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THE SMARTEST BLOG

NO. 1 Z-WAVE PAIRING TRICK

March 04, 2015 51 Comments

Man pairing a smart device to a Z-Wave network using his smart home.

Sometimes you just can’t pair a sensor or a switch with your Z-Wave hub, no matter what you try. You’ve done your research and installed similar devices without any problems. You’re positive this unit is compatible with your hub and yet it will not include.
We have found a solution that will work most of the time if everything else has failed. As strange as it may sound, the trick is to exclude the item from your network. 

But why would I unpair something that has never been included to my network in the first place? 
Well, there are at least 2 reasons:
  1. Configuration errors sometimes occur during the pairing process. As a result, the device is not successfully paired but neither is it ready for another pairing attempt - it needs to be excluded first.
  2. You might have received an item that has been previously associated with a different Z-Wave network (maybe it was tested at a factory and is still part of that network). Luckily, you’re able to exclude a Z-Wave unit from any network using your controller.

How to unpair a Z-Wave device that has not been paired with your controller yet?
Simply send the appropriate command to put the controller in “exclusion mode”. Keep in mind that every hub is a little different when it comes to executing this process and you’ll want to have your device manual around to perform the device-specific exclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press) which is unique for every device.

Here are the step-by-step exclusion instructions for the most popular Z-Wave systems:

Z-Box Hub

  1. Click the gear icon in the sidebar menu to access Settings.
  2. You will be redirected to the Devices menu.
  3. Click the red Remove device button in the top right corner.
  4. Select the Z-Wave Device option.
  5. Get ready to activate your Z-Wave device and click Start.
  6. While the Z-Box Hub is in exclusion mode, perform the device-specific exclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press).
  7. The Z-Box Hub will confirm that the device has been removed and you can now try adding it again to your system.

Home Assistant

  1. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices and Services > Z-Wave JS > Configure.
  2. Click on Remove Device.
  3. Click on Start Exclusion.
  4. While Home Assistant is in exclusion mode, perform the device-specific exclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press).
  5. Home Assistant will confirm that the device was removed, and you should now be able to pair your device with the system.

Hubitat

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click on Z-Wave Details
  3. Click on Z-Wave Exclude
  4. While Hubitat is in exclusion mode, perform the device-specific exclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press).
  5. You should receive confirmation of exclusion once the unit is excluded

SmartThings

  1. Make sure your device works manually or is powered up
  2. Go to the Devices tab in your SmartThings app
  3. Tap Home hub (or custom name of your ST hub)
  4. Tap the 3-dot icon in the top right corner
  5. Tap Settings
  6. Tap Z-Wave Utilities
  7. Tap Z-Wave Exclusion
  8. The app will show this message: “To delete Z-Wave devices, follow the manufacturer's instructions.” There will also be a spinning circle over the message.
  9. While Exclusion Mode is active, perform the device-specific exclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press).
  10. The app will confirm device exclusion
  11. Tap Done

Once exclusion is completed, please try adding the device again by clicking the "+" icon on the home screen, selecting "Add device" from the drop-down menu, and clicking on Scan Nearby or Scan QR Code if your device supports SmartStart.

While the app is looking for new devices, perform the device-specific inclusion confirmation (e.g., a physical button press).

HomeSeer

  1. In the web interface, go to the PLUG-INS drop-down menu and select Z-Wave
  2. Click on Controller Management
  3. Look for the the Z-Wave Interfaces area and expand your Z-Wave Controller section
  4. Open the Actions menu and select Remove/Exclude a Node
  5. Click the Start button and perform the exclusion sequence on the Z-Wave device you need to reset
  6. When the process is complete, you’ll see a confirmation message on your screen: "DONE - Remove Node Operation is Complete."

