Lutron Caseta Original Smart Dimmer Switch ELV+ (Lutron Hub Required), 250W LED, Single-Pole/3-Way, Neutral Required, PD-5NE-WH, White

I am trying to update some of my recessed lighting controls to add dimming from ordinary switches while also adding some ability to control it remotely. I had gone through 2 different brands of zwave dimmers and 4 different led bulbs before arriving at these. The first dimmer I tried didn't have a low end adjustment so the led bulbs would not light or turn on at the lowest dim setting. The second switch either flickered or buzzed depending on the type of LED. This dimmer worked very well with multiple brands of LED bulbs. I do not have flickering or humming with the LED bulbs I tried (Phillips, Cree). The low end is adjustable, but I did not have to since the lowest dim level was above the LED threshold. The center button is programmable to a favorite dim level. I also like the ability to always turn on to full brightness even if the dimmer was shut off at a lower dim level. This dimmer has 18 gauge wire coming off the switch which you can connect with your current wiring with a wire nut or similar. It also requires a neutral. It does not have screw terminals on the dimmer itself to connect wiring to. I also was able to easily use the Lutron app to control my lights remotely and add a programming schedule. You will need the Caseta Bridge or compatible hub to to control these through the internet/remotely. The dimmer uses Lutron's own propriety wireless protocol which I believe only a few systems support, personally I use the Bridge. Since this is technically not a fully incandescent dimmer, the wattage limit is lower for incandescent bulbs than other dimmers, but there are plenty of other options (even from Lutron) if you are using incandescent bulbs. I chose this unit specifically for LED bulb compatibility. Edit 2017/06/08: Everything is still going strong and I haven't had any issues with my previous install. Recently I installed another as a 3 way with a Pico reomte. These do not support the standard 3 way install with a traveler wire, but instead you wire it as if it is a single switch (you bypass the other switches) and you use a Pico wireless remote to control the main switch. So far it works fine. The only thing I wish the Pico remote had is an indicator like the main switch with the current dim level. I still plan on getting a few more since these work so well.

The ELV PD-5NE-xx dimmer is pricy, requires a white ‘nuetral’ wire, but it’s also the switch to get. It resolves all of the weaknesses of the cheaper Caseta dimmer (PD-6WCL-xx). I don’t know why the CNET type reviewers don’t hit on the weaknesses of the PD-6WCL-xx, the Amazon verified customers sure notice. In this review I reference the less expensive switch, but the truth is both Caseta switches are pricey. Lutron Caseta ELV PD-5NE-xx dimmer pros and cons: PROS: - Allows setting favorite or default dim lvl at switch, just as on the pico remote (not available on Caseta PD-6WCL-xx switch) - Uses white neutral wire which creates a more stable platform. Bulbs shut off without an after glow (Caseta PD-6WCL-xx has no neutral wire) - Supports a wide range of bulbs all work perfectly without flicker or hum. The bulbs I’ve tested and use include many of the vintage type dimmable LED bulbs branded and distributed by smaller companies, and I haven’t had any issues (the cheaper Caseta PD-6WCL-xx had problems with many bulbs including the vintage filament LEDs and the popular GE Reveal LEDs (note, these bulbs weren’t on Caseta’s compatible bulb list. This said, many of my bulbs not on their list have worked flawlessly for years on other dimmers using a white neutral wire). - Flawlessly dims 8 LED kitchen tube lights (Toggle model d416 direct wire )’. The Toggle LED tubes replace 4ft fluorescents using existing receptacles (bypassing ballast). WORKS PERFECTLY (did not even try the other dimmer as the manufacture recommend the upgraded dimmer) - Works with dimmable ELV, LED, MLV, incandescent and halogen bulbs - has switch to support MLV (not supported with Caseta PD-6WCL-x) - Supports the pico remotes, but must be purchased separately. - Supports 29 8.5 watt led bulbs (Caseta PD-6WCL-x supports 17 - very respectable) CONS: - Priced higher than other dimmers, and it doesn’t include a Pico remote LEDs are terrible at matching equivalent wattage and they’re usually brighter. The nice thing about dimmers and led lighting is you can purchase really bright bulbs for those times when you need something really bright, but use a dimmer so you only get the blinding light when requested. This, more expensive dimmer, supports this concept. The cheaper Caseta does not, it turns on at the switch at max brightness, and this is the main problem people have with the less expensive switch. Before buying Caseta look into the differences and consider spending the extra on the PD-5NE-xx switch. If it’s too much, you may want to research other products. I’ve read about people who purchased 20 of the cheaper switches, based on smart switch reviews, and ended up switching them out for the pricier model. The price is an obstacle, but the performance excels. I hope this helps you in your purchase.

