One of the things I'm not clear about with home automation (I'm a noob) is what the role of the dimmer in the Lutron Caseta is. I understand on-off control, but if the bulb can be set to a specific intensity directly, what does the dimmer in the Caseta actually do? Does it lower the voltage to the bulb, like an incandescent lamp dinner would? Or does it program the bulb intensity like an app would?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HomeKit What does the Lutron Caseta Dimmer Do?
- Thread starter Psychopasta
- Start date
-
- Tags
- lutron caseta
- Sort by reaction score
The dimmer switches are meant to be used with any led dimmable bulb not necessarily smart bulbs. So they adjust voltage as a way to dim. They do not adjust a smart bulb settings in any way.
You could create an automation that if you changed the dimmer switches strings then it’d do something to a smart bulbs settings, but that’s a can of worms that must be carefully planned out imho. If the smart bulb is connected to whatever the dimmer controls.
One example of something you could do however, I have several lights on a smart switch outside. I also have one smart bulb outside that is on a different non smart switch. So I designed an automation so anytime I turn on the smart switch it automatically turns on the smart bulb as well. Same for turning them off.
You could create an automation that if you changed the dimmer switches strings then it’d do something to a smart bulbs settings, but that’s a can of worms that must be carefully planned out imho. If the smart bulb is connected to whatever the dimmer controls.
One example of something you could do however, I have several lights on a smart switch outside. I also have one smart bulb outside that is on a different non smart switch. So I designed an automation so anytime I turn on the smart switch it automatically turns on the smart bulb as well. Same for turning them off.
Thanks. I am setting up a new smart home from scratch (we move in Aug 1 and once the dust has settled I'll be setting it up. Should I bother with wall switches at all then? I can understand maybe on/off, but dimmer switches seem like they are no longer necessary.
Depends…. If you aren’t using lights that change color or temperature then I’d say a dimmer switch makes more sense if it’s lights in the celing because one switch will control them all. If it’s in a lamp well then that’s different and I’d go with the bulb. Many ways to set it up and no one way is perfect all the time.
Consider what the bulbs can do and how they will be used in the room to decide what would work best in each room. But consistency is probably best as well.
Consider what the bulbs can do and how they will be used in the room to decide what would work best in each room. But consistency is probably best as well.
you absolutely do not want to put a smart bulb into a fixture controlled by any kind of dimmer (smart or dumb). Reducing voltage to electronics like that can cause issues once you get below a certain point. It will depend on the bulb though, some should be better at handling it. And depending on the dimmer you have, they can dirty up the power even when they're at full, and cause problems with electronics.
If you've got a smart bulb, you also do not want the power controlled by a smart switch. If you turn off the switch, the bulb will drop off the network. So you won't be able to turn the bulb on remotely, unless you turn the switch on first. And depending on the bulbs, having missing ones can affect the stability of that entire system. as it will keep trying to send commands to that light, and not getting a response, so it resends, and slows down traffic going to lights that are still there.
You also don't want "dumb" switches controlling smart bulbs , if people hit the wall switch (like they've learned to do their entire life), then you've got no remote control of the bulb. Some like hue let you set what happens when they get power back though, so they'll work like dumb bulbs.
if you've got "dumb" LED lights you'll need to look the specs if you're putting them on a smart switch, some can handle dimming, others can't. And even if they say they can dim, they might not dim well. So you'll need to get a switch/relay (only on or off) for those instead of a dimmer. I did find some dumb bulbs that dimmed OK, they even got warmer as the power went lower.
I've got a mix of smart bulbs and switches. The smart bulbs (Hue) are mostly in lamps, so just plugged into an outlet. The one exception is the light on a ceiling fan. I wired around that switch but just left the switch in the wall box, so it doesn't do anything anymore, It's still fairly legal since there is a pull chain on the fixture itself to kill power to the socket. and just use homekit to control them
I've got "dimmable" dumb LEDs in the bathroom, some wall sconces and a LED "can" light. even though their specs say they can dim, they don't dim well. at 1% on the switch, they pop on to about 40%, and the lights are close to full by the time you get the dimmer to 50% or so. they flicker when dimmed, and because they are a cooler color temperature, the light coming off them looks really horrible at lower levels.
