Buyer information, not installation instructions. Requirements depend on the adopted local code and exact product. Electrical work and site diagnosis should be performed by qualified professionals.
USW8811 requires neutral and live conductors. USW8811-S is the single-live version. Both are US-format, one-gang Wi-Fi touch switches, so the full model designation matters when ordering. [Source]
Compare the wiring and supply ratings
| Model | Wiring version | Published supply |
|---|---|---|
| USW8811 | Neutral + live (N + L) | 90 to 250V AC, 50/60Hz |
| USW8811-S | Single live wire | 110 to 240V AC, 50/60Hz |
An electrician must identify the available conductors and check the model diagram. Neutral availability cannot be established by wire color alone, and a grounding conductor must never substitute for a neutral.
Keep the confirmed wiring version against each room in a renovation schedule. Rooms in the same property may need different selections.
Check the accessories and intended load
For the FAHINT model being quoted, establish whether a bypass accessory or minimum load applies. Include any required accessory in the quotation and sample pack.
No-neutral systems can have additional requirements. Leviton’s DN family, for example, uses its specified Wi-Fi bridge and an earth-ground connection. Those requirements describe Leviton’s system, not FAHINT’s. [Source]
Our catalog lists 1200W per gang for these switches without identifying every permitted lamp or motor type. It does not establish a 1200W LED rating. Send the lamp or driver model, quantity and wattage for load review. [Source]
For brightness control, select a dimming model. The switches compared here provide switching.
Evaluate the version you will order
Have the sample installed by the project electrician with the intended lamp and supplied instructions. Review local operation, the required app functions, and behavior after power or connectivity returns. Record the app, accessories and hardware version.
Keep that combination with the sample approval. The broader smart-switch guide compares Wi-Fi, Zigbee and touch-only options once the wiring requirement is settled.
What the wall usually has before anyone orders
In North American housing, a switch box from before the 1980s often carries a switch loop: line in, switched line out, no neutral waiting at the box. A neutral-required smart switch cannot be installed there without pulling a new conductor, which turns a product swap into an electrician's visit. That is the single most expensive surprise in a retrofit order.
The single-live version exists for exactly that wall, and it carries its own constraint: some low-load lamps leave too little current for the electronics to stay powered, which shows up as flicker or a dim indicator with the light off. Ask what lamp is fitted, not only what switch is wanted.
Zigbee adds a second dependency. The panel needs a compatible gateway on site, and the gateway is a separate line in the quotation. Touch-only panels need no gateway because they have no radio — they also will not appear in an app, and a buyer expecting app control will return them.
A useful starting point before a sample ships: four photographs — the inside of the box, the existing wiring, the wall opening with dimensions, and the old switch from the front. They answer the neutral question, the gang question and the frame question in one exchange.
Sources & further reading
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