SWITCH-ZW

SWITCH-ZW questions installers ask

Does the SWITCH-ZW require a neutral wire?

Yes. The SWITCH-ZW is a neutral-required in-wall Z-Wave light switch. Line, load, neutral and ground all land on the device, plus a traveler in a 3-way install. There is no no-neutral mode. Line and load are not interchangeable, so check which is which before you wire it. The neutral in a box is usually a bundle under a wire nut. Land the supplied white jumper from that bundle on the NEUTRAL terminal. Every terminal takes copper wire only, 14 AWG or larger rated 80 deg C or higher. The load wire may be black or red. Check the box has a neutral before you pick this switch for that location.

Can the SWITCH-ZW be used as a Z-Wave 3 way switch?

Yes. Wired as a Z-Wave 3-way switch, the second location is an ordinary mechanical 3-way switch, not another smart switch and not an add-on. Put the SWITCH-ZW in the box that has line power. Its LOAD terminal feeds the light directly.

The mechanical switch gets two wires. The red traveler goes from the SWITCH-ZW's TRAVELER terminal to a traveler screw. A white wire goes from its COMMON screw back to the neutral bundle. That is a low-current signal loop, not a power path, so no load current passes through the second switch at all. If the wiring in the wall does not match that, stop and call an electrician.

What loads can the SWITCH-ZW control?

Lighting loads, inside its ETL-listed ratings at 125 VAC. That is up to 1875 W (15 A) general purpose or resistive, up to 1250 W (10 A) tungsten, incandescent, ballast or LED, and up to 1/2 HP motor. The switch turns the circuit on and off rather than dimming it, so the only question is whether the fixture fits inside those wattage limits. Lighting loads only. The safety note at the foot of the Specifications tab lists the load types this switch is not listed to control. Read it before you pick a circuit.

How far does the SWITCH-ZW reach on Z-Wave Long Range?

Up to 1300 ft straight to the controller on Long Range, and 330 ft (100 m) per hop on classic mesh. Those two numbers measure different things. On Long Range every device talks directly to the hub, so 1300 ft is one direct link. On classic mesh the signal is passed device to device, so 330 ft is the distance of a single hop and the network can cover more ground by chaining them. The SWITCH-ZW also works as a repeater on a mesh network, which strengthens coverage for other mains-powered devices.

How do I add, pair, or reset the SWITCH-ZW?

To add it: set the controller to add a device, then press the TOP paddle three times quickly. The blue LED flashes. Solid green for two seconds means it worked. Solid red for two seconds means it failed, so try again.

To remove it: set the controller to remove a device, then press the BOTTOM paddle three times quickly.

To factory reset it: press the BOTTOM paddle twice quickly, then hold it for at least ten seconds. The LED flashes purple, then holds solid purple for two seconds when the reset is done.

SmartStart is how the switch joins in Long Range mode. Scan the QR code on the metal yoke under the paddle with an 800 Series controller and it joins on its own within ten minutes. Adding it by paddle joins the classic mesh instead.

Does the SWITCH-ZW support scenes from the paddle?

Yes. Double-tap the top paddle to send Scene 1, or the bottom paddle to send Scene 2. That lets one wall location trigger hub automations from the same paddle that switches the light. On a classic mesh network, association group 2 also sends an on or off command straight to as many as five other devices on a single paddle press. That path is device to device, so it keeps working when the hub is offline.

What does the SWITCH-ZW do after a power failure?

It goes back to the state it was in, and eases the light back up rather than snapping it on. Parameter 8 controls this. Set it to 0 and the light stays off when power returns, 1 and it turns on, 2 and it returns to its last state. Setting 2 is the factory default. A switch that has never joined a network starts up off, with the blue LED on. You can also change parameter 8 at the wall by pressing the bottom paddle eight times.

Can I change what the blue LED does?

Yes, using parameter 2. By default it follows the paddle position. Set it to 1 and it follows the load instead, 2 to keep it off, or 3 to keep it on. Change it from the hub, or at the wall by pressing the bottom paddle ten times. The LED flashes green three times when a setting saves, and red three times if it does not. Parameter 1 works the same way from the top paddle pressed eight times. It swaps the paddle over, so the bottom turns the light on.

Is the SWITCH-ZW certified for use in Canada?

Electrically, yes. The switch carries the ETL c-US mark from Intertek, listed to UL 60730-1 and CSA E60730-1:2015 under Intertek control no. 5030071. Those markings are printed on the switch itself, so an inspector can read them in the box. Electrical listing and radio certification are two separate approvals. The radio is certified under FCC Part 15 Class B as FCC ID 2AD9XSWITCH-ZW. The SWITCH-ZW is built for the US 125 VAC market, and Versa sells it in the United States today.

What is the difference between the SWITCH-ZW and the DIM-ZW?

Both are Versa Z-Wave 800 Long Range in-wall devices on the same radio. Both fit a single-gang box on a single-pole or 3-way circuit with a neutral. The difference is what they do to the light.

The SWITCH-ZW turns it on and off, rated to 1875 W (15 A) general purpose or resistive and 1250 W (10 A) tungsten, incandescent, ballast or LED. That suits general lighting, high-wattage circuits, and any fixture meant to run at full output. The DIM-ZW is the in-wall dimmer for those same circuits when they need a brightness level instead, with its own load ratings on its product page. Pick the SWITCH-ZW when the circuit needs switching, and the DIM-ZW when it needs dimming.