Do I need a bypass with no neutral but 4 leds?

You could. You could also swap the wafers from position C to B and see if you get similar results.

are the lights all the same make/model?

yes, they’re all the same: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-6-in-Selectable-CCT-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Light-Trim-with-Night-Light-Feature-670-Lumens-11-Watt-Dimmable-53804101/306080129

These aren’t what I would consider normal dimmable LEDs. They have some internal circuitry that chooses how to light the outer ring vs normal LED. My guess is the inconsistency stems from a wide tolerance on the bulb for how it reaponds to power being applied.

hmm ok. do you think adding a bypass would do anything to help? or is this just not ever going to work well with the inovelli switch (or any smart switch for that matter) and I should just put a standard (dimmer) switch on?

I think the issue is related to the fact that you are in a non-neutral configuration, which always seems to be more finicky. Other users here have the same lights working just fine in a neutral config. If it’s easy to get to the lights, I would try the bypass. You are not going to know until you try it. It doesn’t seem that anyone else here is using your lights in a non-neutral config.

@Bry i guess it’s worth a try! i have complete access to the attic where these lights and wiring is…so i could reconfigure to provide a neutral if really necessary (although it would be a pain to do)…so I’ll try the bypass and see if it improves things. appreciate all the guidance!!

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With the bypass (Aeotec Bypass for Nano Dimmer, Load Resistor and Dummy Load for dimmer, TRIAC dimmer switches to fix Light Flickering Issue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017BK1MIA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_4SRCZ59THYPPKWDHN14K) can you confirm how I should wire it in?

Currently, the hot wire is connected at a junction box so the hot wire runs down and back to the switch and then to the first light. At the first light, the hot wire (black), black wire from the lights junction box ( a halo can), and the black wire for the cable running to the next light are all connected to the “push ink connector of the junction box in the can. Would this bypass connect in as a 4th wire in that connector or do I need to change the wiring?

If what I said isn’t clear I can try to draw it out tomorrow for you. Thanks!!

The bypass is wired parallel to the light. i.e one conductor to the black and the other to the white. I’d put it at the first light in the series.

So, reiterating what you said, at the first light you should have the black (probably) switched hot from the switch, the black going to the can and the black downstream. One conductor of the bypass goes to that bundle.

You should also have a white “incoming” neutral, a white going to the can and a white downstream. The other conductor from the bypass goes to this bundle.

Thanks @Bry that’s super helpful! I’ll give that a shot and see if it helps at all.

Following up here … I installed the Aeotec Bypass yesterday and the results are promising! First, I can dim the lights lower than before and if they do end up dimming all the way to “off”, when I dim back up, the lights don’t get flipped to nightlight mode like they used to. They also all turn on and off at the same time rather than one or two being slightly delayed.

Seems the answer to my original question is Yes, you do need the bypass.

Thanks @Bry and everyone else for your guidance!

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