Installation Manual
SWITCH-ZW In-Wall Z-Wave Light Switch
The SWITCH-ZW is a Z-Wave 800 Series Long Range in-wall light switch that replaces a standard single-pole or 3-way paddle switch and puts a hardwired lighting circuit on your Z-Wave network.
It runs on the US Z-Wave band - 908.42 / 916 MHz for classic mesh and 912 / 920 MHz for Z-Wave Long Range, reaching up to 1300 ft direct-to-controller on Long Range - and it joins any Z-Wave certified hub or panel with S2 security. Quick start for Z-Wave light switch installation: kill the breaker, land line, load, neutral and ground in the marked terminals at 12 lbf-in, restore power, then press the TOP paddle 3x quickly or scan the SmartStart QR code to add it. A neutral is required, and the switch carries up to 1875 W (15 A) general purpose or resistive and 1250 W (10 A) tungsten, incandescent, ballast or LED.
What you need
- Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers, a wire stripper, and a voltage tester
- A single-gang wall box with at least 2-3/4 in. depth
- 14 AWG or larger copper conductors rated 80 °C minimum, including a neutral in the box
- A Z-Wave certified controller or panel, plus access to its add-device screen
Wireless
Z-Wave 800 Series with Long Range. 908.42 / 916 MHz mesh - 912 / 920 MHz LR. Up to 1300 ft direct-to-controller. S2 security, SmartStart, built-in Z-Wave repeater.
Power & load
125 VAC, 60 Hz. Up to 1875 W (15 A) general purpose or resistive, 1250 W (10 A) tungsten / incandescent / ballast / LED, 1/2 HP motor.
Wiring
Single-pole or 3-way. Neutral required, copper only, 14 AWG or larger, terminals torqued to 12 lbf-in. Indoor, dry location.
LED indicator
A status LED on the paddle reports what the switch is doing. Its normal behavior is set by parameter 2, so out of the box a solid blue LED tracks the paddle position.
| LED state | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Solid blue | Switch status - normal operation (see parameter 2) |
| Blue flashing | Inclusion or exclusion in progress |
| Green solid 2 s | Inclusion or exclusion succeeded |
| Red solid 2 s | Inclusion or exclusion failed - retry |
| Green flashing 3x | Parameter changed successfully |
| Red flashing 3x | Parameter change failed |
| Purple flashing | Factory reset in progress |
| Purple solid 2 s | Factory reset complete |
Identify your wires
Pull the old switch out of the box and sort the conductors before anything lands on the SWITCH-ZW. Line and load are not interchangeable on this device, so confirm which black wire is the incoming hot before you land it.
| Conductor | Terminal |
|---|---|
| Line (black) | LINE - incoming hot from the breaker |
| Load (black or red) | LOAD - feeds the light fixture |
| Neutral (white) | NEUTRAL - required |
| Ground (bare or green) | GROUND - the green terminal at the top of the switch |
| Traveler (red, 3-way only) | TRAVELER |
If what is in your box does not match this list, stop and consult an electrician.
How to install the SWITCH-ZW Z-Wave switch
This SWITCH-ZW installation manual covers both circuit types. Follow steps 1 through 3 either way, then use the single-pole or the 3-way wiring step that matches your box.
Kill the power and open the box
Switch off the breaker for the lighting circuit. Remove the wall plate and the existing switch, and verify with a non-contact voltage tester that no conductor in the box is live before you touch it.
Strip the conductors
Strip each wire 5/8 in. (16 mm). Copper conductors only, 14 AWG or larger, rated 80 °C minimum.
Land the wires in the terminals
Loosen the screw terminal counter-clockwise a few turns until you feel resistance. There are two holes behind each terminal - insert the straight wire into one of them and tighten the screw clockwise to 12 lbf-in (14 kgf-cm). Do not wrap wires around the screws, and do not use power tools.
Single-pole wiring
With the power still off: ground to GROUND, neutral to NEUTRAL, line to LINE, and load to LOAD. The neutral in the box is usually a bundle - land the supplied white jumper from that bundle on the NEUTRAL terminal. The TRAVELER terminal stays empty on a single-pole circuit. Tug-test every conductor, fold the wires back into the box, mount the switch, then restore power.
Z-Wave 3-way switch wiring
In a 3-way circuit the SWITCH-ZW must be installed in the box that has line power, and the companion must be a standard mechanical 3-way switch. Run the red traveler from the SWITCH-ZW TRAVELER terminal to a traveler screw on the companion, and run a white conductor from the companion's COMMON screw back into the neutral bundle. The companion makes and breaks that loop only - no load current passes through it. Run the three conductors between the boxes as one 3-conductor cable (black, red, white), and tie all grounds together and to each device's GROUND terminal.
