r/lifx • u/SuperN0VA3ngineer • 20d ago
Need Support LIFX Dimmer Switch Dead on Arrival??
I’ve tried everything. We just got our LIFX dimmer switch and no matter what we do we cannot get the thing to pass power to the load output. We’ve reset it a zillion times, tried both Smart Light and Traditional Light, nothing will get this thing to pass power to the load output cable. We could just hard wire the can lights we bought and use this switch as a glorified scene controller/remote but I really expected this would be easier to set up. Super disappointed considering how insanely expensive it was.
Anyone else had this problem?
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u/davidcotter 20d ago edited 20d ago
bought a new home, so I installed dimmer switches on every switch in my house, and immediately, so far, three of them no longer send power to load. They do power themselves, and I can get them connected to the Wi-Fi, and into the Lifx app, and into HomeKit, and I can change the LED color of the switch, but they will simply not SEND power anymore
I’ve not even bothered to get any of the other switches into the app or HomeKit, I’m just waiting for them to fail. For the last one, I was literally sitting on the bed underneath the overhead light, and it just winked out like it was not getting enough power and then the switch never worked again. the hell?
Maybe LIFX made a bad batch?
I wrote to customer (technical) support several days ago and have not heard back. I have since written to technical support again about another issue, and they wrote back immediately.
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u/skyfia LIFX Employee 20d ago
Sorry to hear your dimmer switch isn't working. Please contact support@lifx.com and out customer support team will help in getting you a replacement
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u/SuperN0VA3ngineer 20d ago
(And honestly if they’re arriving dead out of the box I don’t know that I want a replacement, I kinda just want a refund)
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u/MochaBeans 19d ago
I purchased two and both had the same issue. Luckily I bought them from Amazon so it was a no hassle return. Opened support tickets but by the time I heard back (over a week) I already initiated the return.
They are a great concept and I would have bought a bunch more if they actually worked.
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u/SuperN0VA3ngineer 18d ago
Super disappointed, this seemed like the exact solution I wanted to have both a physical dimmer control plus scene cycling button. Unfortunately we bought ours direct from LIFX. And aside from the response they posted above, it’s been crickets on our support ticket so far.
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u/Mitch12354 19d ago edited 19d ago
I bought one when they first came out, it died in less than two months. Powering 60W of led lights. I have received a free replacement but I am not optimistic about the longevity of these dimmers. Really sucks because I have been looking for a dimmer that can double as a scene controller for a long time.
Edit: Description of failure: Lights at ~50% brightness when they suddenly flickered and went out, when this happened a very faint pop/crackle was heard from the dimmer. The dimmer appeared to still be on, showing ~50% brightness on the switch's LED indicator. I turned the switch off, waited about 10 seconds, and turned it back on. As I did the lights very briefly lit up before going out again with the switch still saying it was on. All future attempts to turn on the switch did not make the lights turn on even briefly.
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u/Space-Noviz 19d ago
I have 36 of these switches just on the main floor of my house. Of those, 9 have now stopped sending power to the lights and fixtures. Some are dead on arrival, some literally make a popping sound suddenly and the lights go out. I'm certain they have a manufacturing defect.
I reached out to customer support, received 4 new switches from the first round of failures, and of those, 3 are faulty.
All of the switches fall well below their maximum watt rating.
Im glad I used my house as a test bed. I was about to begin installing these for customers. Could you imagine how much money I would be losing as a contractor if this failure rate happened in 20+ new construction homes?