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Thread: PD-6ANS and PD-6WCL not Adding to Caseta via App

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2018
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    3

    PD-6ANS and PD-6WCL not Adding to Caseta via App

    I'm new to the Lutron Support Community, so please pardon any redundant posts.

    I recently completed construction of my new house. I have a technical background in IP/Ethernet routing/switching etc but I have nothing more than common sense familiarity with electricity. In other words, I'm NOT an expert nor will I pretend to be, so I'm completely comfortable with responses that begin with, "Hey moron, you overlooked the simplest explanation ..."

    The electrical contractor we used for our home construction installed all the switches and ensured they worked properly but they did NOT configure/connect any of the smart-home/caseta capabilities. I handle that part myself. I have 16 lutron devices in my home that support caseta connectivity and 14 of them added to the caseta environment following the basic "Add Device" feature in the Lutron app. I will say, however, that a handful of the 14 devices that eventually added to the environment didn't go through the process smoothly. I had to place them into Link mode several different times and even stop and restart the application multiple times before they were finally discovered and the configuration window would pop up to complete the configuration. I have a Smart Bridge 2 and I even purchased a Range Extender to ensure I wasn't encountering a distance limitation even though I had other devices that added smoothly which were further away than the problematic switches. After finally getting most of these devices added, I still have one PD-6ANS and one PD-6WCL dimmer that will not add to Caseta app. When I put the app in "Add Device" mode, both switches recognize the link request and begin the slow blink of the LED, but they will never link/pair to the Smart Bridge one they go into link/pair mode. The app simply sits there and never seems to recognize the link/pair request from these two switches.

    Again, my apologies if this is dumb question, but I'm stuck. I've tried for 3 days to add these final 2 devices and I can't seem to crack the secret code. I've tried the "press 3 times on the top button and hold down on the 3rd press and then press 3 more times" reset option and that seems to have the intended "reset" effect, but even after doing that I still can't add the switches to my caseta environment. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Like you, not an Expert, but I do have a number of Caseta switches and dimmers and have recently replaced my Smart Bridge with a Pro version, so I am painfully familiar with having to add the devices again. It sounds like you're doing everything right. I'm guessing that you're bumping up against a radio range problem. How far away from the Bridge are the 2 devices that are busting your chops, and what kind of box are they in (metal or plastic)?

  3. #3
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2018
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    That's a great question/point about the "kind of box". I'm fairly certain they are all in metal boxes. It's a 4 gang plate (2 lutron switches and two simple rocker switches that control closet lights) and it's about 50 ft away from the actual Smart Bridge; however, I have a Range Extender placed approximately half-way between the switches and the Smart Bridge and I have a couple of other switches (which are working with Caseta) that are even further away.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by TXK-John View Post
    That's a great question/point about the "kind of box". I'm fairly certain they are all in metal boxes. It's a 4 gang plate (2 lutron switches and two simple rocker switches that control closet lights) and it's about 50 ft away from the actual Smart Bridge; however, I have a Range Extender placed approximately half-way between the switches and the Smart Bridge and I have a couple of other switches (which are working with Caseta) that are even further away.
    I would expect a metal box to mute the RF performance. If I were having this problem, I would:

    1. Swap the non pairing dimmer/switch with one in a location that paired easily. Does the uncooperative device now pair in the new location? If not, you've got a defective device. Replace it. If so.....
    2. Move the cooperative device that you took out of the new location to the location where the uncooperative device wouldn't pair. If it pairs, problem solved. If it doesn't, you've likely got an RF issue so I would....
    3. Pull the device out of the wall, still connected to the wires. Try to pair it. Does it pair? If so, the signal is strong enough at your location and switching to a plastic box may solve your problem. If it doesn't pair you might want to experiment with different locations for that Range Extender.

  5. #5
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2018
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    Sounds like solid recommendations. I already planned on trying #2, but it requires I visit with my electrician first, so I was hoping there might be some other super-secret Lutron trick that I wasn't aware of ...

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    2,587
    Lutron's claim to fame is that the radio/antenna is outside of the box/wall. The metal box "should not be an issue," however, if you imagine a straight line between the device and the bridge/extended and that line goes through the box, it can be an issue.

    RF communication is weird. Sometimes moving the bridge/extender a foot helps.

    If a device has failed a couple of times, reset it back to factory defaults.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

  7. #7
    I have several in metal boxes and they all work well.
    Which App are you using?

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