Installing a smart switch can be a way of upgrading your homes in Singapore. However, it can be very technical if you are doing the installation by yourself. There are different factors that you need to consider if you want to install a smart switch inside your home such as having a stable Wi-Fi network while also having an adept knowledge of electrical installation. You also need to have an idea of how your home’s electrical wirings work. If you do not have an overview of the things that are mentioned, you might end up installing a defective smart switch and it will start to malfunction as soon as you use it.

Hence, we have come up with the idea to give you a thorough guide on how to properly install smart switches in your residential houses:

 

Make Sure Your Power Supply is Turned Off

Before you install a smart light switch, you should first turn off the power supply of your home. By doing this, you can guarantee your own safety and the safety of everyone you live with. If you leave your power supply on, then there is a risk that you will experience electrocution and electrical fire.

You should also make sure that there is no wiring voltage remaining by using a voltage tester. Just like you do whenever you are installing a smart bulb. You need to make sure that you have done this step first before you proceed with the smart switch installation. Aside from that, you also need to take the time to organize your circuit breaker.

 

Uncover The Electrical Wires Behind Your Switch

Once you have turned off your power supply, make sure that you can already see and examine the electrical wiring of your switch. In doing this, you first need to unscrew the wall cover and then remove the screw attached in the light switch. Carefully pull out the cover once you have removed the screws, and then check the wall boxes to make sure that you have enough room to install your home’s smart light switch. It is better to have a bigger space when installing a new smart switch because it will come with large electrical components.

 

Find The Neutral Wires

Neutral wires are important in installing a smart switch, usually, they are not connected to other wires. They have two black wires that connect to the main light switch, one wire supplies power, and the other acts as a load wire that produces power in a form of light.

Some homes in Singapore are established in the 1980s and they do not have neutral wires. Hence, you should make sure that you are living in a modern home before you install a smart switch. Even if there are a few types of light switches that can be installed without a specific wire requirement, they may need a special bridge to be connected. In this case, you should always keep in mind that smart light switches require neutral wires because they operate electronically. Without this, your smart switch will need a designated controller, remote server, or a smart hub to work.

Detach and Disconnect The Old Switch

It is very important to know exactly the setup of the wiring before your light switch replacement. Take a photo of it and keep it as a reference. You might need to look at it again before you install your new smart switch. Put a label on each with a color different from the other to prevent yourself from getting confused while doing this step. After replacing your light switch, you can now detach your old switch and keep it for future use.

 

Connect Your New Switch

Once everything above is done, you can now install your light switch in your home. There are four different ways of setting up the wiring of your new light switch:

• Lead Wiring: Use wire nuts to connect the designated wires. This is, however, a method that can be risky because it can cause faulty wiring.
• Side Wiring: Before tightening the terminal screws, this method requires attaching the wires first to the power terminals.
• Back Wiring: Note that you should only do this method if you have the exact sized wires. Insert the wires into the terminal holes at the back.
• Clamp Wiring: The smart switch wires should be inserted via the terminal holes at the back and then tighten the screws afterward.

 

Integrate Your New Switch

Once you are done with all the steps mentioned, this will be the last thing that you need to do, connect your installed smart switch to your home network or Wi-Fi. First, download the app that is needed for your smart switch. When you have successfully done this step, you can now control your lights digitally, either with a smartphone or with a personal computer.

 

Conclusion

Whenever you are installing a smart switch on your own, like how you do it in a smart bulb, you need to abide by the proper guidelines. If you do not do so, you will risk being electrocuted or starting a fire. Without the proper knowledge, you would also be confused as to how you need to connect all the wirings before you can manage to use your smart switch.

If you do not have the time to do all these steps on your own and if you are worried about experiencing any trouble in installing your new smart switch, you should not hesitate to call a professional electrician. Everyworks Singapore will always be available to assist you in your smart switch installation. You can guarantee the best service at a very affordable price.

 

Everyworks Singapore gives you the quickest solution to resolve all home maintenance issues faced by the busy modern individual. Fast response, fast arrangements and quality workmanship at reasonable and affordable prices.  As a leading trusted service provider in Singapore, we have served over 20,000 customers delivering outstanding service with hundreds of highly-rated reviews of our professional plumber, electrician, aircon servicing technicians and handyman teams. Read through our articles and browse our past works to find out more about our home services in Singapore. To find a quick solution to your home repair woes, contact our dedicated and fast response customer support with a picture or a quick text either by Whatsapp at +65 82410032 or calling us at +65 6909 0990. For email enquiries, send it to enquiry@everyworks.com.

 

This article is reproduced from Smart Switch City Singapore.