We've about a dozen-and-a-half X10 switches/dimmers in the house, several controllers and a couple timers. With the addition of an X10 repeater that actually works, it all works well enough, but it's limited.

One of the big limitations is LED lights. They often don't draw enough power to actually shut all the way off, and flickering when they're on is often a problem.

Out of all the technologies out there, only Lutron's Caséta line of wall switches appear to work well with LED lighting in two-wire wall switch applications. In the cases where they don't, Lutron even has an optional small load you can place in the light's junction box to fix the problem.

Reading the Amazon reviews of Lutron's Caséta switches, dimmers and smart bridges: They get very good marks.

Lutron's Caséta Smart Bridge also fully supports Apple HomeKit, and the reviews of that integration look very positive, as well.

Other than a lack of appliance modules (we use them for primarily for Christmas lights), and Caséta dimmers and switches being spendy ($50-$65/ea.), it looks like Lutron Caséta and Apple HomeKit may be a way forward for my home automation desires.

Lutron Caséta and Apple HomeKit can both, on their own or together, also interface with things like thermostats, garage door openers, irrigation systems, ceiling fans, etc. Don't know as I'm particularly interested in any of that at this time.

Anybody here have any experience with either or both?

Watching with interest, glad you posted this.

We've been dipping our toes in home automation and were getting ready to really investigate, but we are now in the process of making a move so postponed.

Hoping our house sells soon and wherever we move to we will be really diving in. I had been leaning toward the Philips Hue bulbs but can see the advantages of not being tied to a specific bulb, controlling the switches instead.

I have several Caseta switches and a couple plug in modules and love them. Over a year with never one hiccup. I use them with their built in timer feature and with Alexa. I do have a Homepod so I have Homekit but haven't played with pairing it to the Caseta. For outdoor lighting and Christmas lighting I love the timer feature. I program them (extremely easy) to come on a set amount of time before sunset and have an off time set for different things.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
I had been leaning toward the Philips Hue bulbs but can see the advantages of not being tied to a specific bulb, controlling the switches instead.

Exactly.

Philips Hue may be fine for simple, limited control of lighting, but, as you noted, you're limited to Phillips' bulbs and lighting.

Personally, if we had three-wire connections in the wall switch boxes (hot in/out + neutral), I'd go with Z-Wave. Z-Wave is more economical and more widely-supported than Caséta. But we don't, so...

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
I have several Caseta switches and a couple plug in modules and love them. Over a year with never one hiccup.

That was one recurring theme I noticed in the Amazon reviews I read: Reliability.

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
For outdoor lighting and Christmas lighting I love the timer feature.

What do you use for switches for outdoor and Christmas lighting, because, near as I could tell, they don't (yet?) make appliance switches. In-wall on/off switches, and plug-in dimmer modules, but no plug-in appliance switch modules I could find.

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
I program them (extremely easy) to come on a set amount of time before sunset and have an off time set for different things.

That is one thing I've wanted for some time: A controller that could be programmed to "turn this light on relative to sunset/sunrise, and turn it off at <this> time."

I achieve something similar to that on the outside Christmas lights by piggy-backing a switch with a photo detector on the output of a timer. The timer determines the earliest and latest on times, while the photo detector keeps stuff off unless it's dark enough.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Watching with interest, glad you posted this.

Me, too. I really like my X10 goods, and I looked last week at some of the Caséta goods.

Can't deny that's expensive... I'm sticking with X10 for now, but the geek in me would love to upgrade [but without Apple or Google or other such entities -- I want to control things within the building, not much emphasis on access from the outside].

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I'm sticking with X10 for now, but the geek in me would love to upgrade [but without Apple or Google or other such entities -- I want to control things within the building, not much emphasis on access from the outside].

You don't need to integrate Caséta with either Google or Apple. That's purely optional.

My understanding is Caséta, with a Smart Bridge, is all local control.

Even integrated with Apple's HomeKit, I believe it's all still local, unless you invoke Siri. But ICBW.

I like the idea of HomeKit because we have Apple mobile devices. I've already associated them with Apple's HomeKit on our Apple TV box. So one UI to rule them all

(Some [many?] feel it's misplaced, but I have a high degree of trust in Apple's security and their privacy policies. That being said: We use Siri only very sparingly, and only in on-demand [i.e.: button push to activate] mode.)

My outdoor lighting is controlled with inwall switches and the Christmas lights are run off a receptacle that's controlled by an inwall switch. I have two of the plug in modules and they work the same as the switches. The smart bridge works with a Caseta app and works independently of anything else. Once you allow permissions it works with voice controlled devices. I've had no problems with LED's and Caseta and my under and above cabinet lighting is LED strips running off Caseta switches.

Thanks for this post.
We just bought a HomePod because my wife was enthralled with my daughter’s voice-controlled Google system, but I wanted to stay in the Apple environment. They say that there’s no listening unless you invoke “Hey Siri”; then messages are anonymizes and encrypted. Their reputation is being staked on their privacy/security policies and so far so good.
I have one Caseta switch so will be interested to install that and see how it interacts with the HomePod.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Thanks for this post.

