In my hallway I have 2 lights with 3 switches. Several years I replaced the light switches with GE Enbrighten Zwave switches (non-dimmable). It has worked flawless since. Recently I replaced the two lights with regular standard LED ceiling lights. These lights have some manual settings for color/brightness. Even with a warm color and the lowest brightness, these lights are still too bright for my liking. So, I want to replace the switches with dimmable switches. The LED lights claim they are dimmable. I have a spare ZooZ dimmable switch 3-way so I tried to replace the master GE switch with the ZooZ switch. It didn't work. Couldn't turn on/off the lights.
My questions... Do I need to use GE enbrighten dimmable switch because the add-on switches are GE switches? If I replace just the master switch, do I also have to replace the add-on switches to dimmable versions as well? I don't recall seeing dimmable add-on switches. Thanks...
It would help to post model numbers of your switches, but generally speaking, the GE/Jasco add-on switch for 3 and 4 way wiring situations works differently from switches of other manufacturers, some of whom utilize the existing dumb switches.
If your add-on switches are GE, I'd replace the master with a GE dimmer. Alternatively, look at the wiring diagrams for the Zooz that you have, and replace the add-on switches with dumb SPDT switches .. but this is dependent on the model of switch, I believe. Look at the wiring instructions for the spare Zooz switch you have.
If you use a non-Jasco/GE dimmer, you'd lose some capability. Inovelli may work with the add-on switches, but they don't support scenes (multi-press) with them. They also have relatively coarse dimming, you notice the dimming steps. Homeseer uses add-on switches, don't know if they're compatible with the GE ones. Other dimmers, you'd need to replace your add-on switches with dumb ones, probably have to do some rewiring, and then you only get on/off with them, no dimming or scenes (you have to use the master switch for that).
TL;DR; A Jasco/GE dimmer is the easiest and best way to go.
You're right...but it was years ago. Hubitat says they're deviceType: 18770 ... don't know if that helps but I agree with you, I should replace the main with another GE with a dimmer. I didn't know that the GE switches work a bit differently from other manufacturers. Good to know...thanks.
i asked a similar question a while ago when the 700 series Zooz switches were released, and was informed i could not use the GE add-on switch with a Zooz switch. the Zooz switch only worked with regular dumb switches
That's interesting... I think I would have gone that route if I was doing it the first time... but when I installed these 3 GE switches years ago and still new to Zwave stuff ... honestly, it took me a week with many hours to figure out how to wire it correctly with 3/4-way!!!! LOL... I've invested a whole lot of time (and hair) in getting that setup to work... I can't bring myself to go back to dumb-switches!!!!
Utilizing the existing 3 or 4 way switches has the benefit of being less expensive, but operationally is an inferior approach. For one thing, you can't dim from the dumb switches as you can with the add-on switches. And secondly, the add-on switches are never in the "wrong" physical position for on/off*.
[I would sit still for the argument that dumb 3 and 4 way switches are in the "wrong" physical position half the time for decades and it didn't seem to bother anybody.]
Parameter 19: Choose the type of 3-way switch you want to use with this dimmer in a 3-way set-up. Changing this setting can allow you to control brightness and dim the light from both 3-way locations. Use a regular momentary switch (like the Zooz ZAC99 accessory switch) if value is set to 2.
Values: 0 – regular mechanical 3-way on/off switch, use the connected 3-way switch to turn the light off or on to the last brightness level, dimming only available from the Zooz Z-Wave dimmer and from the hub (or through voice control if smart speaker is integrated with your Z-Wave hub); 1 – regular mechanical 3-way on/off switch, tap the paddles once to change state (light on or off), tap the paddles twice quickly to turn light on to full brightness, tap the paddles quickly 3 times to enable a dimming sequence (the light will start dimming up and down in a loop) and tap the switch again to set the selected brightness level; 2 – momentary switch, click once to change status (light on or off), click twice quickly to turn light on to full brightness, press and hold to adjust brightness (dim up / dim down in sequence); 3 – momentary switch, click once to change status (light on or off), click twice quickly to turn light on to full brightness, press and hold to adjust brightness (dim up / dim down in sequence but always reduce brightness after double click). Default: 0.
I stand corrected. But I'm not understanding how that would work. If Parameter 19 is set to 0, no dimming available at the dumb switch. Options 2 or 3 require a momentary switch. So let's say you set it to 1 and leave a dumb mechanical SPDT switch in place. How do you tap a toggle switch (or mechanical paddle switch) quickly? Does that mean move it to its opposite position and back quickly?
this is why i prefer the GE add-on switch. it maintains the button like all my other smart switches, and it sends the signal to do what i want. i've thought about just buying 2 different dimmers and mirror them, but the cost wasn't favorable
Yes, The zooz dimmer doesn't know what the switch is on the other end, it's just responding to pulses/periods of electricity in different ways. I have this setup in my kitchen. Unfortunately the lights are fed from the "wrong" side of the room from where we normally use it but walking in and tapping the momentary to turn them on or off when out works well enough because we don't typically change the level that often. So when we do the press and hold to adjust isn't so bad or stop being lazy and walk 15' to the other side of the room, or tell an Echo to do it.
So, I went ahead and replaced the GE Enbrighten switch with the GE Enbrighten Dimmer switch and that worked. I learned from all this conversation, particular about using regular switches with ZooZ... had I known that (and if it was available at the time)... I certainly would have tried going down that path... so I thank you all for this conversation and the education.
That actually has been a problem of mine. You see, before I started getting into Home Automation, my home didn't have any rocker-style switches and the wife replaced ALL of the light & electrical face plates with fancy painted ceramic ones and she isn't willing to change them. So, I have no choice but to use the old style switches... lucky for me, they still make them in Zwave & Zigbee.
