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LUTRON SMART SWITCH INSTALL

These modern-looking switches hug the wall and are very easy to operate.

Rocker (aka paddle) This type of switch has a wide plastic panel that rocks back and forth when pressed to turn the controlled load on and off (one side of the switch raises when the other is depressed).

Relatively few manufacturers make smart switches that look like this type of old-fashioned toggle switch. These are the most common types you’ll encounter. But you’ll want to consider the type of mechanism the smart switch uses if for no other reason than to ensure its aesthetic matches the rest of your home. Switch mechanism: Since most people control smart switches and dimmers with voice commands, they soon discover that they rarely physically interact with the devices in their walls. Lutron also makes an ingenious Zigbee gadget for Philips Hue smart bulbs- the Lutron Aurora-that attaches to an old-fashioned toggle light switch and not only prevents the switch from being turned off (instantly rendering a Philips Hue smart bulb dumb), but it wirelessly controls all the Hub bulbs connected to that switch-complete with a rotary knob for dimming and brightening those bulbs and turning them on or off. Zigbee is widely support among smart dimmer manufacturers, including Jasco, Sinopé, and Sengled. Signify’s Philips Hue bridge is another solution, but it’s generally limited to supporting Philips Hue smart bulbs and accessories.

LUTRON SMART SWITCH INSTALL

But to do that, the smart switch you buy must have some way of connecting to your home network (which explains why Bluetooth smart switches can’t talk to smart speakers).Īs you can see in this illustration, it’s not necessary to remove the cover plate to install the Aurora on the switch, but it only works with toggle switches. There are a few exceptions to this rule, so check the documentation accompanying whichever smart switch you decide to buy before you install it.Ĭontrol protocol: You’ll undoubtedly want to control your smart lighting with your smartphone or tablet, and most people will also want to turn lights on and off with voice commands spoken to a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Echo or a Google Home. This typically means that you’ll also need to buy a companion switch or switches for the other end(s) of the circuit. If more than one switch controls that load-switches on opposite sides of a room, for example-then you’ll need to replace it with a multi-pole smart switch. Single- or multi-pole: If the light you wish to control is connected to just one switch, then you’ll need to replace it with a single-pole smart switch. GE Cync and Lutron Caséta are among the few smart switches that don’t depend a neutral wire.

Most smart switches depend on the presence of a neutral wire to supply energy to their radios, but many homes built prior to the 1980s don’t have a neutral wire in every box. If you don’t have a neutral wire, Lutron’s Caséta smart dimmer and the GE Cync Dimmer (3-wire version) are among the few that do not require one. If you’re not sure if there’s a neutral wire at the location you want to install a smart switch, we have a how-to story here that will help you figure it out. While all homes have neutral wires, many older homes don’t have a neutral wire in every box. Smart switches have radios that must be constantly powered, and the neutral wire is usually what supplies that juice. Neutral wire requirement: The vast majority of smart switches and dimmers require the presence of a neutral wire-in addition to line (power from the circuit-breaker panel), load (power to the light to be controlled), and ground wires-in the electrical box inside the wall.

Here’s what you need to know in roughly the order you’ll need to decide. You’ll need to make a raft of decisions before you choose which smart switches to install in your home, and your choices will be influenced by everything from the type of wiring in your walls to what flavor of smart home system you have now or plan to install later.