Lutron TGCL-153PH-WH Toggler CFL/LED Single-Pole/3-Way Toggle Reviews

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Despite the negative reviews, I decided to try this anyway. It has one main advantage over the incandescent dimmer a little dial allows you to adjust the intensity of the light at the lowest level, which creates a more natural dimming curve. That feature works very well with some lights. I tried it with three different lights:

(1) EcoSmart A19 8.6-Watt (40W) LED Light Bulb . . . With this bulb, it works beautifully. It made the dimming much smoother and the lowest setting is very dim.

(2) Philips 212233 23 Watt R40 CFL . . . With this bulb, it improved the dimming considerably. Unfortunately the bulb has a terrible buzz, and the dimmer did not solve that issue.

(3) EcoSmart 16-Watt (90W) BR40 LED Flood Light Bulb . . . The bulb flickered or pulsed noticeably at several points along the dimming curve. Adjusting the dial on the switch did not help; it moves the bad spots up or down the curve, but it can't eliminate them. This bulb actually works much better with an incandescent dimmer, however it can only dim about half way.

I'm giving it only four stars since it did so poorly with the BR40 LED. After playing with dimmable CFLs and LEDs for the last two weeks, my final conclusion is that you have to try different combinations of dimmers and bulbs until you find one that works with your fixtures.

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How well this dimmer works will depend on a few things. First know that there are two versions of this dimmer: Revision 1 and Revision 2. Rev 1 had a white trim wheel that looked like a sprocket. It also had a ground screw. Rev 2 has a black trim lever that goes left/right and a ground wire (instead of a screw). Rev 2 also is heavier than Rev 1 due to higher grade capacitors.

Rev 1 was a decent dimmer but it did not tend to last in a CFL/LED environment. The LED lights in my application began to flicker with the Rev 1 after 9 months. I have a house full of Cree LR6 DR-1000s. Even turning the trim wheel all the way up did not prevent flickering with the use of dimming. The switch only became functional at full power on/off. With any use of dimming, there was flickering after 9 months. I then went to a local hardware store and bought the same model dimmer. This is when I realized there were design changes and usability changes (detailed below). I confirmed all of this with Lutron 1.800.523.9466.

Rev 2 is an improved design with higher quality capacitors. The dimming function is improved compared with Rev 1. I was probably able to dim to an apparent light output of 60% with Rev 1. Rev 2 dims lower (maybe 40%-50% apparent light output). There is one problem though. There is about a 1/2 second delay of the lights turning on when the switch is thrown. I called Lutron because I thought something was wrong with the dimmer. The delay is a known issue with this Rev 2 design. I was told by Lutron that it is a byproduct of making the dimmer more compatible with the various LEDs and CFLs. I was also told by Lutron that the delay will also be there if you use it on incandescent bulbs. All the newer mechanical LED/CFL dimmers will have this delay issue. The digital LED/CFL dimmers like the Maestro MRF2-6ND will not have a delay issue.

I miss the instant-on experience with Rev 1. However, if Rev 2 lasts longer it may be worth it if I can get used to the delay. I'm going to try it for a few weeks and see.

Other than that, just know that LEDs do not dim nearly as much as incandescent bulbs. Depending on the observer a stated "25% dimming level" on the packaging of the LED bulb or fixture will appear much brighter than expected. Apparent light levels may be closer to 50% in some applications, even though actual light output by a meter may be closer to 25%.

One other fact that I thought was interesting is that Lutron makes the same product for different retailers with different model numbers. For example, this dimmer is the same as the Ariadni AYCL-153P.

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This works very well for dimmng two Glimpse retrofit LED lights. The level of dimming can be varied from the factory pre-set, to the low level you want (subject to the specific bulb's capability). For a two Glimpse light load, this dimmer does not cauae any buzz/hum at least in my home's installation.

I'll point out that this model number dimmer was specifically listed as one recommended for the Glimpse, on the Glimpse manufacturer's site. Conversely, you'll find a list of bulbs the dimmer is recommended for on the Lutron site. It's best to match bulbs and dimmers that are recommended for each other, since the technology implementations vary.

Honest reviews on Lutron TGCL-153PH-WH Toggler CFL/LED Single-Pole/3-Way Toggle

These dimmers are supposed to stop flickering in LEDs caused by fluctuations in the power lines. After installing, the flickering is still occurring just as it did with Lutron's normal (incandescent) dimmer that costs half as much. Additionally, on this dimmer, the bulbs flicker a lot during dimming adjustment, whereas they didn't on the normal dimmer. If I so much as touch the switch when it's not at maximum brightness, the light output changes. The switch feels and sounds very cheap when in operation... and I'm not surprised, given how poorly it functions.

I noticed that my LEDs, which buzz loudly on a dimmer, don't buzz as loudly when connected to this dimmer. This is about the only perk I can find for this product.

Save yourself the hassle of rewiring your switches: don't buy this!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lutron TGCL-153PH-WH Toggler CFL/LED Single-Pole/3-Way Toggle

This dimmer does indeed work better with dimmable CFL's than the standard Lutron dimmer. I plan to buy two more.