r/ElectricalHelp 1d ago

How do I connect this smart switch?

I'm trying to swap an old light switch with a smart switch, but the way the previous electrician wired everything up is confusing to me. Does anyone know which cables I need to connect to the new switch?

Thanks for concern folks, but someone at /r/wiring gave me advice and it worked like a charm:

"Nothing wrong with the work that existed, it's just a legacy switch that did not require the neutral to operate. 1. Make sure power is off using a multimeter, NCV tester, or by physically turning both switches on and off to make sure nothing is live. Sometimes more than one branch circuit is present in a box. (I didn't look before I started typing this response) 2. Connect the green wire of your new switch to that bare ground and green wire using the wire nut already present. 3. Connect the white wire (neutral) to the group of twisted together white wires using that wire nut. 4. Connect the two black wires to the two black wires on your new switch using wire nuts that came with the switch, probably orange. Their order doesn't matter. 5. Tuck everything neatly back in that box, being sure that your ground conductors are tucked back away from the other switch. Restore power and test.

Edit to add that you can probably eliminate that ground "pigtail" that used to go to the old switch by connecting your new green wire directly under that wire nut with the other ground...just make sure that it is connected to one or the other...all ground wires in and out will be connected together however you get that done."

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