I've got a Dome Zwave valve which I've had no end of issues with. Issues have been going on across multiple firmware versions stable and beta. Current firmware is the latest beta.
Most recently the symptoms are
Selectively it seems unresponsive to the C8 manipulated through the browser
Tracking of open close status seems occasionally wonky
Presumably related to the above, automations that trigger based on its status changing aren't triggering.
Most weirdly, it's consistently controllable through one of my Nest speakers (via habitat), while another just beeps following an instruction to interact with it and no action follows.
It's the only Zwave device in the network. I'm planning to replace it and hopefully get rid of the problem, but I'm waiting for a decent Thread valve (and also for Matter to be less of a ■■■■ show).
This is likely why you are having issues. There is no mesh with no repeating nodes and it is probably a low signal issue. You can try using a beaming repeater 1/2 way between the dome valve and your hub. I would recommend a Ring v2 extender. I have a dome valve on my gas line and it gets tested every couple of months and has yet to fail. Also can you post your z-wave details page? Use windows snip.
It would really surprise me if it were signal, but I suppose it's possible. Hub is roughly 20' from the valve, separated by one plaster wall and one Sheetrock one.
Previously I had had extenders, but theres barely anywhere in between the two where I could put one, and I had worried that perhaps the extenders were causing some of the issue.
27 route changes?? What's it changing to/from if this is the only ZWave device? 894ms RTT is more than 3/4 of a second, almost a full second. RF (speed of light) is either significantly slowed across those 20' or the conversation is requiring multiple attempts. If you have a space time anomaly there in your home, I'd think you can get a lot of money for renting out that area If not, then I'd have to go with something in the path that is reducing the signal to the edge of usability... perhaps better said.. the device is never in range except for a few small windows.
As too Google.. it's signal is not going through that anomaly and so the signal strength is better. The path is different or it's closer.
Plaster could easily have chicken wire in it. pipes, electrical etc. That said, given the route changes and RTT, you definitely have a signal issue. Can you swap antennas on the hub? This would eliminate it being a defective antenna on the hub.
I suspect Google's ability to sometimes control it is just a coincidental fluke, and all of that is on Google's side of things.
First thing to focus on is improving the HE connection reliability. Once that's done, the Google stuff should improve correspondingly.
Have you tried a full habitat shutdown (shut down via UI, the pull power at the plug) for a few minutes? That could help give the ZW radio a refreshed kick in the pants.
I've been in the walls. None of it is constructed with chicken wire. The wall closest does have some 120v and PVC pipes. The wall with the water valve in it has some copper, but by and large the obstruction is 1 piece of drywall, 1piece of Sheetrock, 1" of plaster/wood lath, some tile, maybe a shower door.
Giving it a closer eye it may actually be under 12' direct.
Issues existed with a C7 before switching to the C8, I could order some new antennas, but I don't believe I have any to swap.
I have tried a full shutdown before, but I can give it a go again.
I'm still a bit hesitant to the repeater idea, though that may be my own stupidity. Having gotten a tape measure out, we're talking on the order of 90 inches between the hub and the valve. The valve is half way in a wall, meaning the only contiguous barriers are a tiled sheet of sheetrock, a shower door, a sheet of drywall and around 3/4" of plaster wall. That's assuming the signal isn't bouncing off walls and whatnot, slightly out of that line and the barriers would effectively become a quarter inch of plastic, and 3/4" of door.
Are there not other issues here that might be tied together?
Can you unplug the Dome, unmount it from the valve and put it in another room at roughly the same distance? Looks like just two bands to unscrew based on the pictures.
Again, this is just an experiment to see if the Dome works anywhere.
Obviously at the end of the experiment, put it back on the valve.
My inclination is to go the opposite way which I'll test out probably tomorrow, it's a lot easier to get a coupler and just put the hub next to the valve to sample. That should have the same effect, right?
Now if I do get an extender, I'm honestly confused where I'd put it. The hub is in the hallway, and it goes hallway -> bathroom -> closet with the valve in the wall between the closet and bathroom. I could put the extender in the closet easily, but that wouldn't be any closer than the valve is currently. I could throw it in the bathroom too if that made more sense, we're just talking like 1 wall and 6' from the hub.
I don't think you need to put the extender between necessarily, but in the proximity of the valve. The same room, or even a nearby outlet in another room would be something to judge whether it works or not. You can move the repeater about the area of the hub or valve, and see if anyplace makes a difference after a day or two.
I think this is just an issue with only having one valve and nothing else on the mesh, and I use the term "mesh" loosely because you don't have any semblance of one. While Z-wave probably should work with just one device, anecdotally it takes a many (usually close to a dozen) devices to really stabilize things.
Look at it this way, if the repeater (even an outlet would work) helps, you fixed the issue for about $25. If it doesn't fix it, you know it isn't a signal strength issue, it is more like a bad device or very unlikely but possibly a bad hub.
So far I can say one repeater has not helped, though it has at least done more to imply a weirdly bad signal. I don't think there's any situation where I'm ending up with a dozen, but I will try one or two more repeaters. I know outlets may be a better idea, the only thing that has inclined me towards repeater is that I haven't seen many 800 series outlets, if there's something you'd recommend I'd consider it. I ended up getting a Zooz repeater, along with a second arriving tomorrow. It also doesn't help that I don't really have any more devices that would benefit from a smart plug.
2 repeaters in and ai can say that despite every bit of 'this shouldn't be a problem' the range issue seems likely to be a real problem. Attempting to pair the second repeater so so close to line of sight 6' away from the first, and bam, failure. As it is, it's looking like maybe I'd need 3 repeaters just to get a good connection across 12ish feet, which seems obscene. And that's before we get to an assessment of if it actually works when I do that.
If not, then I'd have to go with something in the path that is reducing the signal to the edge of usability... perhaps better said.. the device is never in range except for a few small windows.
If it still doesn't work I think a repeater is in order.
