GE/Jasco Zigbee dimmers do not switch on at dim levels below 30%

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21

Question on this thread :slight_smile:

I just installed my first GE Zigbee dimmer. It feeds 6 LED can lights.

I too am having dimming problems but it seems that the problem is inherent in the unit itself, For example, with a manual dimmer I got from Lowes, I can smoothly dim the LED's ALL THE WAY down to zero. With the GE paddles, the LED's dim roughly to 30% and then the next step sends them all dark.

It seems to me that perhaps the GE Dimmer circuitry is just not as good as it could be...

thoughts?

22

The technology used in manual dimmers is often very different from what is used in a smart dimmer. Some bulbs are better than others at dimming, not buzzing, etc... when they are dimmed.

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23

I use ge dimmers exclusively, but have tried 4-5 brands. I've found the biggest variable is the bulb, not the dimmer.

I have some led bulbs that will dim to 3% and some that won't go below 10% - all on the same dimmer. I don't have any that are as bad as 30% though.

Whether you go with ge or another brand, smart dimmers and led bulbs all interact differently. It is the nature of digital devices trying to function as analog devices.

24

OK Thanks for the info. It probably is livable but the manual dimmers on the exact same bulbs just work SO perfectly.... it is a little irritating to go backwards in that regard... I also got a quotra zigbee dimmer maybe I'll try.

Thanks!

25

I wondering if "vintage" is everything. :smiley:

Newest GE ZWave dimmer + newest LED bulb on the market seems more likely to work "better" than those 5yr old bulbs that claimed "dimmable" but flickered badly.

The more engineering time a product has, the better it should work, in my opinion. :slight_smile:

26

Well- my LED Can's are a couple years old- from Costco. Feit is the brand I think.

The GE Zigbee Dimmers are basically no good for them. I tried an Enerwave model: No Good either. The best dimmer I have found so far is this Quotra dimmer- also the cheapest by the way.

Of course the manual dimmers from Lowes work great... they dim the same exact circuit down to 0 extremely smoothly... no problem... so my choice is Automate with sub-standard dimming or leave them manual... time to talk to my wife!

:slight_smile:

27

Sorry to revive an old thread. I’m wondering if this patch/fix made it in?

Situation:

  • I have a GE / Jasco Zigbee dimmer 45857
  • I have the driver set to Generic Zigbee Dimmer
  • I created a scene with several Sengled Classic Zigbee bulbs elsewhere in the house (dumb lamps, smart bulbs) AND this GE dimmer. All set to turn on at 50% brightness
  • All of the bulbs turn on but the dimmer switch does not, when scene is activated.
  • if I set the dimmer to 50% and turn it on via the device page for the GE Zigbee dimmer, it turns on properly
  • ISSUE: The scene can’t turn on the Zigbee dimmer and I can’t figure out why. (Screenshot for scene settings)

image
image750×1102 175 KB

‘Movie Room’ is the GE Zigbee dimmer. All other lights are Sengled Classic bulbs in other rooms.

Here are my Zigbee logs. Does not appear to be a mesh issue

image
image1334×750 138 KB

Thanks!

28

Does the dimmer not physically turn on?, or is it just the driver page showing the dimmer being off...

Also does the dimmer turn on when off and a setLevel command is sent?

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Does the dimmer physically turn on:

  1. No, if activating the scene above
  2. Yes, if I physically press the toggle on the dimmer
  3. Yes, if I turn on the dimmer from the device page
  4. Yes, if I turn on the dimmer in the dashboard

Does the dimmer physically turn off

  1. Yes, if I ‘turn off’ the scene “Alexa, turn downstairs off” or if I turn off the scene via the specific scene page in the HE interface
  2. Yes in all other scenarios above

Does the dimmer turn on when setLevel command is sent:
No

I can change the level via setLevel after the light is on, however.

I don’t know if it matters but I picked up this switch during the prime day sale just a bit ago. Perhaps there was a firmware update to them in the past year or so?

30

Always possible, I'll at least check the unit I have on the shelf...

31

Much appreciated! Thank you!!

32

These dont report firmware version...
They will also get a dedicated driver in 2.1.4, and as it turns out this device is a royal pain in my ass, the firmware is just plain full of bugs, and proving challenging to coerce into behaving properly...

33

I agree, those buggy switches are a nightmare. I moved now and have banned the GE/Jasco crap.
I love Innovelli...but none of their products are available now...yet.

I do appreciate the effort to tame those switches.

34

It's the GE Zigbee dimmer we're talking about here, I'm not aware of issues with the GE zigbee switch, nor the Plus versions of the Z-Wave line...

35

Oops..I meant the dimmers. Need my coffee yet :crazy_face:

36

Aww man, I'm sorry - that sucks! I didn't realize these were such a pain when I bought it.

Thank you for making a dedicated driver for this, I do appreciate your help!

37

agreed. I definitely appreciate it. I don’t know of another zigbee plug in lamp dimmer. everything else is just a switch.

38

The dang plug in dimmer refuses to pair, I don't think it likes channel 17 which my dev hub uses, so I've not been able to work on that one yet...
Haven't given up on it, just needed to leave it alone for a bit, otherwise i might have tossed it across the street...

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39

No worries - I totally get it :slight_smile: Thank you, again!

40

yeah the plugin dimmer didn't like channel 17 in the lab, tried another hub on 15, joined right up...
So the GE Zigbee Dimmer driver that will be included in 2.1.4 will support models 45857 and 45852.

As always when manually switching drivers, be sure to click configure.
LOL, and no, I don't have an ETA on 2.1.4.

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