I have a single Red 2-1 switch installed without a neutral, in smart bulb mode. I noticed its temperature was constantly around 42c and it has a barely audible buzzing, so I took it out and replaced the wires, but there was no change.
I thought the switch might be defective, so I replaced it with a new switch, but it’s still buzzing. I did notice that the buzzing stops while the switch is off. I’m currently monitoring the temperature and it’s at 35c, which is hotter than my other switches, but still not too high.
My understanding has been that buzzing means a loose connection and isn’t safe, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case here. Could this be related to not having a neutral, or are there other explanations for the buzzing?
Something else as in other lights? It’s connected to four Philips Hue LED bulbs, but the only bulbs I have on hand are more of the same. Is it possible that this could be caused by a poor connection in the lights or a defective light?
I suggested trying other bulbs as sometimes cheap off - brand bulbs can cause an issue. But that would not be the case with Hue bulbs, so you disregard the swapping suggestion.
Poor electrical connections can cause a higher power draw and that can result in the switch heating up. You are in a non-neutral, so you can’t evaluate your power draw, unfortunately. I would double check the connections at the light as well.
I checked the connection at the lights and thought everything was fine, so I called out a second electrician.
He tested the circuit and didn’t have any reason to believe there was any issue with the load, double checked and re-connected all of the lights on the circuit, and replaced the entire switch with another new one, but it still had the problem.
We tested with a dumb switch and a different brand of smart switch, and neither had any excessive heat or buzzing, so it seems like it’s something specific to Inovelli switches. I’m at a complete loss, but I guess I’ll stick with a dumb switch in this room.