New Caseta with Pico casuing static

[Shandley]

Good morning, This one is new to me. My in-laws asked me if they had a solution to a 3-way problem without cutting holes or running new wire. I said YES! I installed a new Lutron Caseta 600W (150W LED) dimmer with a pico on the facing wall. Now, these folks are old school and have a tie to AM radio. They said ever since that install, they have static on their AM radios. They said FM works fine. A bit of background: The house is old. 1930s old. They had a panel upgrade about 5 years ago and some grounded outlets put in. They are using approved Philips LED dimmable bulbs. This has been tested on both plug-in radios and battery powered radios. Thanks!

[SDR-Mike]

@Shandley- try replacing the LED bulbs with incandescent. The radio frequency for Clear Connect should not be interfering with the AM or FM bands. While very uncommon, LEDs can make "noise" on occasion that can result in the static you describe.

[randyc]

Clear Connect operates at 434 MHz. AM radio operates at 50-1700 KHz. Lutron only broadcasts when you push a button and then for a max of 6 seconds. There are a couple of AM radio stations that are known to interfere with Lutron radios. One is in NYC, another is near Charlotte, NC. I have not seen any reports of a Lutron device interfering with an AM radio signal.

Unlicensed HAM radios and pirate broadcasters can cause issues depending on the frequencies they use. It would be an amazing coincidence if one started up when you installed the dimmer but not impossible.

The general rule is that you need a minimum of 1 approved LED to meet the minimum load requirements. Depending on the specifics, you may need more than 1 bulb to meet the minimum. Too many bulbs can also be an issue. The bulbs are wired in series so the noise is amplified as it passes through each bulb. The dimmer will also amplify this noise.

I would also make sure your neutrals are separated. Even if you are using a non-neutral device. Neutral interaction can cause noise on the system.

[Shandley]

Soooo....

I tried a 100W incandescent and it still caused the problem.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

[randyc]

Your probably have already done this but... remove the dimmer and put the switch back in. If the static goes away, we know it is affected by the dimmer.

LED manufacturers often change their electronics after it has been tested by Lutron. It is possible that, even though the bulb is on the approved list, there are compatibility issues.

The dimmer is very low power. Does the static continue if you move the radio away from the dimmer?