Wink

  1. Go to the main Hub page within the app
  2. Click on the three dots (Settings) in the upper right corner
  3. Click on Wink Hub
  4. Scroll down and click on Z-Wave Controls.
  5. Select Exclusion Mode
  6. Perform the device specific exclusion action on your device (see manual for details)
  7. Your Wink hub LED indicator will go from blinking blue to solid green to indicate exclusion was successful

After the exclusion process, try including the device again. And don't forget to check if the product is supported by Wink here.

NOTE: Sometimes, you will have to repeat the above process a few times before the unit is excluded. Always look for the appropriate indicator that the device is ready to be paired, like a flashing LED light.

Nexia

  1. Press the exclusion ("-") button on the hub
  2. Activate the device for exclusion (e.g., a physical button press, check your manual) to reset it
That’s it! Now try adding the device again.

We hope that helps but if you're struggling to add a device to your network, get in touch. Every purchase at our store comes with lifetime tech support!

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10 Responses

John Mitchell
John Mitchell

January 10, 2020

There are many places that will provide an answer to the following questions:“Why can’t I get my GE Z-Wave Dimmer to Exclude?” “Why can’t I get my GE Z-Wave Dimmer to pair?”

I had to exclude and re-pair about 40 GE/Honeywell/Jasco switches, dimmers and fan controllers. I was able to get all but two of them to go pretty smoothly…a GE 12724 and a GE 14291. They would simply not exclude even though in both cases the switch right next to it in the junction box had no problem. For these two I kept looking for a magical solution to get the darn things to exclude from Smartthings. Nothing. I was aware of the “hand waving” so I tried that a few times. No luck.

Answer: Hand wave continuously and quickly! Just like the kid in class with the answer. Just keep pushing the switch very quickly until it shows up as excluded. Then do the same thing to join. Still can’t believe that was it.

Greg E
Greg E

December 12, 2019

The SmartThings guidance is just what I needed. I tried GE’s manuals and other recommendations on Z-Wave instructions for my GE Outdoor Plug-In module, but nothing worked until I tried the exclusion setup. Thanks for saving me the additional aggravation time and effort!

The Smartest House
The Smartest House

September 04, 2019

Hi Larry! Nope, you need to activate each Z-Wave device to exclude it from the hub so enrolling Wink in exclusion mode will not in itself remove all devices from your system.

Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson

August 31, 2019

If I use the exclusion option on the Wink app for a Z-Wave device that I am unable to make work on the Wink app;. will it exclude all Z-Wave devices on the Hub?

Jan (The Smartest House)
Jan (The Smartest House)

August 27, 2019

Hi Jim,

That’s possible. We’ve never carried Piper and it’s not use by many of our customers so we’d recommend getting in touch with Piper support to get this one resolved for you!

Jim
Jim

August 26, 2019

I cannot get either of my get either of my GE Jasco Z-wave outdoor switches to pair with my Piper unit anymore. They do not show up on the accessories which means I cannot uninstall and start over. They just will no longer install. Wondering if this is Piper in the process of “obsoleting” everything to do with their security system that got shelved after a couple of takeovers of bigger security providers.

The Smartest House
The Smartest House

August 03, 2019

Great to hear, we’re happy we could help Cris!

Cris
Cris

August 02, 2019

You are a genius. This worked after numerous failed pairing attempts. Thank you!

Jan (The Smartest House)
Jan (The Smartest House)

August 31, 2018

Hi Jeremy, yes, you need to activate each device according to its manual since each one works a bit differently. Some require a triple press of the z-wave button, some require a quick triple-click on the switch paddle. They all need to be activated during exclusion and inclusion though. Wink support should also be able to guide you through the process.

Jeremy
Jeremy

August 29, 2018

I have my z-wave devices connected to adt hub.(outlets/door locks/thermostats/ect) I want to stop using adt. i bought a Wink2 but can’t get any of my devices to pair. do i need to do anything with each switch or outlet to get it to pair with Wink2? Seems like i can’t get the devices to go into learning mode.
Thanks

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