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Electrical WiringRenovatingLighting
heidi_may62

Smart Outlets & Light Switches???

4 years ago

I’m in the process of updating my home. It was built in the mid 70s.

I’d like to buy smart outlets and light switches, but most of the ones I’m interested in buying require a neutral wire and I’m not sure if my wiring has that or not.

I’ve had several “handy men” come out to help me figure it out, but they haven’t been able to determine if I do or do not have the necessary wiring.

So I’m kind of hoping that based on these pics someone on here might be able to tell me if I do or don’t. TIA.

Comments (4)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Your "handy men" are idiots. I suggest you give no credence to them in the future, even if they are related. The white wire is the neutral wire. Black is hot. Bare wire is ground.

  • 4 years ago

    Yes...please do not let these 'handymen" anywhere near your house.

  • 4 years ago

    "but most of the ones I’m interested in buying require a neutral wire..."

    Outlets will always have a neutral wire as noted above. You can't power anything without both a hot and a neutral wire. The problem is with switches; many (most?) don't have a neutral wire so that will limit what you can install to control lights and/or outlets.

    Describe what you are trying to achieve. That may result in more help.

  • 4 years ago

    Outlets will always have a hot (usually black, sometimes red) and a neutral (white).

    Switches will always have a hot, but may or may not have a neutral. If the switch is on a ”switch leg”, it will not have a neutral. If a switch is connected to a black and a white (the white might have black tape/paint/marker on it), then the switch is probably on a ”switch leg”.

    ”Smart switches” will usually require a neutral and, often, are hard/impossible to use on a ”switch leg”.

    Sometimes you can buy ”smart switches” that are battery powered and communicate wirelessly with the target outlet/device.


    All of your photos seem to be of an electrical outlet. You are more likely to have a problem with a switch (due to possibly not having a neutral) than with an outlet.


    Maybe post photos of some switches you would like to replace. It might be possible to tell if the switch has a neutral. I would trust an electrician to give the right answer vs a handyman.


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