires to my switch's box...
I almost had it, for my application, but I had the switch after the Load, which messed it up.

[mwest]

If you're not a teacher you should be. I'm chronically confused about ground vs. neutral and I think your vid is the first one that's helped me understand what a neutral is.

[robertmay]

Your a great teacher of the art. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Rob

[ellahull]

Good video, but a couple of points: Lutron are 3 to 4 times as expensive as some neutral-requiring switches and dimmers, so that's why there's interest in running neutral wires. There is an alternative, which is to install a dimmer at the light fixture itself, where a neutral is available, and then wire the old switches permanently on, and use remote switches instead.