Blue Smart Dimmer Switches - No Neutral Wiring - Switch LED Flickering - 2 Bypasses Installed

  1. Inovelli Blue Series Smart Dimmer Switch (Zigbee Model: VZM31-SN, Firmware: 2.18)
  2. No Neutral Wiring
  3. Aqara LED Ceiling Light T1M
  4. Running Home Assistant (Zigbee2MQTT)

Issue: I can’t get the LED stable on the blue series switch, even with the 2 bypasses installed. (assuming I have them installed correctly)

I had read other similar issues and turned off:
PeriodicPowerAndEnergyReports
ActivePowerReports
ActiveEnergyReports

Smart Bulb Mode is enabled.
Switch Type: Single Pole

The LED lights on the switch blink consistently when set to 100% LED Intensity when Off and will reboot the entire switch within a couple of seconds.
The LED lights on the switch blink consistently even when set to 50% - 1% LED intensity when off and will occasionally reboot but not every couple of seconds like at 100%.

The installed light never flickers, and when the light is turned on at the switch level, everything works like a champ.

I purchased 6 switches about 6 months ago and haven’t had time to troubleshoot this one. The other switches are installed with the Smart Fan/Light Canopy Module at a ceiling fan location and never have issues, but that is because of how you have to wire it in the non-neutral setup.

Link to Google Photos of All Wiring Pictures and Videos of the Switch Issues. Since taking these photos, I have installed a second bypass with the same results.

Google Photos Link to Wiring Pictures and Videos

I just wanted to get some thoughts on the next steps.

You’re probably wired correctly, but to be double-sure, verify that the white is the hot with it not wired to the switch. I see your testing pictures, but your testing with the switch wired.

Your switch needs to be in the Smart Bulb Mode since you are mating with a smart bulb. I know you said SBM was enabled, but if it was, you wouldn’t be able to test at 50% or 1% as you noted. SBM puts out full power and can’t be reduced.

This isn’t your issue, but trim the conductors going into the switch so that no copper is exposed, to ensure you don’t get an inadvertent short.

Smart bulbs and non-neutrals can be problematic. One workaround is to wire the light fixture hot full time. Then send that hot and neutral to the switch box to power the Inovelli. It won’t have a load and will only be a scene controller, which won’t matter since you are controlling a smart bulb.

The only downside to that is that pulling the air gap on the switch will not cut power to the light for when you’re changing a bulb, etc.