You're welcome

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
I have one Caseta switch so will be interested to install that and see how it interacts with the HomePod.

You'll need a Lutron Smart Bridge ($80) or Smart Bridge Pro ($112) for that. The Caséta switches, dimmers, etc. do not communicate directly with HomeKit.

Interestingly: Home Depot has a starter kit that includes the Smart Bridge, one Caséta wall dimmer, and a Pico remote for $99. Considering the fact that the Bridge costs $80 and the wall dimmers go for around $60: Not a bad deal at all.

Didn't read the whole thread, but I install them all the time. I usually install and tell them to figure out how to connect to hub/app. Lutron seems to do OK with a number of LED's, no matter what you will have compatibility issues using this stuff until there is a set tech for all LEDs and Dimmers/Smart things. It's a WIP and I am not willing to be the test subject for this stuff. I use all old fashoned dimmers and incandescent lamps for now. The first LED's I will be using in my house will be my under cabinet lights if I ever finish my kitchen remodel.

I have no need for such things as cell phone controlled lights.

ETA to add I do have LED lamps in both of our offices and they suck. Don't dim properly. I have one other LED in my post light, works great but no dimmer and no controls to worry about bleed through with.

I have experience with the Lutron Caseta series of products. Hopefully this will help anyone thinking of going down this road.

First, I toyed with X10 about 15 or 16 years ago. It was a nightmare to integrate, maintain - and especially to fix when we had power surges or lightning hits. It put me completely off home automation for years.

In April of last year, I went out on medical retirement (a rare form of cancer - same one that killed Steve Jobs and Aretha Franklin, actually). My wife and I decided to move out of the DFW metroplex and we bought a house about 30 miles north. Less stress is one of the best things I can do with this form of cancer. But enough about that.

As we bought our house - new construction, on spec - I planned our home automation strategy. The goals were:

a) simple to install and maintain
b) well reviewed and bulletproof
c) integratable with iPhone / iPad and Amazon Alexa

Did a ton of research and selected Lutron Caseta for electrical, Ecobee for thermostat, Simplisafe for home alarm, Schlage for door locks, and MyQ for garage doors. For Lutron, Ecobee and Schlage we replaced the regular, non-smart devices / switches that the builder had installed.

All of these integrate through Alexa, all have iPhone / iPad apps. I've chosen NOT to integrate the door locks with Alexa. A safety / security choice.

As far as Lutron Caseta goes, I couldn't recommend it enough. I did all the installations on my own (my dad was an electrician and I spent many, many hours with him rewiring our church, someone's kitchen, etc). This included about 50 switches (counting two-way switches as two devices), ten ceiling fans, etc. Here's my learning from this:

a) Lutron Caseta is not cheap. But you get what you pay for.
b) System has been bulletproof for the last 10 months. No issues even when we've gotten electrical spikes or outages. Maintenance is easy.
c) Scenes (programmed actions of the system for one-button commands on the app - or voice commands from Alexa) are really, really cool and convenient. We have everything from 'bedtime' that cuts off all lights but our bedroom lamps - to 'Intruder Alert' that turns on every external light on the house instantly. Scenes take roughly 3 or 4 minutes to set up from scratch. Alexa finds and integrates them into her voice commands automatically.
d) When selecting ceiling fans, one has to be careful to select the right type. You want the old technology fans that do NOT include remotes for fan speed integrated onto their motors. Or, if you have the skills, you can wire around such things. But it's not for a neophyte.
e) Lutron works fine with LEDs - BUT ONLY THE ONES that they've certified. Other LEDs are hit or miss. They'll flicker when you turn on lights (Lutron always fades lights up and down and that drives some LEDs nuts) - or LED lights will faintly glow when they are actually off on the Lutron switch. Not an issue if you select your LEDs wisely and correctly. But a warning, nonetheless.
e) I believe we've achieved some cost savings because of the technology. I can use my phone to turn off any lights in the house (the app has one button for 'all lights that are on' - and you can turn each off with a single finger press. But make no mistake - we definitely spent money to put in the switches in the first place. I wouldn't change a thing now though.
f) Convenience - being able to tell Alexa to turn on the kitchen lights when you come home loaded down with groceries is cool. Telling her to turn off all lights is great. Telling her to turn a fan to 50% is terrific.
g) Lutron has evolved a bit since we bought into the system. It used to be that you couldn't add more than 50 devices to a home system. That includes counting every switch and every remote (that you use for two-way and three-way lights), etc. It also counts fan controllers, pedestal-type remotes (more handy than you'd think). But about 4 months after we installed it, when I ran out of device room, Lutron upgraded the software to a max of 75 devices. Hooray! Now the whole house is on the one system and it works seamlessly.
h) Security. The system also allows us to set random times to turn lights on or off. Or turn on these lights at sundown and back off at sunset (handy for Christmas lights). So we can make the house looked lived in even if we are visiting one of our kids.

I can't say enough good things about Lutron Caseta. GREAT system.

