Do I need a bypass?
I just installed 5 GE reveal LED bulbs into a chandelier and my switch started doing this.
Video of LZW31-SN flashing (could not attach to post for some reason)
Neutral or non-neutral?
Was it working fine before and you changed the bulbs, or is this a new install?
(I fixed the model # in the subject.)
Non-neutral.
I had some other LED bulbs in the chandelier before switching to the GE reveal bulbs and it was working fine.
Looks like the previous bulbs pulled 9w each and these GE reveal bulbs only pull 8w.
It couldn’t hurt to try a bypass. You can’t say for sure that it will remedy the problem until you try it.
I looked over the specs of the switch:
Min Wattage: If neutral wire is used, there is no minimum wattage required. However, if no neutral is installed, there needs to be at least 25W for the switch to work.
There was a bundle of neutrals behind the faceplate that I just wasn’t using. Decided to try adding the neutral wire and my issue is resolved.
TIL the benefits of using a neutral wire.
Thanks for the help.
Although you may have solved the switch issue, you likely introduced a serious safety issue in the process.
Since the switch leg with the issue is a non-neutral, that means the power for that leg starts at the light. That makes it extremely unlikely that the neutral you just borrowed for the switch is on the same branch circuit (i.e. breaker). If it was, the hot and neutral would have originated at the box and you wouldn’t have had a non-neutral.
If that is the case, then what you just did is known as “borrowing a neutral”. That is a dangerous practice, as it can cause a circuit to become overloaded among other problems, posing a safety issue. For that reason, the NEC and other electrical codes specifically prohibit that practice. If that’s what you did, I would undo that and try a bypass.
1 Like
Hmmm thanks for the further insight.
The switch right next to my LZW31-SN is a dumb three way switch and its connected to the neutral. Is it still a safety issue?
If it’s a dumb 3 way then it’s not a neutral. Photos would be best to help.
Sorry for the delayed response, been busy. I’m noticing some random flickering with the chandelier. The flickers are spaced out like every 10 minutes or some. I haven’t timed it yet.
Could this be a result of “borrowing the neutral”?