Hue has a device that goes behind your regular wall switch, Once it's wired in it sends power all the time to the lamp, but it uses your old wall switch for control. And you can configure it so that turning the switch on, turns on the entire room, even if those lamps are just plugged into an outlet
They also have a controller that looks like a switch, but it just sticks to the wall with adhesive, no wiring required.
there are also homekit buttons, that give you control of lights without having to grab your phone, or yell at siri. So you can "Hotwire" your switch, and put the button beside it.
If you've got a smart bulb, you also do not want the power controlled by a smart switch. If you turn off the switch, the bulb will drop off the network. So you won't be able to turn the bulb on remotely, unless you turn the switch on first. And depending on the bulbs, having missing ones can affect the stability of that entire system. as it will keep trying to send commands to that light, and not getting a response, so it resends, and slows down traffic going to lights that are still there.
You also don't want "dumb" switches controlling smart bulbs , if people hit the wall switch (like they've learned to do their entire life), then you've got no remote control of the bulb. Some like hue let you set what happens when they get power back though, so they'll work like dumb bulbs.
if you've got "dumb" LED lights you'll need to look the specs if you're putting them on a smart switch, some can handle dimming, others can't. And even if they say they can dim, they might not dim well. So you'll need to get a switch/relay (only on or off) for those instead of a dimmer. I did find some dumb bulbs that dimmed OK, they even got warmer as the power went lower.
I've got a mix of smart bulbs and switches. The smart bulbs (Hue) are mostly in lamps, so just plugged into an outlet. The one exception is the light on a ceiling fan. I wired around that switch but just left the switch in the wall box, so it doesn't do anything anymore, It's still fairly legal since there is a pull chain on the fixture itself to kill power to the socket. and just use homekit to control them
I've got "dimmable" dumb LEDs in the bathroom, some wall sconces and a LED "can" light. even though their specs say they can dim, they don't dim well. at 1% on the switch, they pop on to about 40%, and the lights are close to full by the time you get the dimmer to 50% or so. they flicker when dimmed, and because they are a cooler color temperature, the light coming off them looks really horrible at lower levels.
Hue has a device that goes behind your regular wall switch, Once it's wired in it sends power all the time to the lamp, but it uses your old wall switch for control. And you can configure it so that turning the switch on, turns on the entire room, even if those lamps are just plugged into an outlet
They also have a controller that looks like a switch, but it just sticks to the wall with adhesive, no wiring required.
there are also homekit buttons, that give you control of lights without having to grab your phone, or yell at siri. So you can "Hotwire" your switch, and put the button beside it.
Yes thank you! This was exactly my concern. I think what I really need is something like the Lutron Aurora, which keeps the wiring as is but just physically locks the switch on and then provides the control via Hue. However, I'm not keen to enter the Hue ecosystem. What would you recommend for non-Hue control?
the nanoleaf essential bulbs look to be fairly reliable and not that expensive.
they also support thread, which will give you better response than a bluetooth bulb, and similar response compared to wifi, or their own protocol (like hue). You will need what's called a thread edge router to use it though, which is just a connection between your home network and the thread network. there may be more out there now, but the main ones are a HomePod mini (not full-size), the brand new appleTV 4k, and coming soon to the nano-leaf tiles that stick on the wall (might already have arrived, and might not every model).
think of thread as basically fancy type of wifi that's geared for home automation, it's very low power, even less than bluetooth, and it's a mesh network, any devices that are connected to the power lines in your house are automatically repeaters, so it can help reach devices all around your house.
they also support thread, which will give you better response than a bluetooth bulb, and similar response compared to wifi, or their own protocol (like hue). You will need what's called a thread edge router to use it though, which is just a connection between your home network and the thread network. there may be more out there now, but the main ones are a HomePod mini (not full-size), the brand new appleTV 4k, and coming soon to the nano-leaf tiles that stick on the wall (might already have arrived, and might not every model).
think of thread as basically fancy type of wifi that's geared for home automation, it's very low power, even less than bluetooth, and it's a mesh network, any devices that are connected to the power lines in your house are automatically repeaters, so it can help reach devices all around your house.