Oh - and Ecobee and Schlage are excellent, too. MyQ is not great, but the builder put that in as a default. So I blame him.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rucker,

Thanks for the detailed review. Particularly useful from somebody who's deployed it so widely and used it, really used it, for ten months.

The more I hear about Lutron Caséta, the more convinced I become it is the way to go for us.

Re: X10.

The only time we've had X10 devices fail was when a DTE (our power utility) contractor somehow Got Something Wrong when they were working on the poles out by the road one day. My wife heard somebody yell "OH SHIT!," there was a loud *BANG*, and everything went out.

We lost two-three X10 wall switches or modules, IIRC.

Other than that, just the random failure. They've been in the house for most of the 28 years we've been here.

Biggest problem we've had was, as the amount of electronics in the house increased, so did the noise on the power circuits, and functionality of the X10 devices became increasingly erratic. I solved that a year ago with a plug-in X10 repeater/amplifier that really, really works. Now control over every device from everywhere in the home is flawless.

Overall, I'm satisfied enough with X10, save a bridge from HomeKit seems an iffy proposition, we've maxed-out the address space on one house code, and the problem with LED lighting.

I’ve invested in Z-Wave technology. I have at least 8 sets of lights on switches, 4 motion detectors, 4 garage door position sensors and 2 moisture detectors that are connected to a SmartThings controller. I can control everything via Alexia, my iPhone and my iPad. I have lights that automatically come on and go off based on the sun or motion.

I am totally satisfied after about 4 years with this system. Amazon and Monoprice are good sources for hardware.

Though my implementation is minimal compared to some here, my main focus has been to implement WiFi capability without a bridge of any kind. I prefer my WiFi bulbs and plugs (i.e. no in wall switch replacements) to ride my network directly and be controlled through a single cellphone app. And therein lies my biggest challenge implementing what I want. I only want to deal with a single application to control everything (bulbs, plugs, T-Stat, cameras, etc), and there is no one application at current that can address all those requirements. But for now, Wyze bulbs, plugs, cameras and one set of motion sensors handle most of my needs with a Ecobee T-Stat (controlled through the Ecobee app) handling my A/C system. Wyze is supposed to be coming out with an outdoor camera and T-Stat in the future, so maybe one day I can accomplish everything I need through one vendor's products.

I have some Lutron RA2 Select stuff in my house. It's kind of between Caseta and their pro-installer-only stuff.

Easy setup, absolutely flawless in use, virtually no delay between hitting a button on a remote and seeing results (small fraction of a second - many of the wireless smart light systems are a second plus, some are multiple seconds).

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
I have some Lutron RA2 Select stuff in my house. It's kind of between Caseta and their pro-installer-only stuff.

Wow! And I thought Caseta was spendy.

Bought a Caséta wall dimmer switch today and tested it on two LED fixtures that hadn't worked with an X10 wall dimmer switch. Worked like a charm. So it looks like we have our way forward for home automation in the ensigmatic household

Won't be right away, though. We've got four X10 wall dimmer switches and seven X10 lamp dimmer modules in-use. Including the Smart Bridge that would amount to over $700 in product.

Then there are the appliance modules, for which there doesn't currently appear to be a Caséta solution.

I used X-10 switches and outlets probably 20 years ago, mostly bought from the late Radio Shack.
The devices failed so much I gave up on home automation.
Ready to try Caséta.

We just moved into a new house that has a Lutron lighting system. Still learning what some of the buttons do, but liking it so far.
With 200+ lights and a lovely wife that rarely turns lights off, I'm looking to 'upgrade ' the dimmers so we can convert to LEDs.
Our switches are the Radio RA2 6 button, and the bulbs are a mix of MR16, PAR20, PAR30, PAR30S, and some BR40's. I've already started converting the non-dimming areas.

Any recommendations on good brands for bulbs? I've had good luck with Feit & Phillip's at our last house, had problems with GE (short life & radio interference).

quote:

Originally posted by BadDogPSD:
We just moved into a new house that has a Lutron lighting system. Still learning what some of the buttons do, but liking it so far.
With 200+ lights and a lovely wife that rarely turns lights off, I'm looking to 'upgrade ' the dimmers so we can convert to LEDs.

I would head over to Lutron's site before doing anything else. Lutron RadioRA2 is a higher-end, pro-grade product. For a home with 200+ lights it's probably exactly what you need if you're going to want home automation. Caséta definitely wouldn't do it.

quote:

Originally posted by BadDogPSD:
Any recommendations on good brands for bulbs? I've had good luck with Feit & Phillip's at our last house, had problems with GE (short life & radio interference).

Can't help you with that. Our success with E26 (standard N. American screw base) LED replacement bulbs has been mixed. The Feit bulbs we originally tried didn't work well, or at all, with dimmers. The CREE bulbs worked, but not great, and didn't seem to last as long as they should have.

I'm disappointed to see your comments on GE bulbs, being as I just yesterday bought a three-pack of GE GU10 (twist & lock base) bulbs for a new fixture.