Leakage current creates invalid status in App

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Leakage current creates invalid status in App

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Leakage current creates invalid status in App
Leakage current creates invalid status in App
2019-12-11 20:27:48

I’ve installed over 11 TP-Link WIFI switches in my house so far, including 3 different 3-way switches.  For the most part installation has been easy {except for getting the much larger WIFI switch into a box with several wires already}.   Today I installed an additional 3-way (HS-210) switch on my stairwell lights,  I only removed one of the existing manual 3-way switches and replaced it with one HS-210 (all of my boxes have neutral).   It was the box that had the LINE and two travelers.  I verified the LINE with my voltmeter (stayed at 121v regardless of the other manual switch position).  Installation of the  HS-210 was normal, connected to KASA with no problems.   The light fixture is small with two small LED “long filament” elements in it.  The 3-way action works correct at both ends of the stairs and the WIFI on-off works (mostly) correct.  Here’s the problem, when the light is “OFF” there seems to be a small leakage current through one of the travelers that allows the LED bulb to glow slightly.   I’ve measured the traveler voltages and one is at 122v (same as the LINE, as expected) but the other one is ~90-100v NOT 0v as would be the case in a manual 2-way switch.  I’ve tried resetting the HS-210 a couple of times with no change in behavior.  I wouldn’t really care since I’m pretty sure the leakage current is producing well under 1 watt in the bulb and I would be content to just let it act as a “night light”  EXCEPT the fact that there is non-zero current flowing through the HS-210 causes it to report to KASA that it is ON when it is in is very dim OFF state.  This is a problem when using Alexa.   If I ask Alexa to turn the light on when it is “OFF” the switch reports itself as in an “ON” state since current is flowing and hence Alexa does nothing.  She will turn the light OFF if indeed it is the valid (bright) ON state.     All of the other lights that my TP-Link switches control are LED and I don’t have this problem.   How can it be fixed?

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Re:Leakage current creates invalid status in App
2019-12-12 16:58:31

@Jamen 

 

Leave the non smart switch in the on position, now try to use the app. If that does not work, move the non smart switch to the off position and test using that. 

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Re:Leakage current creates invalid status in App
2019-12-13 15:24:27

@Tony I replaced one of the two LED bulbs with a 40 watt incandescent bulb.  That made the remaining LED bulb go completely “OFF” when the light is off.   Everything works as expected now in all four states of the two switches, as long as the incandescent bulb is in the fixture.  I suspect that every LED bulb manufacturer has a different way of converting the 120VAC to lower voltage DC to light the diode chips.  My LED bulb must have some characteristic that doesn’t play nice with the way the 210 determines its on-ff state.

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Re:Leakage current creates invalid status in App
2022-01-10 03:57:06
I am having this exact same problem, did using and incandescent bulb address the issue?
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