Lights don't dim enough - Caseta ELV+. PD5NE

[donb6]

I installed a Caseta ELV+ in my basement. Circuit contains 10 Feit 900 lumen ( 25 watt -75 watt equivalent.) retrofit led cans in a 3 way switch with Pico replacing the other switch. Issue is I can't get the lights to dim enough. I tried adjusting the lower trim, but only goes down to about 33% brightness. When I try to adjust lower level trim, lights only go down to this level, then adjustment stops. No flickering or any other issues. I have tried this in both modes, neither one dims sufficiently.

[Brian W.]

It sounds like this is a limitation of the cans and not the dimmer. If you substituted an incandescent light for one of the LEDs, you'd see how dim the PD-5NE makes the lights.

[donb6]

Can I install an additional light fixture, in the utility closet, between the circuit breaker and the switch, for an incandescent bulb to allow the led cans to dim lower? This way the lighting in the basement will be consistent, and the bulb in the utility closet would only be on when the basement lights are on and won't be seen in the rest of the basement. I believe there are no issues with having LED's and incandescent bulbs on the same dimmer, other than the light output would be different between the led and incandescent bulbs. Is there an issue with having the fixture before the switch? I am using the Caseta ELV+

Thank you

[Brian W.]

The incandescent bulb would have to be between the dimmer and the LEDs, not between the breaker and the dimmer.
Also, installing an additional incandescent bulb wouldn't allow the LEDs to dim lower. It would just show you how low the dimmer can dim, while those LEDs can't get that low.

[donb6]

Confusion was on my part. I had the Maestro dimmer installed, the led cans dimmed sufficiently, but I had issues with flickering. I thought that using the ELV+ with the neutral wire, the flickering issue my be resolved. With the Maestro the flickering was re-mediated by installing an incandescent bulb. The dimming range of the ELV is not sufficient to dim to the level I could get with the Maestro, with the same leds. I like the remote functionality of the Caseta, the trade off in dimming range is a deal killer. The box for the leds say they will dim to 15% brightness, but with the Caseta I am not getting anywhere close to that.

Thanks again.

[SDR-Mike]

donb6- have you tried adjusting the low end trim on the PD-5NE yet?

[donb6]

yes I did - cans dimmed to my estimate of 50%, before they stopped dimming during the adjustment process.
and i tired the trim adjustment in both modes.

Nowhere near the dimming range of the Maestro