Mount, restore power, and test
Fold the conductors into the box, screw the switch to the box, and fit the wall plate. Restore the breaker. Press the top paddle once for ON and the bottom paddle once for OFF before you pair it to a hub. A switch that has never joined a network powers up with the relay OFF and the blue LED on; a switch that was already in a network returns to its last state with a soft start.
Z-Wave network setup
The SWITCH-ZW joins any Z-Wave certified network with S2 encrypted inclusion. It supports SmartStart, so scanning the QR code is usually faster than pressing paddles.
Inclusion - add the device
Set your controller to add a device, following your panel or hub's own instructions. Then press the TOP paddle 3x quickly. The blue LED flashes during inclusion; solid green for 2 seconds means success, and solid red for 2 seconds means it failed - start the controller again and retry.
Exclusion - remove the device
Set your controller to remove a device, then press the BOTTOM paddle 3x quickly. Excluding the switch clears its network settings so it can join a different controller.
Factory reset
Press the BOTTOM paddle 2x quickly, then hold for at least 10 seconds. The LED flashes purple, then goes solid purple for 2 seconds when the reset is complete. Use a factory reset only if your controller is missing or inoperable - otherwise exclude the device normally.
Association groups
- Group 1 - Lifeline (up to 5 nodes, Binary Switch Report). Most controllers assign this to the primary controller automatically during inclusion.
- Group 2 - Single Press (up to 5 nodes). Sends a Basic Set when someone presses the paddle at the wall, so the SWITCH-ZW can drive associated devices directly. Direct device-to-device association runs on a classic mesh network; a node included by Z-Wave Long Range has one neighbor, the primary controller, so on LR the same paddle-driven control is built as a hub automation.
Paddle functions
Everything the SWITCH-ZW does at the wall is a press pattern on one of the two paddles.
| Press | Result |
|---|---|
| Top 1x / Bottom 1x | ON / OFF (swap or toggle with parameter 1) |
| Top 2x / Bottom 2x | Central Scene 1 / Central Scene 2 |
| Top 3x / Bottom 3x | Inclusion / exclusion |
| Top 8x / Bottom 8x | Cycle parameter 1 / cycle parameter 8 |
| Bottom 10x | Cycle parameter 2 (LED indicator) |
| Bottom 2x + hold 10 s | Factory reset |
Parameter settings
Set these from your hub's Z-Wave configuration screen. The LED flashes green 3x when a parameter is saved and red 3x if the change failed.
| # | Parameter | Default | Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Button Function | 0 | 0=Top ON / Bottom OFF (default), 1=Top OFF / Bottom ON, 2=both toggle |
| 2 | LED Indicator | 0 | 0=paddle position (default), 1=relay, 2=off, 3=on |
| 4 | Auto Turn-Off | 0 | 1-65535 minutes. 0=disabled. |
| 6 | Auto Turn-On | 0 | 1-65535 minutes. 0=disabled. |
| 8 | Restore After Power Fail | 2 | 0=off, 1=on, 2=last state (default) |
For a walk-through of what settings like these do in practice, see Z-Wave dimmer settings you didn't know you had.
Specifications
| Input voltage | 125 VAC, 60 Hz |
| Protocol | Z-Wave 800 Series with Long Range, S2 security, SmartStart |
| Frequency | 908.42 / 916 MHz mesh - 912 / 920 MHz LR |
| Range | Up to 1300 ft direct-to-controller (LR) - 330 ft (100 m) per hop (mesh) |
| Tungsten / INC / ballast / LED | 1250 W (10 A) max |
| General purpose / resistive | 1875 W (15 A) max |
| Motor load | 1/2 HP max |
| Wiring | Single-pole or 3-way; neutral required |
| Wire | Copper only, 14 AWG or larger, 80 °C min |
| Terminal torque | 12 lbf-in (14 kgf-cm) |
| Wall box | Single-gang, 2-3/4 in. minimum depth |
| Scene control | Central Scene - 2-tap top or bottom paddle |
| Repeater | Built-in Z-Wave repeater |
| Operating temperature | 32 to 104 °F (0 to 40 °C) |
| Use | Indoor installation only, dry location |
| Version | 1.0 (Z-Wave SDK 7.24.1, Z-Wave version 8.2) |
| Listing | ETL Listed (c-US) - UL 60730-1, CSA E60730-1:2015, Intertek 5030071 |
| FCC ID | 2AD9XSWITCH-ZW (FCC Part 15 Class B) |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Works with any Z-Wave certified hub
The SWITCH-ZW joins any Z-Wave certified network, older or newer generation, and supports Lifeline on group 1, which most controllers configure automatically during inclusion. Versa officially lists 2GIG EDGE, Qolsys IQ, SmartThings, Hubitat and Home Assistant (with an 800 Series controller). How it behaves on the network depends on which way you include it.
Classic mesh inclusion. The SWITCH-ZW is a mains-powered node, so it is an always-on repeater: every switch you install strengthens the mesh for the mains-powered devices around it, at about 330 ft (100 m) per hop. Group 2 can drive up to 5 associated devices straight from the paddle, with no hub in the path.
