drmark12pa Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 I'm trying to figure out a solution to installing a C4 light switch to light switch I have in my utility room that does not have a neutral. House was built in 2001 before neutral was apparently required. I have a black, white, and green wire but that's it. I talked to my electrician friend said we might have to drop a neutral into the light switch gang box but that is a pain. I was trying to use an older C4 switch I had laying around but no success. Is there a newer C4 switch that would work without running an additional neutral?
Home Theater Advisors Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 According to the install instructions, you can jump the neutral with the switch leg. See figure 5 in the attachedSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
RyanE Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 Please note 2 things: Control4 *dimmers* can be powered switch leg. Control4 *switches* cannot. Switch leg power only works if you have load types that allow for a trickle current to run through the load, even when the load is off. Some LED (and CF) lighting will flicker or actually be on enough to show light, when the load is 'off', since the dimmer has to run some power through the load to power it's electronics. RyanE
jesseasmith Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 As other's have posted, jumped the neutral to the load will work. Getting a neutral is your best bet though. Have the electrician run a 14/3 to your fixture.
drmark12pa Posted November 21, 2018 Author Posted November 21, 2018 Hahah well I don't want to burn the house down to save the effort in running an additional neutral wire. I'm trying to remember if I've done this on another switch in my house previously which I may have but it's been several years since I installed my original majority of C4 switches
lippavisual Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 Switches require neutral. Dimmers do not. But it is always better to have neutral anyways. Basically it means original electrician was lazy when doing the install.
drmark12pa Posted November 21, 2018 Author Posted November 21, 2018 So in the room I have old bulbs not new LEDs.... will this work with the switch for now?
drmark12pa Posted November 21, 2018 Author Posted November 21, 2018 Tried the workaround as noted above... The light would turn on but not turn off and it appears the switch almost "resets" itself. So I'm back to running a neutral....
zaphod Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 Do you definitely need a switch rather than a dimmer? With a dimmer you can get by without a neutral - maybe get a dimmer and use this in another spot where you have a neutral or sell it.
RyanE Posted November 22, 2018 Posted November 22, 2018 21 hours ago, drmark12pa said: Tried the workaround as noted above... The light would turn on but not turn off and it appears the switch almost "resets" itself. So I'm back to running a neutral.... Yes, as posted above and by others, *switches* will not work switch-leg, since when you switch the load off with a relay, you then don't have the load to run power through for the electronics of the switch. RyanE
tdougray Posted September 2, 2019 Posted September 2, 2019 Am I correct in assuming that a dual load dimmer would require a jumped neutral to both loads?
RyanE Posted September 3, 2019 Posted September 3, 2019 21 hours ago, tdougray said: Am I correct in assuming that a dual load dimmer would require a jumped neutral to both loads? Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the dual load dimmers and their wiring. RyanE
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