Home Automation

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Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.

It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.

Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.

Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.

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US code requires all light junction boxes to have a neutral, but does not require a live. Can all smart switches work without constant live (for example, in the case of a 3 way or 4 way switch) (alien.top)

submitted 10 months ago by uoficowboy@alien.top to c/homeautomation@selfhosted.forum

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Hi - I'm doing some rewiring and got to thinking about this. Latest NEC code requires all junction boxes (JBs) to have a neutral in them, but does not require a live. In the case of a two way switch you'll have both neutral and live in your JB by default. But for a 3 way switch you're likely to end up without live in one of the JBs. Can smart switches deal with this? To be clear - one of the travelers for the 3 way/4 way would always be hot - but it would toggle between when is hot and which isn't as the switch gets toggled.

Thank you!

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[–] Brewmaster_General@alien.top 1 points 10 months ago

The smart switch must be on a live line wire otherwise once it was turned off the "smart" part of the switch would stop working. In 3/4 way switches - there is only one "main" that is connected to the line and that is where the smart switch must be (also note, not every smart switch is 3/4 way compatible). Different smart switches can handle different configurations on the other switches. Many require a companion switch or some sort of jumper wiring to be done. Innovelli is the only one I've seen reliably work with existing dumb switches reliably w/o tweaking. If there is no line coming into the 3 or 4 way box via traveler, then you'll have to buy a battery powered remote that pairs with the switch (Caseta has one, I'm sure there are others).