I installed the PD-5NE and WOW! What a great switch! Simple to install and cured my ghost light problem I had in the kitchen with my LED recessed lights!! When I first started installing the Caseta switches in my home, I had an issue using the Caseta 6WCL "base" dimmer where when you turn it off, the lights dim to about 5% - not completely off. With the PD-5NE, they turn off all the way - and no buzzing or flickering. Didn't need to use a shunt capacitor either (LUT-MLC). My kitchen lights are on a three way circuit, so I took one of my extra Picos lying around (with a Pico wall mount) and installed it in the 2nd switch location. I did call Lutron once to ensure the wiring I did was accurate (great customer support) - took extra precaution as this was a bit of a pricier switch. What I love about these switches are their versatility! Meaning, when I spoke with the Lutron rep, they mentioned that typically in a 3-way setup, you want to install the main switch (5NE) in the location where the power is coming in - he said this is usually the switch closer to the breaker box. I already had the switch wired up and he said "no worries, if this configuration is incorrect (blinking green lights on the front of the switch) then all you need to do is reverse the wires that the switch is being connected to in the wall (traveler wire v. hot wire)." Very smart! [granted - other switch manufacturers may be this way too... just haven't worked with them]. I highly recommend these switches in general and in particular the 5NE if you have some tricky lighting configurations and want to use a smart dimmer/switch. Their support team is great and is very knowledgable about many different configurations and electrical setups.

Given the expense, I have been replacing my standard "dumb" switches with these smart ones a few at a time, and overall I have been very happy with their operation. They perform beautifully with only an occasional hiccup due to Siri. I've never had something fail to operate using the Lutron app for iOS or Apple's Home app. Following my recent purchase of a few more PD-5NE's, however, I did run into a problem with one load. The fixture, driven by a 12V/300W magnetic low voltage (MLV) transformer, consists of three incandescent bi-pin halogens of 50W each. When I installed the PD-5NE to switch this load, the lights on the fixture oscillated off and on, and some of the LEDs on the PD-5NE flashed repeatedly. I toggled the PD-5NE's default mode from reverse phase (for ELV loads) to forward phase for MLV, but the fixture still did not behave and I felt the PD-5NE start to get hot quickly. Secondly, later the PD-5NE blew its internal fuse. I contacted Lutron's tech support and they sent me a replacement PD-5NE, thinking possibly that the original one was faulty. The new PD-5NE arrived fairly quickly and upon installing it, I did not see its LEDs flashing as I did on the previous one nor did it heat up. However, as soon as I toggled the new PD-5NE to forward phase, it immediately blew its internal fuse as well. I placed another call to Lutron and the tech support guy recommended we try a PD-10NXD PRO switch instead. Unfortunately, that switch lacks the "favorite" button that the PD-5NE has, but I was willing to give it a try. Lutron quickly got the PD-10NXD PRO to me and I reviewed some details with tech support before installing it. You see, the PD-10NXD per the specs can operate without a neutral (though I have the neutral in the switch box). However, the specs do say that neutral is required for MLV loads. Lutron tech support suggested I first just try it without the neutral, stating that the switch would flash LEDs if it absolutely required the neutral. I installed it without the neutral and the switch did not flash its LEDs; i.e. it's operating fine, controlling the MLV without neutral, and seems to have no trouble at all unlike the PD-5NE it replaced. Score! Lutron stated that the max load rating for the PD-NXD is quite higher than the PD-5NE, though my transformer should have, per its specs, still functioned properly with the lower rated PD-5NE. I'm just happy that ultimately I got a workable solution.

