Caseta dimmer switch intermittently not turning on the lights

[mchampion]

I've had Caseta dimmer switches and fan speed controllers, as well as Pico remotes, installed in my master bedroom and another room in the house for the last 3+ years and they've always worked great without issues. Recently the light dimmer switch in the master bedroom will intermittently fail to turn on the lights. When I press the on button or brightness up button, the green lights on the switch respond, but the light itself doesn't turn on. If I press the off button and then try again, it usually works as it should. This doesn't happen every time, only intermittently. When it is having this issue, I also can't turn it on from the app, the Pico remote, or using Alexa, as the switch and app already think the light is on. The fan controller and lights in the other room work without issue. I've tried resetting the switch by pulling the little tab at the bottom for 10 seconds, and reset the hub by powering it off and back on again. Neither of these things fixed it. I haven't pulled the switch to check the wiring, but I can't imagine that's an issue since it's been working for years and still works intermittently. Could my switch be going bad?

[randyc]

The switch could be going bad. However, I would try these first:

All dimmers have a minimum load rating. It's possible you have dropped below the minimum. Try replacing 1 or 2 bulbs. LEDs have drivers (transformers). It is possible one of them is going bad or getting weaker.

If you changed bulbs recently you could have a compatibility issue.

If your dimmer has a neutral connection, make sure it is connected. There are some instances where Lutron says you don't need it. Connect it anyway. It can prevent situations like this.

[Jonathan K.]

Hello,

Based on the feedback from the LED indicator lights of the dimmer when it is being operated, I do not think the switch itself is defective. Additionally, having to cycle a dimmer on/off/on to get the lights to turn is typically indicative of an LED incompatibility issue. If you are controlling LEDs with the dimmer (and they are replaceable bulbs) I suggest testing the dimmer with incandescent bulbs or with LEDs from lutron.com/ledfinder. This will narrow down if the issue is being caused by the lights or by the dimmer.

[mchampion]

The switch could be going bad. However, I would try these first:

All dimmers have a minimum load rating. It's possible you have dropped below the minimum. Try replacing 1 or 2 bulbs. LEDs have drivers (transformers). It is possible one of them is going bad or getting weaker.

If you changed bulbs recently you could have a compatibility issue.

If your dimmer has a neutral connection, make sure it is connected. There are some instances where Lutron says you don't need it. Connect it anyway. It can prevent situations like this.

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't recently changed the LED bulbs, they've been in there for several years, so I'll do that now to see if it fixes the problem. I'll check to make sure I attached the neutral wire if changing the bulbs doesn't fix the problem and I have to pull the switch.

Hello,

Based on the feedback from the LED indicator lights of the dimmer when it is being operated, I do not think the switch itself is defective. Additionally, having to cycle a dimmer on/off/on to get the lights to turn is typically indicative of an LED incompatibility issue. If you are controlling LEDs with the dimmer (and they are replaceable bulbs) I suggest testing the dimmer with incandescent bulbs or with LEDs from lutron.com/ledfinder. This will narrow down if the issue is being caused by the lights or by the dimmer.

They are LEDs, but they have been working for several years without issues. It would seem odd that they would all of a sudden be incompatible. I'll try replacing them with new LED bulbs first, but will try some halogens if that doesn't fix the problem.