What Is a Neutral Wire? The Basic Facts You Need

Installing smart technology at your home means first establishing whether or not you have a neutral wire. But what exactly is a neutral wire, and what is its significance?

What is a Neutral Wire?

The neutral wire is the wire that completes your home’s electrical circuit, directing the flow of power back from the socket or switch to the circuit board. If this neutral wire is cut or removed, the circuit is broken and the flow of electricity is halted.

Why is a Neutral Wire Needed?

Electrical codes across much of the US have made neutral wires mandatory for almost all new homes constructed since around 1985. It is a safety feature that prevents the flow of electricity from overflowing, while at the same time keeping electrical appliances grounded.

However, this does not necessarily make homes that lack a neutral wire unsafe. It is simply an additional safety and energy-efficiency feature that became a new standard for homes built from the mid-80s onwards.

How Do I Know Which Wire Is Neutral?

If your home was built before 1985, chances are it does not have a neutral wire installed. This is something that you can only verify by looking behind the light switch in your home.

To do so, make sure you first isolate the switch from the circuit board, before using an appropriate voltage tester to ensure the power has been shut off. After pulling the switch away from the wall, check for the presence of a white or gray wire - the standard colour for most neutral wires.

If in doubt, hire an electrician to pay you a visit and check for you - a job that will take 5 minutes and cost very little.

Do I Need a Neutral Wire to Install Smart Lighting?

Most smart light switches rely on a neutral wire to operate, and are incompatible with homes that lack them. The neutral wire provides the switch with a very low voltage supply of electricity at all times, enabling it to operate.

If your home lacks a neutral wire, you can still install advanced smart lighting switches like the Evvr In-Wall Relay Switch. This innovative device has been designed to work with no neutral wire required, while still offering all of the features and functionalities of any other smart light switch.

Evvr’s In-Wall Relay Switch can be installed in place of any conventional light switch around the home, enabling you to get your smart home lighting system up and running in a matter of minutes.

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Neutral Wire?

The alternative option is to run a neutral wire from your circuit board to your light switch. While this is technically a low-cost renovation to conduct, it nonetheless means opening up your walls (and sometimes your ceilings) to run the cable.

It can therefore be highly disruptive and time-consuming, and maybe beyond the capabilities of the average DIYer.

If you are looking to get the full benefits of smart lighting at home without a neutral wire being necessary, set your sights on a device like Evvr’s In-Wall Relay Switch to enjoy the best of all worlds.

The Evvr In-Wall Relay Switch is available in Zigbee 3.0 and Z-Wave versions. The difference with the Evvr switch and other smart switches is how the IRS from Evvr works in any home or property regardless of the building age. This is down to the fact that this switch requires no neutral wire installation. With the Evvr IRS home and property owners can enjoy smart lighting with simple installation and no fuss. Safety issues such as electrical leakage and light flickering are eliminated by the revolutionary design of the switch product.

This product is revolutionary in that it can upgrade any of your regular light bulbs into a smart controlled light bulb through wireless technology. The miniscule size of this switch means it can be seamlessly and effortlessly installed in any panel to control the bulbs. With the ability to control your lights with a voice, a button, or the free Evvr App, you can enjoy smart lighting automation as easy as 123.