New to this forum… I did a search for a similar topic with no results. I have several gen 1 switches and love them. Recently added some red series dimmers and I wired a 3way circuit to control an overhead LED light. The switch is leaking 70-90 volts when off - regardless of the switch state of the dumb 3way switch.
Has anyone had similar issues? I am using Smartthings and set the switch mode to 3way using the driver (most current version).
dan
I experience the same thing, about 90 volts when the switch is off. However, its a maximum of about 9 milliamps.
I experienced similar behavior with zwave dimmers from other vendors, so it is likely something to do with the way electronic dimmers work, and does not necessarily mean anything is wrong with your switch.
As jtronicus said, some leakage is normal / common. The “air gap” control is provided to disconnect the bulb from any leakage so it can safely be changed.
However, you did not mention if your dimmer was a neutral or non-neutral installation. A non-neutral will have additional “leakage” becasue the dimmer is "stealing’ current thru the bulb circuit.
Thanks for the reply. It is a neutral installation. The LED glows with the amount of voltage that it is receiving. It only emits enough light that can be seen in total darkness.
dan
You might find this video interesting. Not only do LED’s take little power to light but the drivers have some energy storage that “collects” energy and releases it to the LED when enough has been collected.LED Demonstration
Interesting. I picked up an Aeotec bypass. Going to install that and see if it resolves the problem.
Thanks for the help - I will post my results!
dan
Please be sure to post your results. I’m curious if the Aeotec will help this issue.
John
Someone else on the SmartThings FB group had a similar issue with his switch hooked up to a pair of overhead flush mount LEDs. The total wattage of the load was too low to prevent massive flickering while dimming and being slightly “on” when the switch is in the off state. He put in the bypass and it resolved his issue. Hope you have the same success!