Dimmer Switch Suggestions for 2021 - New System from Scratch

Hardware
1

We’ve recently purchased a new home and are starting on the smart home upgrades. Our prior home was a smart home with on premise control (Centralite Elegance XL). I added a bunch of stuff over the years including a HA server to help with more complex automation and integration of newer components with the legacy system. For example, I added a dual bed sensor found on this site with a NodeMCU. It took a while to get it figured out but it was all new to me and I learned a bunch and enjoyed the tinkering - the wife actually liked it after using it for a few weeks (she no longer had to press a button or talk to a machine to turn off her lights at bed time).

Because we are basically starting from scratch with this new home, I’ve done a bunch of reading and research about different lighting control options (lighting is our starting point). I will likely add some more sensors for presence detection, security and shade control. Trying to balance cost somewhat but I do realize it is likely worth spending more.

The home was built in 2002 so it has neutrals in boxes and currently has a bunch of old style lutron dimmers and decora switches with many 3-way and 4 way configurations (almost too many). I have a Google mesh network hardwired throughout the home and we have one neighbor about 200’ away and another about 1000’ away, otherwise all other neighbors are more than 1/2 mile+ so interference is limited or non-existent. The count of dimmers and switches that would be converted is currently ~60.

Some important factors for new selection:

  1. On premise control with HA or similar
  2. Standard or good looking form factor - LED indicators that are either controllable or aren’t too bright and only very faint when off. For example, the Costco Feit did not meet the WAF because of the bright white circle and then more and more green dots the higher the dim - “I’m in the room, I can tell how bright they are, I don’t need a bunch of green lights glaring at me and a bunch of white circles in the bank of 4 switches” (plus it is now harder to add to HA).
  3. Stable and responsive - Pressing a button, the light and/or scene should turn on now, not delayed and wondering if I pressed it and the scene needs to work every time. Also, I don’t need calls at work about the lights not working and then having to walk her through a reboot or reconnect.
  4. Stable company that won’t disappear, get bought or whatever that will make the system obsolete next year - probably less of an issue if I have control over the system with HA but if the integration stops getting maintained in HA, then it might be an issue.

Some nice to haves:

  1. Soft on, Soft off and default brightness at less than 100% - this was standard in Centralite and I believe made a huge difference in rarely, if ever, replacing light bulbs - they just don’t burn out when they aren’t “shocked”. It would also be nice to have dimmers ramp up or down without a bunch of custom programming
  2. Alexa and/or Google voice control - we use both side by side
  3. Logitech Harmony control.
  4. Work with incandescent and LED bulbs. I’ve found some LED bulbs I like and currently getting some flickering - that might be my power feed so I’m still sorting that out
  5. Activation of a scene from the dimmer rather than activating the actual load. There are a few places in the house where I routinely want to “turn on the lights” and have two or more loads turn on the same each time. This would probably mean I give up control of that specific load solo.
  6. Dimming scene - have a scene that normal turns on 2 or more lights but then dimming it, dims all the loads in the scene.

I’ve been looking closer at the Lutron Caseta as one system that probably meets all the factors - it’s a little pricey (not nearly as much as the next step up in the Lutron line though). I was thinking of the Pico remotes as a way to reduce some of the larger switch banks and reduce the number of switches. For example, I have switches for 4 sets of outside lights in 5 locations - garage, lower level, front door, back door, master suite. It looks like I could create an outside scene or two and then use the Picos to turn on and off in each location and change from having 20 switches to 4 dimmers and 4 Pico remotes. It also looks like the Pico allows for some of the scene and dimming control I’m looking for. I think I will be ok with the 75 device limit and it appears HA has a workaround for that limit with two hubs if I have future expansion constraints.

Interested in others thoughts about ecosystem and equipment options for my scenario/requirements.

Thank you for reading my long winded post and your insights!
Jeff

2

I’d take a good look at the Insteon line. My only issue is if you want motion activated lights then they use a separate motion sensor to control the light.

That is my only complaint. They are probably the most rock solid item in my entire HA implementation.

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If you’re tying in HA, all your “nice to haves” seem doable depending on how much automation you want to put into it. As far as the switches go, the Lutron Caseta switches have worked well for me though I don’t think the LED indicator is configurable. The cost can be prohibitive for some but replacing switches in bulk will be expensive for decent hardware, no matter what. For non-Lutron options, Z-wave could be a good option for you with the Innovelli Red/Black dimmers. They are the most configurable Z-wave switches I’ve seen and meet all your requirements above. Since they’re Z-wave, there is no concern about being limited to one single company and you already said you have neutrals in your boxes. My house was built in 1973 and doesn’t have neutrals in most boxes, so Lutron is my best option for smart dimmers, but I would have gone Z-wave otherwise.

4

Thanks for that suggestion, for some reason Insteon had not hit my radar in my research. I’m going to read up on that one some more as some of the features like dual mesh and the dimming options are what I would be looking for. In the past my motion activated lights were limited as the responsiveness using the cobbled system I had were not fast enough to be useful. Was reading some equipment reviews and the actual hardware sounds like it might not be the best with break downs after a few years. What has your experience been with the actual equipment?

5

I have 28 devices. Most are the simple switch, and a few dimmers.

I have had them for 2+ years and had one failure. It took me forever to figure out as they never break down and are rock solid.

I use the ISY and PLM modem for my hub. I have the one with the z wave module, and it integrates so sweet with HA.

I’ve been very impressed. They don’t have everything, but i’m very impressed with the reliability. The dual mesh is awesome. I have my hub go down due to a GFCI outlet failure and all my lights still work flawlessly.

My advice is wait, subscribe to their mailing address and about twice a year they have 50% off.

1 Like
6

I had looked at the Innovelli and wasn’t sure how hard all of the programming would be to use all of the functionality. Maybe that would be part of the fun of building the system. I’m digging deeper on the products now. I like the idea of supporting a start up as long as it doesn’t bite me later with a bunch of switches I need to change out.

7

+1 for inovelli. I use the LED notification bars for various things.

Letting us know when our daughter is out of her room
Letting us know if we left a door open
Letting us know if the home is secure

Their newest beta firmware increases the scene count on them to more than you’d ever need:

1 to 5 taps on up paddle
1 to 5 taps on down paddle
1 tap on config button
2 taps on config button
Hold on config button

14 possible scenes lol