Do I have a neutral wire?

[jleach8]

I'm going to start investing in UPB, but I just want to make sure I have what I need at the switch locations. I've read some posts and information about requiring a neutral at the switch. My house was just built about 18 months ago so I *think* I should be ok, but want to be sure. In the attached picture, the switch on the left controls some lights on the porch. The switch on the right is a three-way switch for a hallway light. Does it look like I have what I need? How can I determine for sure? Thanks

 

[sda]

The whites under the wirenuts are your neutrals. In your picture its possible they could be on different circuits, so don't tie them together.

Generally speaking, if you have a single pole switch that only has a black and white on it, its a switch loop and you don't have a neutral.

 

[mustangcoupe]

I'm going to start investing in UPB, but I just want to make sure I have what I need at the switch locations. I've read some posts and information about requiring a neutral at the switch. My house was just built about 18 months ago so I *think* I should be ok, but want to be sure. In the attached picture, the switch on the left controls some lights on the porch. The switch on the right is a three-way switch for a hallway light. Does it look like I have what I need? How can I determine for sure? Thanks

It appears you do, you have 3 romex wires in that box. I am going to assume 1 is the feed, 1 is the 3 way, and 1 is the porch. Take a DMM and measure the AC voltage from the black feed to white wires( which are wire nutted with all the other whites in the back of the box) This white should be your neutral.

What sometimes happens is the power is fed to the light fixture itself not to the switch box, and they use what I will consider a cheater loop(which is well within code in most areas) for the switch. So no matter how long ago your house was built they still do this in some places.

Disclosure:

**I am not an electrician proceed at your own risk, if you do not feel comfortable then contact qualified electrician before proceeding**

 

[jleach8]

The whites under the wirenuts are your neutrals. In your picture its possible they could be on different circuits, so don't tie them together.

Generally speaking, if you have a single pole switch that only has a black and white on it, its a switch loop and you don't have a neutral.

OK. So this looks like I should have what's needed to support the UPB dimmers? When I looked at the HAI 35A00 600w dimmer installation manual, it looks like there is a black (hot), ground, neutral (white), and then a red wire going to the light(s). It looks like I have two 14/2 wires with ground coming into that switch on the left, so I wasn't sure if I needed 14/3 instead.

 

[mustangcoupe]

14/2 with ground is standard. 14/3 would be used for 3-way ckts like it is in your picture

on the UPB switch you have ground, black - hot feed, white Neutral, and red hot out. I think they also have yellow which is for 3 way circuits if you are going to use remote slave switches(which is what SAI calls them not sure about HAI) instead of "virtual" 3 ways

 

[jleach8]

14/2 with ground is standard. 14/3 would be used for 3-way ckts like it is in your picture

on the UPB switch you have ground, black - hot feed, white Neutral, and red hot out. I think they also have yellow which is for 3 way circuits if you are going to use remote slave switches(which is what SAI calls them not sure about HAI) instead of "virtual" 3 ways

Ok, so in my case, for the switch on the left, I'd tie the white from the UPB switch into the white neutral wire nut, UPB black to the hot black, and the UPB red to the other black?

 

[mustangcoupe]

14/2 with ground is standard. 14/3 would be used for 3-way ckts like it is in your picture

on the UPB switch you have ground, black - hot feed, white Neutral, and red hot out. I think they also have yellow which is for 3 way circuits if you are going to use remote slave switches(which is what SAI calls them not sure about HAI) instead of "virtual" 3 ways

Ok, so in my case, for the switch on the left, I'd tie the white from the UPB switch into the white neutral wire nut, UPB black to the hot black, and the UPB red to the other black?

That sounds right, just confirm this with the HAI manual for the specific switch you are getting. Also you need to know which the hot black wire is and what the load black wire it. And by all means do not(or if getting an electrician do not let them) make any connections while live it will damage the switch.