Smart Dimmer Light Switches...

[chops]

I'm planning on installing recessed LED ceiling lighting in my listening room in the next few weeks. Thinking of 12 lights in total, in three different "zones", each zone having four lights and each zone being able to be dimmed independently.

There's a bunch of different smart switches on the market, some really expensive units as well as some really cheap (sketchy) units.

What I've been kind of gravitating to is the new Lutron Caseta Diva switches. They're clean and simple, don't require a neutral line, their app is well sorted and stable, and aren't all that expensive from a reliable company.

What's your thoughts?

 

[mxk116]

For the most part we use Control4 for our distributed Audio/Video/Lighting throughout our house. All connected to our wifi. The C4 app works very nicely for lighting and while the C4 control dimmers are relatively expensive I think they are superior to the Lutron dimmers that we have installed in a couple of rooms.

YMMV

 

[Projectman]

You can’t go wrong with Lutron and will be much cheaper than a Control4 setup.

 

[Speedskater]

Without the Hot & Neutral lines in close proximity to each other for the line's total length, you have a great interference transmitting antenna.

 

[chops]

Without the Hot & Neutral lines in close proximity to each other for the line's total length, you have a great interference transmitting antenna.

Could you elaborate on that a little more, please?

Because if I go with the Lutron system, those Caseta Diva switches do not use a neutral line. And to be honest, the fact that our house was built in 1969, I kind of doubt there's any neutral lines running to any of the current cheap switches anyway.

 

[Speedskater]

That probably is not what no Neutral means.
I did a quick look and the switch has a Neutral wire.
Don't have time to puzzle how the system works.

 

[chops]

That probably is not what no Neutral means.
I did a quick look and the switch has a Neutral wire.
Don't have time to puzzle how the system works.

Don't know what switch you looked at, because the new Caseta Diva switches do not have or use a neutral. And I know how the system works. That wasn't my question.

 

[Porsche]

lutron is by far the best lighting system on the market, crestron is very close behind but lutron is the best in the business

 

[spinblackcircle]

I have a mix of Caseta and Phillips Hue and both have been great, leaps and bounds better than any of the off-brands I tried in my 140 year old house with wiring from probably the 50s.

 

[chops]

I'm 99.9% certain I'll be going with Lutron. As everyone says, they are proven and have been in the business for years. Heck, we used to use their products back in the late 90's when I was doing home theater/audio installs along with some home automation.

Remember those old Lexicon 700t touch screen remotes? Yeah, I used to program those darn things.

 

[Porsche]

good choice, luton, crestron than everyone else is far behind

 

[Bones13]

I just used home kit enabled bulbs. I have 4 in my room. I have the 2 over the Speakers/TV as a zone, and the one each over the computer, and gear rack, as separate zones. I control via the iphone, using the apple TV as the hub. I use it to turn off the bulbs over the TV and Speakers while watching video, and when doing Zoom on the computer. Sometimes I just have a dimmed light over the gear stack, or the computer. Setting the dimmed light to red further decreases eye strain.

Control4 is a complex system based on proprietary units that require professionals to install, and do all servicing. I have one friend who learned how to program his, and maintains his house (grey market). I had one, and my wife could never use it, and hated it. So I sold off those units, and converted everything to Sonos for the house. (not the man cave) She uses Spotify over Sonos, and continues to be happy.

 

[chops]

I just used home kit enabled bulbs. I have 4 in my room. I have the 2 over the Speakers/TV as a zone, and the one each over the computer, and gear rack, as separate zones. I control via the iphone, using the apple TV as the hub. I use it to turn off the bulbs over the TV and Speakers while watching video, and when doing Zoom on the computer. Sometimes I just have a dimmed light over the gear stack, or the computer. Setting the dimmed light to red further decreases eye strain.

This would be a viable solution IF I had light fixtures in this room, but I don't. In fact, there's only one single light switch for this room, and it only operates a single switched outlet first next to the switch, right by the front door. In other words, pretty much useless.

The issue is there's only outlets in this room, nothing more. I have the two LED lamps in the front of the room on top of the subs, and one floor standing lamp in the back of the room, and all three of them together provide very little light in the room. Heck, they only give off about as much light as our Christmas tree does! LOL

Just for reference, this is what I have to work with at the moment...

Or this... Which I believe will be coming down tomorrow...

 

[nicoff]

Agree with others that Lutron is a solid alternative for you. Lutron has several switches that do not require you to have a neutral line. They are ideal for older homes where there is no neutral.

You might also want to explore "smart" switches that you can control in different ways. For example, there are many "smart" switches that you can control via voice and connect/work with Apple/Google/Alexa devices (Lutron makes a few). I have several "smart" switches around the house and I find them quite useful.

Control4 makes a good product, however, they are more expensive and would be overkill for your needs.

 

[Bones13]

If I’m understanding correctly, you are having new light fixtures, and new in wall wiring? In that case you can get it done however you want. I would agree that having smart switches for each zone is better than the smart bulbs in all locations.

 

[chops]

If I’m understanding correctly, you are having new light fixtures, and new in wall wiring? In that case you can get it done however you want. I would agree that having smart switches for each zone is better than the smart bulbs in all locations.

That is correct. As I said, as far as lighting is concerned, there's zilch in this room, just a single switched outlet right by the switch, right by the front door. That in itself is useless as a switched outlet should be on the opposite side of the room from where the switch is.

 

[W9TR]

Lutron Caseta. Full stop. Super reliable. I have been using them for a decade or more. Probably have 30 control points in two houses. I have a hub in each house. Lutron uses a 900 MHz frequency hopping spread spectrum wireless communication system that works better than any WiFi solution ever will. A lot of stuff has come and gone in the meantime. It is all just toys by comparison.