Z-Wave Long Range inclusion. Include it by SmartStart on an 800 Series controller with Long Range enabled and it talks straight to the controller, up to 1300 ft direct-to-controller. Z-Wave developer Eric Ryherd measures Long Range at over double the range of classic Z-Wave, on the strength of a +14 to +20 dBm transmit power against -1 dBm. An LR node has one neighbor, the primary controller, so repeating and direct device-to-device association belong to mesh inclusion; on Long Range, build the same paddle-driven control as a hub automation instead. Choose mesh when you want the switch to extend the network or drive another device on its own, and Long Range when distance to the controller is the constraint.
See Z-Wave 800 Long Range explained and Z-Wave 800 vs 700 Series for what changes at the controller, and the DIM-ZW installation manual for the in-wall dimmer on the same radio. Certification details are published by the Z-Wave Alliance, and the safety listing by Intertek ETL. Browse the rest of the line in the Versa Z-Wave collection.
Z-Wave 800 Long Range in-wall paddle switch - single-pole or 3-way, 1875 W.
Download the printable manual
The full SWITCH-ZW installation manual is available as a printable PDF with the specifications, LED table, wiring diagrams for single-pole and 3-way circuits, Z-Wave network setup, and the complete parameter reference.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the SWITCH-ZW Z-Wave light switch?
Turn off the breaker and verify the wires are dead, remove the old switch, then strip each conductor 5/8 in. (16 mm) and land line on LINE, load on LOAD, neutral on NEUTRAL, and ground on GROUND. Loosen each terminal screw counter-clockwise, insert the straight wire into one of the two holes behind the terminal, and tighten clockwise to 12 lbf-in - no power tools, and do not wrap wire around the screws. Fold the wires in, mount the switch, restore power, then press the TOP paddle 3x quickly to add it to your Z-Wave controller.
Does the SWITCH-ZW work in a 3-way circuit?
Yes. For Z-Wave 3-way switch wiring, install the SWITCH-ZW in the box that has line power and make the companion a standard mechanical 3-way switch. Run the red traveler from the TRAVELER terminal to a traveler screw on the companion, and run a white conductor from the companion's COMMON screw back into the neutral bundle. The companion makes and breaks that loop only - no load current passes through it - so run the three conductors between the boxes as one 3-conductor cable and tie all grounds together.
Does the SWITCH-ZW need a neutral wire?
Yes. A neutral is required and lands on the NEUTRAL terminal - the neutral in the box is usually a bundle, so land the supplied white jumper from that bundle on the terminal. The SWITCH-ZW takes copper conductors only, 14 AWG or larger and rated 80 degrees C minimum, and needs a single-gang wall box with at least 2-3/4 in. of depth.
How do I add the SWITCH-ZW to my Z-Wave hub?
Set the controller to add a device and press the TOP paddle 3x quickly - the LED flashes blue, then goes solid green for 2 seconds on success or solid red for 2 seconds on failure. Or scan the Z-Wave QR code on the metal yoke under the paddle with a SmartStart-capable controller and it is added automatically within 10 minutes once powered and in range. The full DSK is printed on the carton.
What load can the SWITCH-ZW control?
Up to 1875 W (15 A) general purpose or resistive, 1250 W (10 A) tungsten, incandescent, ballast or LED, and 1/2 HP motor load. Input is 125 VAC, 60 Hz, for indoor, dry-location lighting loads. The SWITCH-ZW is an on/off switch, not a dimmer - it switches the circuit rather than varying its level.
How do I factory reset the SWITCH-ZW?
Press the BOTTOM paddle 2x quickly, then hold for at least 10 seconds. The LED flashes purple and goes solid purple for 2 seconds when the reset completes. Use a factory reset only if your controller is missing or inoperable; otherwise exclude the switch normally from the controller by pressing the BOTTOM paddle 3x quickly.
What happens to the SWITCH-ZW after a power failure?
By default it returns to its last state with a soft start, because parameter 8 ships set to 2 (last state). Set parameter 8 to 0 to have it come back off or to 1 to have it come back on, either from your hub or at the wall by pressing the bottom paddle 8x. A switch that has never joined a network powers up with the relay off and the blue LED on.
FCC ID: 2AD9XSWITCH-ZW. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This equipment has been tested and complies with Part 15 Class B limits, providing reasonable protection against interference in residential installations. This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment; install and operate with a minimum distance of 20 cm between the radiator and any person. If interference occurs, verify by powering the equipment off and on, then try one of the following: reorient or relocate the receiving antenna; increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver; connect the equipment to a circuit different from the receiver; or consult a qualified radio/TV technician. ETL Listed (c-US) - UL 60730-1, CSA E60730-1:2015, Intertek 5030071. Z-Wave Plus certified. Doc V0000785. Copyright 2026 Versa Wireless Inc. versawireless.com
