Just had the electrician come and install two new zooz on/off switches. Now that the house is quiet, I can hear an audible buzzing sound from both switches. They are in different rooms, but on the same circuit. Is this normal? I don't think that I like that. None of my other non zooz switches buzz. Help!
Tagging @agnes.zooz
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What are these switches controlling? Most often, it is the load that makes a switch generate the buzz. Some LEDs are notorious for doing this. Ironically the ones you want are buzzkills.
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It's a switch for my fan light. It is LED, but it's a built in one. I can't change the bulb in it. Also, the one in the bathroom doesn't have anything wired into it yet. the fixtures aren't up yet, so it's only controlling the led fan light. Built in, not changeable either.
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Sounds like the Zooz switches ar not using a relay internally. If they are âswitchingâ using a transistor-like circuit, instead of a true relay, the load makes a huge difference, as @aaiyar mentioned above. I always prefer a smart switch that uses a true mechanical relay, which usually makes an audible click. The relay can usually handle any load you throw at it.
Are these Zooz âswitchesâ or âdimmersâ?
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Are the Zooz ZEN22 or 27? I have some ZEN22 dimmers and they are quiet. LED load.
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They are Zen26 ver 2.0
on/off switches
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I also have some Zooz ZEN21 switches. Can't hear a buzz with them either.
Question - can your husband hear a buzz? I'm asking because women and men hear different frequencies as we age. And maybe I can't hear it in my house but you would be able to hear it.
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I was asking that of my electrician just now because I can hear my phone chargers too and Jeff can't. Right now he's gaming on line, but I'll definitely ask him if he hears it.
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I'm going to see what Agnes pipes in on it too. I was really nervous of it because our house had some faulty wiring that's been fixed. Done by the previous owner, so you can imagine how I worry about that with my pupdogs here. The switch isn't physically hot or anything, which is reassuring.
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Do these switches use a Neutral? If not, that may explain the buzzing, even if the switch is off, as it has to leak a small amount of current through the load to keep the Z-Wave radio powered on.
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Yes, these have neutrals and they are connected.
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I am sure @agnes.zooz will know whatâs going on.
One more question... when you turn these on and off, do you hear a distinct click sound from a mechanical relay? Toggling them via Hubitat will avoid any noise from physically toggling the paddle switch, making it easier to hear a relay click...
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Actually, yes, I can hear the relay click when I physically press the switch. I can also hear it when toggling through hubitat as well. On both switches. One buzz (the fan light) is louder than the bathroom light. I feel like once we mount the fixtures, that one might subside. Now that @aaiyar mentions it, I've read about the buzzing. Should know that by tomorrow evening. So close to being done!
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Sure sounds like a mechanical relay. I donât know whatâs going on that would cause the buzzing.
I use Caseta Dimmers (the ones that do not require a neutral) and I know how annoying a 60Hz hum/buzz can be. In my case, the bulbs are what makes the noise. So, I have to choose my bulbs wisely. In a few cases, Iâve even gone back to incandescent bulbs in fixtures that are rarely used. I use dumb Philips dimmable LED bulbs pretty much everywhere else I use a dimmer switch as they are much quieter.
I can definitely empathize with you and I hope you get it sorted quickly!
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Awh .. thanks Dan! I might just have to live with it or look into adding some type of relay to deaden it. Time will tell.
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I have five or six of the zen26s in use and another five that I just picked up last week.
I (or my wife ... I just asked her to make sure) can not hear any buzzing from them.
Two of them are in my en-suite. One has 3 led slim pot lights on it and the other has six led A19âa.
Another one has just a single A19 load on my main floor.
Question: do the switches buzz when the switch is on or off or both? The zen26 and Zen27 put out a small sense voltage even when off that is a pretty harsh sawtooth. I did have issues when off with my under cabinet leds in my kitchen.
Im wondering if it could be a broken ground. Maybe not at the switch but where the circuit originates or at a previous switch or receptical along the way. This was a big issue in my house.
Could even be the the fixtures internal wiring is the culprit. The zen21 May be a better choice.
Or the electrician may have screwed up.
Sorry I guess I am not much help. But Agnes and Karen at Zooz are both awesome. If Agnes doesnât respond here, ping Zooz support directly. They are really responsive.
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I have a Zen 21 switch which I have connected to several different types of loads (Different LED lights, Incandescent Bulbs and an Exhaust fan). The switch always buzzes. I finally moved it out to the Garage where the buzzing won't bother me. Usually, the buzzing from a dimmers isn't from the switch itself but from the bulbs when they are dimmed. The buzzing from my Zen 21 was always from the switch itself, which I found odd.
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Iâve installed 5 or so Zen26s within the past few weeks. One was notably louder, but seems to have subsided. They all have a buzz if I put my ear directly up to them (a few inches away), but I canât hear them beyond a foot.
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Thanks for all the input on that. The one on the bedroom fan light I heard when I was walking by. It's that loud. It's from the switch and it's a low voltage built in LED light. I don't think it can be changed out. The buss is more quiet when the light is on. The one in the bathroom is notably more quiet. I can hear it if I pay attention to it, but I don't have to put my ear next to it either. We're anticipating two light fixtures to be added to that switch in the next few days, so I'm curious to see if it will subside.
FWIW, the blue LED can be turned on and off in the device settings using Hubitatâs built-in Zooz drivers. Have you tried turning it off and seeing if that helps? Itâs a long shot but trying is free and only takes a minute.
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