GE Smart C 2-amp Multi-Location White Wi-Fi Compatibility Touchless Illuminated Residential Light Switch with Wall

Tried nearly all of them, ended up with 4-wire design
I originally had a 3-wire switch that seemed to work just fine, except in my application. Let me explain. I replaced my ceiling fan which is deemed to be “smart”. Nowadays that means some form of app control, but really only mean there is no wall switch and only a remote. It does have an LED light kit and that’s where the 3-wire Cync switch ran into problems. Namely, it seems to condition the power on the load wire in a way that disabled (permanently off) the light kit. And you have to use it in line with the load wire in order to power the unit, which it draws from the difference created by the load. Bypassing the switch solved that problem, but not my needs of using the wall switch position for a switch to turn the Cync light strips (indirect lighting) on/off.Sure a solution would have been to go with a wireless switch, just that this version doesn’t support Alexa and most importantly doesn’t feature the glow ring which I quickly grew attached to. In my situation, the wall switch previously powered outlets until I repurposed it to power my old fan. Hence, I had a neutral wire to work with and that enables the use of the 4-wire version. My inquiries about that application returned generally that the load wire still is needed and therefore it’s unlikely that the 4-wire version is the solution.However, when reviewing the specs it turns out that the neutral wire (in addition to the line) provides a closed circuit and it’s a bit unclear what the load wire does (other than providing to a light fixture albeit not controlling it). For my needs, I tried to simply connect the wires to the available line and neutral, but not use the load wire as that was already bypassed (to mentioned fan). According to Cync, the Load wire is mandatory, even in the 4-wire design. Then again, unlike the 3-wire version, there is no minimum load requirement, which technically means it could be 0W or even open.It sure confirmed to be true and once I wired neutral and line to the switch, it booted up even with the load wire (red) disconnected. Problem solved! The switch is recognized by the app, and controls my CYNC full color light strips as intended. The brightness control works well, too. And of course the soft glow ring around the switch is there, too.A positive side effect is that apparently the 4-wire dimmer switch is currently on sale for $29 whereas the 3-wire version costs more. The latter is theoretically more versatile, but may affect devices on the load wire more than desired. Hence, if there is a white (neutral) wire, the 4-wire switch works better for me.

Not Ready for Primetime
April 2024 update: Dropped to 1 ⭐️I have had to replace almost half back to conventional switches because of leakage that makes some lights flicker – even after 30 minutes of attempting to reset the switch. Tech support is ABSOLUTELY USLESS. Again, they are not electricians and have no idea of how their own switches work. They read the same info that you will find on the website – right up to the point where it says call support. So, who does support call when it needs support.The only guess I have is that the switch temperature tolerance is WAY more restrictive than published. Every switch on an exterior wall (even insulated) has had this problem and it seems to be the only answer. Or, quality control is that bad.If you have a house with wiring before 1975: I recommend you AVOID this product.Has potential, but not quite ready for prime time – unless GE issues a lot of disclosures.1. If your house/flat was built prior to 1975, consult a handyman, or an electrician. (GE does not have an electrician on their support lines and read the exact same thing you will read online).2. If your house was upgraded from a fuse box prior to circuit breakers, consult an electrician (GE tech support is way out of their depth in this situation).3. If you wiring looks like the included pictures, you have metal boxes holding switches, or Rag-Wire (cloth covered wire); get an electrician and don’t bother calling GE tech support.Don’t get me wrong, I have 12 switches and four are setup as three-ways. My house is 90 years old and can make these switches work (mostly – will explain below). In general, I give the mechanics of the switch four stars. If you have an older house, or wring, this may be the only viable option to integrate smart switches (without the expenditure of re-wiring an entire house). Where the big hassles come from is more app related and tech support.The switches seems to be very sensitive to any surge, flux, or spike with current. When it happens, it randomly closes the circuit, or leaks energy to where the light will not completely turn off. Sometimes this can be fixed with resetting the switch – other times, I have had to detach it and wire it back in. It also does not play nice with certain brands of LED bulbs (they flicker). I have one that is a motion sensor – very, very sensitive (to the point where I had to turn it off). It seemed that shadows would trigger it.GE says this will not work unless it is grounded (wiring the green wire). This is so they can avoid liability and warranty issues. Their tech support tried to tell me that I am missing a wire. Again, age of house and wire. Grounding wires were not mainstream until mid 60’s. That being said, if you are going to wire it as a three way, get coloured electrical tape. It will help identify the common and travellers.Now the app issues. Setup is simple enough. Navigating through the app is a little clumsy; so I just use Alexa as much as possible. When setting up as a three-way, unlike other brands, these wire as a three-way, but do not operate quite as a three-way. You can not name the two switches the same. That means if you press on button for power and then use a verbal command later – you have to use the exact name of the switch that you originally pressed for power. You are forced to assign a switch to a room. When multiple switches were in the same room/group, turn one switch on, all would turn on. The work around on that is to create a separate room for each switch. Again, you can sorta work around that with Alexa and groupings. The last problem with the three-way setup; if one switch goes off line for what other reason, the other will not operate through Alexa, or the app. That leaves you with an expensive physical switch with a pretty light.The ring led light. It is on, or off, only. It is brighter than expected and I had to turn it off in some rooms because it was too bright for sleeping. It would be nice if they could program to where you can dim it, or at least put it on a schedule to turn off when sleeping.Tech support., ugh. They are not electricians. When running into the initial difficulty of the setup, they were telling me that I was missing a wire in the box (i.e. not having a ground wire). Then the second call it was that my wires were the wrong colour for being the common, or traveler – not understanding that the box was wired after (not before) the light. Again, if not inclined with wiring (or have a family full of master electricians), think about using a handyman or electrician.

I wasn’t sure by seing all negative comments but decided to try it anyway. I was pleased after installing the switch. I was replacing all my electrical wires in order to have a neutral one since my house was constructed in 68. With this switch, no need for a neutral wire and it Works just fine without it. The switch cost more then others on the market but seriously, if I don’t have to change all wires, I will gladly pay that price. Easy to install and the Cync app detected the switch in few seconds. The app isn’t great for automation but once linked with Alexa, i don’t need it. Also bought the switch without dimmer and it works great as well. Many people tells that the switch disconnect from wifi, mine didn’t but maybe make sure that tour wifi gets everywere in your house and when you want a smart home, you must have a router that can support a large amount if devices at the same time.

No era nuevo, el empaque ya estaba abierto y deteriorado, el dispositivo tenia señales claras de uso