Remotely control a wide range of home appliances and office equipment from anywhere. Retrofit your standard electrical wall boxes, power sockets, and light switches or other places with limited space.
Smart switches without a neutral wire manage to power themselves by sending a tiny amount of current to the lamp – even when off. This low power is enough to keep the smart relay functional without visibly lighting the bulb. The smart device is so efficient that it can operate without causing the light to flicker.
“Without a neutral wire” means the wall switch has only a live wire (black or brown) and a switched load wire. Analogue single switches often don’t require a neutral wire. For a basic light: switch on, current flows; switch off, current stops.In many older homes, the neutral wire is only run directly to the lamp – not to the switch. But the electrical circuit still needs to be closed. So, how can smart control work under these conditions?
To be controllable, smart switches need to receive power even when switched off. Otherwise, the switch can’t process commands via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth because it has no power.In modern wiring setups, the neutral wire (blue) provides continuous current. Power flows from the live wire to the switch and returns via the neutral. If there's no neutral at the switch, an alternative solution is needed for app or voice control.
With Shelly, you have various options to make your lighting smart – even in older homes without modern wiring. But to safely and successfully use smart light switches without a neutral wire, a few key requirements must be met.
For the switch to work reliably, a neutral wire must be available at the lamp – even if it's missing at the wall switch. In very old setups like two-wire systems, a neutral might not be present at all, which is unsafe and must be fixed by a professional.
Not all bulbs are suitable for use with smart switches without a neutral. Some can’t handle the small residual voltage required. Use dimmable or switchable LED bulbs certified for smart use. The Shelly Bypass (included with Shelly 1L and 2L) helps ensure the switch gets enough current even with very low-consumption LEDs.
Most smart switches need a neutral wire. But smart devices like the Shelly 1L Gen3, Shelly 2L Gen3 and Shelly Dimmer Gen3 are designed to work without one.
The Shelly 1L Gen3 is a Wi-Fi smart relay made specifically for homes without a neutral wire at the wall switch. Once installed, it integrates your lights into your smart home system, making them controllable via voice, app or automation.
Need to control two separate lights without a neutral wire? The Shelly 2L Gen3 is your answer. It offers all the features of the 1L but supports dual-channel control – perfect for separate lighting circuits.
The Shelly Dimmer Gen3 lets you dim lights smartly and comfortably – with or without a neutral wire. Once installed, you can adjust brightness via app or voice command and even automate dimming at specific times.
Installing smart light switches without a neutral wire is easy with Shelly – but it should always be done by a professional. First, switch off the power. Then, install the Shelly behind the wall switch, connecting it to the live and switched load wires.
With LED bulbs, install the Shelly Bypass near the lamp to prevent flickering. Once wired, turn the power back on and integrate the switch via the Shelly Smart Control App.
Yes – the Shelly 1L Gen3, 2L Gen3 and Dimmer Gen3 are all designed for use without a neutral wire.
No – in older homes, it’s common for wall switches to lack a neutral wire.
Yes – with devices like the Shelly 1L Gen3, smart lighting is possible even without a neutral wire.
After installation, connect the Shelly 1L Gen3 to your Wi-Fi and complete setup using the Shelly app.
In buildings without neutral wires, Shelly 1L Gen3, 2L Gen3, and Dimmer Gen3 are ideal solutions for smart lighting.
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