Need to replace light switch - No Neutral?

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

I have Z-wave paddle switch devices all over my house. Recently, 2 of them have stopped working (after 5 plus years), and need to be replaced.

One of these is in a bathroom. I don’t remember, and never did understand, but the switch in this bathroom is different than every other switch in the house. Something about the current runs through the bathroom light??? Or possibly no neutral??? The switch in this bathroom was made by Leutron, and all of the other switches in my house are GE/Jasco. I can’t see any model number on the switch, but I have attached a photo.

Can anyone tell me what is unique about this switch, and where I can find a replacement?

2

I suspect your bathroom switch is by Leviton, not Lutron. Lutron does not make Z-Wave switches.

Leviton made Z-Wave switches without a neutral in older products, say five or more years ago, when the majority of lighting loads were incandescent. With the move to LEDS, all current generation Leviton products require a neutral wire.

It’s hard to tell from your photo, but it looks like there might be a neutral in the box.

3

If you have 3 wire Romex then you have a neutral. You would need to look further into the gang box and see if black, white, and copper ground are coming out of the rubber Romex coating.

The picture is tough to tell and looks like 2 whites and 2 blacks into the switch. I’m only a self learner but perhaps some pictures more clearly showing the wires.

I’ll try to help.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

4

I would consult with a qualified electrician. It looks like there could be neutral in the box, but it is unwise to depend on wire color to determine that! And a mistake in electrical witing can cause a lot of very bad things to happen. There are tests that can be done to ensure that the wires are connected correctly.

5

Exactly correct.

6

Thank you all for the replies.

Actually, I did consult with an electrician, and that is how I was able to obtain a Leviton switch that worked. Actually, even without Z-wave, just a regular light switch will not work in this bathroom. It has to be an unusual type, the name/type of which I cannot remember. Trouble is, that was 5 years ago, and I no longer remember what he told me back then, except that the wiring in that bathroom is “wierd”. Since I have neutrals everwhere else in the house, I don’t think that is the problem.

In the photograph, there are 2 white wires, and 1 black wire, connected to the switch. Normally, you would have 2 black wires (incoming and outgoing power), and one common. Somehow, this is the key to why this switch needs to be different.

Since this particular bathroom still uses only incandescent bulbs, I would be happy to replace the switch with an identical one, if I just knew what that swtich is.

7

It almost looks like a double-pole switch (switches two circuits simultaneously) or 4-way switch without a ground terminal.

What color are the terminal screws on the other side of the switch?
Does it control other fixtures simultaneously?
How many light fixtures and lights does the switch control?
Do any other switches control the same light fixtures (i.e. 3-way/4-way)?
Are any of the wires tied together in the box (e.g. the two black wires)?

Photos for the above will help.

Also, if you are comfortable with using a multi-meter on a live circuit, you should be able to determine the line vs. load terminals by testing the terminals with the switch both in the on and off positions which can help determine the type of switch. There are a lot of how-to-guides on YouTube.

Finally, someone might be able to provide help identifying the switch here but you will need answers to the above - Home Improvement Stack Exchange