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Thread: The Fatal Flaw of the Lutron Caseta System

  1. #1
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    The Fatal Flaw of the Lutron Caseta System

    I've installed several Lutron switches over the past year—some dimmers, some plug-in dimmers, and a handful of Pico remotes. By and large, I love the product, but there's one fatal flaw which prevents me from ripping out all my old switches and going with Caseta exclusively: It drives me absolutely crazy that the Caseta dimmers don't default to the last dimming level when you turn them on. At least 80% of the time, I use my lights at a somewhat dimmed level. So with the Caseta dimmers, the user has to turn the light on (to 100%) and then manually dim. Every. Single. Time. It boggles the mind that the cheaper Pico remotes (with their middle "favorite" button) have better functionality than the expensive Caseta dimmers. Until they does something about this, I'm saying no to additional Lutron products in my house.

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    Actually, there is a Caseta switch which has the middle favorite button. It is the PD-5NE-WH. All you have to do is set the middle button to you favorite dimmed setting. No fatal flaw.

  3. #3
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    The 5NE was a late addition to the Caseta line. However, it is past the time for Lutron to update the other models with the favorite button.

    To the OP's point, I would like the option of having the on button default to last-used or preset with double-tap for full-on. If the Caseta engineers need help the Maestro group has been doing this for 150 years.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

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    Quote Originally Posted by davisadm View Post
    Actually, there is a Caseta switch which has the middle favorite button. It is the PD-5NE-WH. All you have to do is set the middle button to you favorite dimmed setting. No fatal flaw.
    Ha, I don't know how I haven't heard of this until now. I do notice, however, that on Amazon, one of these units currently costs almost twice as much as the more standard dimmer (without the middle button). Why would that be?

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    Switch is just for very limited purposes

    Quote Originally Posted by Bdscott742 View Post
    Ha, I don't know how I haven't heard of this until now. I do notice, however, that on Amazon, one of these units currently costs almost twice as much as the more standard dimmer (without the middle button). Why would that be?
    I, too, hadn't known of this switch, and surprisingly learned that its been around for some time. I was looking for the ability to schedule a Caseta Dimmer switch to come on and off at the same dim level everyday and can't figure out how to do so. Then I came across this thread and still don't know that with this switch that I could so schedule on and off at a preset dimming level. I'm still puzzled??After studying the use and application of this particular switch, I've preliminarily concluded 4 things: (1) this switch isn't needed for the general applications that the Caseta line was intended for, so best to skip it (2) its application is for higher wattage and special electronic situations that most will never need, (3) this is crazy expensive, (4) major flaw is labelling or putting this in the Caseta category or product group, which heretofore had be for products NOT requiring a Neutral line. This "looks and feels" like a Caseta, but it doesn't seem to "fit" as such.This product had been around for sometime but had quietly peculiarly been in the background as it has limited utility for most people. Am I wrong?

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    Totally agree with the OP. Not remembering the dim level is just weird as well as annoying

  7. #7
    Rubbish! Of Course its a caseta switch - it works like any other caseta switch in every way - it certainly fits - its just for special case problematic loads.Yes it is more expensive and yes it needs a neutral. Why - because it is designed to dim problematic loads (ELV/MLV) - nobody else dims these reliably without a neutral either - That's why its more expensive. Yes it also has the extra memory button, I don't know why it's the only dimmer that does - I agree they should make more at more reasonable cost But If you have 2 way circuits - move the dimmer to the least used location and put a Pico where you use it most often - the Pico has the extra button. Or use an additional scene control (2 or 4 button) Pico and set whatever brightness levels you want for a range of circuits in the same room all on one button. Example - in the entry to my Kitchen I have a wall panel with just 4 pico remotes. A 2 button pico controls two hidden away Lutron switches for LED under-cabinet lights. 2 regular picos are for 2 way dimmers where the actual dimmers are in the less used position and one is a 4 button scene remote to control all the lights in the room. These are smart dimmers/switches - implies we need need to think about using them in new ways.Alan

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bdscott742 View Post
    ... there's one fatal flaw which prevents me from ripping out all my old switches and going with Caseta exclusively: It drives me absolutely crazy that the Caseta dimmers don't default to the last dimming level when you turn them on.
    Having installed a couple Lutron Maestro dimmers before my first Casèta wall dimmer, this behavior came as something of an unfortunate surprise to me.

    It would make sense, to me, for the Casèta wall dimmers to have the same UI as the Maestro dimmers: A single press of "On" raises the light(s) to the last level set by the up/down controls, and double-tap "On" for full brightness.

    It's not a show-stopper for me, though. We want lighting control. I'm tired of battling with X-10's foibles and limitations. Of all the current systems available, Casèta seems to me the best way to go. So I'll live with this little fly in the ointment.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Billsson View Post
    I'm tired of battling with X-10's foibles and limitations. Of all the current systems available, Casèta seems to me the best way to go.
    I too switched from X10 to Caséta after being constantly annoyed that X10 worked only about 70% of the time (and less and less every year as more electronic devices were added to the power line). Yes, I miss the ability to save a dim level. What's really galling, though, is that my 20-year-old Smarthome 2384W dimmers did a much better job of dimming LED loads than do the Caséta dimmers. I never had flicker issues before.

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