The Dimmer works well with a ELV Picture Light from WAC lighting, it specifically did not work with the standard Lutron TRAIC based dimmer (PD-6WCL) but works just okay with this, the buzzing of the fixture is gone unless its in an active dimming mode (the % power is actively moving up or down). I assume it's a driver issue as it wont dim down to the 'candle glow' dim setting that you can easily get with halogen, incandescent, or other (very) high quality LED fixtures. Note it will NOT STOP FLICKERING In all lights. My ELV LED's still flicker on anything under 10% so I had to set the bottom trim level higher than I would like to compensative the flickering you can see. They setup just as easy as everything else in the Caseta system and work really well, almost no delay with controlling them via Pico remotes or your app. I have two big griped about his, I hate the fact it has so many buttons, on the wall it looks cluttered and funky. Plus if you use this in a high traffic area like a garage the buttons build up dirt and are impossible to clean. 2ndly, $120? What, why? You can get smart switches with the full front of the toggle an actual LCD touch screen screen for $200 and this is $120? I just don't get it. Bonus Note for Amazon buyers: This does not influence my review, but note that, I ordered three switches from an 'Amazon Warehouse' Deal, I was frustrated and perplexed because two switches did not work. I spend hours troubleshooting the wiring only to find out they were both completely deflective. I purchased brand new units and they work fine.

Exactly what I needed to dim my led bulbs. I was previously using the Maestro CL dimmer and my dimmable led bulbs would buzz at any dim level, even full brightness. I did some research and discovered that most leds actually need an elv dimmer that requires a neutral wire to get the most led compatibility and best performance. Also, I have been setting up SmartThings in my home, including Z-wave light switches, and there just weren't any Z-wave dimmers on the market today that appealed to me. I like the way the switch looks and how it functions - the dedicated on and off buttons, bigger dimming up and down buttons rather than a thin slider or bar and the favorite button is very useful. It really seems to be a quality dimmer and installation/setup was fast and easy. Even better - Lutron integrates with SmartThings, so that's great for my already established smart home setup. The only con is that the dimmer is quite expensive.

Lutron makes a couple of models of Wi-Fi enabled switches. The ones they sell at Home Depot are similar to these but are lacking a center memory switch to “remember” your brightness setting. Also, according to tech support, these are a more robust switch when it comes to compatibility issues using dimmable LED’s. Installing might be easy for some but depending on your house’s wiring, you may run into issues like I did. Apparently I had ground arc fault breakers and this the switches required a neutral lead to be used even though the manual for the switches never mentioned this. Also, if you have more than one switch in a panel, the wiring can get kind of messy and if you aren’t experienced, it may be confusing. In the end, it was more expensive, but I hired an electrician to install the switches. A note about dimmable LED’s: the bulbs can be kind of picky - I had to try 2-3 different makes in order to get ones that worked without flickering. Also, the different level of switches may have contributed to some difficulty. Overall, the switches, once installed can be used either in the lutron app or with one of the smart speakers made by Amazon, Google, Apple. I’ve been using with an Apple speaker and have experienced few issues other than some mild quirks when setting up scenes. Overall, the switches work well but the install was much trickier than the manual made them appear and some dimmable LED bulbs are very sensitive and may not play nice with the switches leading to flickering and blinking. The online bulb compatibility guide was no help has the bulbs listed were all discontinued and impossible to find. Trial and error was the best way to go.

The ELV PD-5NE-xx dimmer is pricey, requires a white ‘neutral’ wire, but it’s also the switch to get. It resolves all of the weaknesses of the cheaper Caseta dimmer (PD-6WCL-xx). Lutron Caseta ELV PD-5NE-xx dimmer pros and cons: PROS: - Allows setting favorite or default dim lvl at switch, just as on the pico remote - Uses white neutral wire which creates a more stable platform. Bulbs shut off without an after glow - Supports a wide range of bulbs all work perfectly without flicker or hum. - Supports the pico remotes, but must be purchased separately. CONS: -Due to the four attached cables I couldn't get it to work as I could not find the neutral at once, called my electrical man used the one from the power outlet and it worked immediately. - Priced higher than other dimmers, and it doesn’t include a Pico remote - Even on Ebay this one is expensive It works you get what you paid for & is never on sale. Lutron just need to include the pico for now on.