thanks to all who didn't have a smart ass answer. it makes sense that the
electronics within the device would need a neutral to be powered, so this
illuminates (ha ha) everything for me.
-c

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
...

"aptpupil" wrote in message
. ..
i have a couple single pole switches for which i'd like to have a motion
sensor switch instead. the current switches have two wires connected: a
hot coming into the bottom and then the switched hot going out of the top
to the light bulb. when i looked around at the motion sensing switches it
has four wires (black, red [for the load], white and green) and says it
requires a neutral. i've never come across a switch that has a neutral
hooked up to it. what am i missing here?
tia,
c

The hot (black) and neutral (white) are to power the electronics in the
switch for the sensor. The red wire is switched and usually goes to the
light and then the other wire from the light goes back to the neutral.