
Instead, you’ll only find load, line, and (hopefully) ground wires. Without a neutral wire, they don’t work, and that’s a problem because most older homes don’t have neutral wires. Most smart switches take advantage of that neutral wire to provide power to the circuitry that listens for your app or voice assistant signal. If you have a standard light switch, you’ll probably find the load, line (both black), and ground (green) connected to the switch, and any neutral wires (white) bundled at the back. In most modern homes in the U.S., if you open your light switch box, you’ll find four wires: load, line, neutral, and ground. Now C by GE has a new smart switch for you that ditches the neutral wire and the hub. Older homes often don’t have neutral wires, and hubs are complicated and expensive. But there’s a problem: most smart switches require neutral wires and maybe a hub. C by GE hasn’t announced any pricing details yet.Most of the time, if you have to choose between smart bulbs and smart light switches, you should get the switch. The wired and wireless C by GE dimmers, switches, and remotes are slated to arrive in “early” 2020, while the motion sensor should land later this year. Both of the wire-free dimmers comes with adhesive backings for wall mounting. Last but not least is a pair of wire-free dimmer switches, one of which allows for dimming and color control while the second is a dimmer-only model. Like the motion sensor, the new wireless remotes are rated for two years of battery life, and they also come with magnetic backings that let you attach them to (for example) the metal base of a lamp or a metallic table leg. C by GEĬ by GE’s new wireless remotes come in two configurations: one that controls both color and dimmer, as well as a dimmer-only version. The Bluetooth-enabled sensor is rated for about two years of battery life, and it also comes equipped with temperature and humidity sensors for “future” device integrations, GE says.Īlso on tap from C by GE are a pair of new wireless remotes, including a dimmer and color-control model and a dimmer-only remote. It’s compatible with C by GE smart bulbs, switches, and plugs. C by GEĬ by GE’s new wireless motion sensor can be mounted on a wall or rested on any other flat horizontal surface.Ĭapable of detecting both motion and ambient light, the motion sensor has a 110-degree viewing angle, and 25-foot range. Įach of the new hubless smart switches and dimmers support out-of-home control, along with scheduling, light grouping, and the ability to set up lighting scenes.īesides its no-hub smart switches, C by GE announced a stand-alone wire-free motion sensor that you can either mount on a wall or put on any other flat surface.

We’re hoping to hear more at CES about how C by GE manages the no-hub trick with its latest smart switches.Ĭompatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, the new hub-less C by GE smart switches and dimmers come in five configurations: a dimmer switch, a dimmer switch with a built-in motion sensor, an on-off button, an on-off paddle switch, and an on-off toggle switch.

There are other smart switches that will work without a neutral wire (models by Lutron and Insteon come to mind), but they all require hubs or bridges to connect to your home’s router.

Unveiled in the lead-up to CES 2020, the new C by GE Hubless Three-Wire Smart Switches and Hubless Dimmers are compatible with older homes that lack a neutral wire in their light switch junction boxes.
Smart switch without neutral series#
That’s about to change thanks to C by GE, which just announced a series of no-hub smart switches and dimmers that don’t need neutral wiring.
Smart switch without neutral install#
Sure, you can install some brands of smart switches in a junction box that doesn't have a neutral wire, but until now, you’d also need a hub to make the smart switch work.
