• QUESTIONS? CALL 848-200-0995 OR EMAIL INFO@THESMARTESTHOUSE.COM
  • Log in
  • Cart (0)
  • Checkout
  • Home
  • Shop By Brand 
    • Zooz
    • Aeotec by Aeon Labs
    • Aqara
    • Dome
    • Ecolink
    • Everspring
    • Ezlo
    • Fibaro
    • Hank
    • Hubitat
    • Nodon
    • Qubino
    • Sensative
    • Vision
  • Product Type 
    • Hubs and Controllers 
      • Hubs (Gateway Controllers)
      • Remote Controls
      • Scene Controllers
    • Lighting Controls 
      • Wall Switches
      • Smart Relays
      • Smart Bulbs
      • RGBW and LED Strip Control
    • Sensors 
      • Door / Window Sensors
      • Humidity Sensors
      • Motion Sensors
      • Multisensors
      • Outdoor Sensors
      • Temperature Sensors
      • Vibration Sensors
      • Water Leak Sensors
    • Water Valves
    • Smart Plugs
    • Sirens and Chimes
    • Range Extenders
    • Thermostats
    • Blinds and Shades
    • Cameras
    • Accessories
  • Shop By Hub 
    • Z-Box Hub
    • 2GIG
    • ADT
    • Ezlo
    • FIBARO
    • Home Assistant
    • HomeSeer
    • Hubitat
    • Nexia
    • Qolsys
    • SmartThings
    • Wink
  • Value kits
  • Euro Z-Wave
  • Pro Portal
  • Blog
THE SMARTEST BLOG

5 TIPS FOR OUR 5 TOP PRODUCTS: #2 AEOTEC MICROSWITCHES

July 30, 2015 14 Comments

As much as we love Aeon Labs micro switches, they can be a pain to install. Here are the 3 key ingredients for a quick and easy set-up of the switches:

  1. Before inserting the wire, screw the screw in a little or so it catches the thread. If you insert the wire first, the screw will probably miss the thread and get loose. It will feel as if the thread is stripped.
  2. Make sure you have the right type of load connected to the micro switch: NO transformers, at least 20W bulbs or circuits, high-quality dimmable LEDs for the DSC27103 and DSC19103.
  3. Match the in-wall switch with your micro switch correctly - regular on/off switch for DSC26103 and DSC18103 and momentary switch for DSC27103 and DSC19103 (no dimmers!).

Like with any Z-Wave switch, you will need a neutral connection in each gang box to properly install the micros. Speaking of wiring, if you are looking to install the on/off micro switches in a 3-way setting, use the diagram below (anything else you find in the manuals or online will bring you nothing but trouble).
You will need both line and load in the master gang box for the 3-way installation to be successful.



Last but not least, here are a few useful programming adjustments to get the most functionality out of your Aeon Labs micro switches:

- Parameter 120 = 1 set as default for on/off toggle mode OR 0 for momentary switch
- Parameter 3 = 1 for overload protection
- Parameter 80 = 1 to report status change - controller immediately shows status change if you turn the switch on or off manually

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below!



Tweet Share Pin It Email

14 Responses

Ron
Ron

May 03, 2019

What is the overload protection! Can it be reset? How?

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

February 10, 2017

Hi Brent, good question! Just like with any Z-Wave switch, it can be associated with other devices in your network and can be controlled with a virtual add-on switch like the LTM-5 or a Z-Wave scene controller. So you can hide the relays behind a dry wall and decide where and how you want to add local control for them with Z-Wave scene controllers.

Brent
Brent

February 09, 2017

Do you have to connect these to a traditional switch or can you have them controlled by scene controllers / other zwave devices?

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

February 07, 2017

Hi David, even though Aeotec publishes the live diagrams as an option, we don’t recommend implementing them because in the long run it may damage the switches anyway. If you’re having issues with reliable control, we would try disconnecting the module from the 3-way and see if you can control it from SmartThings as a single-pole to see if the wiring plays a part here.

david
david

February 05, 2017

This was really helpful, I have wired mine up slightly differently (using a 3 way live implementation but it all works except for the fact that i cant seem to reliably turn it off from smartthings. thoughts on what might be the cause?

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

December 02, 2016

Hi Ann! The Vision dual relay can be connected in a 3-way without live wiring just as shown in the Aeotec diagram. So the most important thing to check for is that you have neutral, ground, line, load, and traveler all in one box. We have a dedicated wiring diagram for the Vision module so feel free to email us about it!

Ann
Ann

November 26, 2016

I have a quick question: can I hook up one of your dual relay to control a 3-way switch?

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

May 27, 2016

Hi Todd,
Thanks for the question! Dimmers will not work in a 3-way configuration because they are based on the push-button mechanism. So even if you replaced regular switches with momentary, you would still not be able to use a dimmer in this configuration.
We recommend replacing your traditional switches with Z-Wave in-wall dimmers to execute a 3-way configuration. We write more about the process here:
http://www.thesmartesthouse.com/blogs/the-smartest-blog/114982596-wiring-z-wave-switches-do-s-and-don-ts

Let me know if that was helpful!

Todd Kennedy
Todd Kennedy

May 24, 2016

Does the 3/4-way wiring differ for the dimmer modules? Specifically, would I connect load and line to the dimmer module and then use momentary switches in place of the toggle switches in the diagram above? Have you or anyone else got that working? Thanks in advance!

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

February 17, 2016

Hi Matthew, each hub has a different home automation software with a unique way to adjust settings for each device. Some controllers do not allow users to change parameters within the interface so if you are not seeing the option to adjust parameters in device settings, we recommend contacting Harmony’s support for more info on how to address the issue. Sorry we could not be of more help here!

Matthew
Matthew

February 04, 2016

Parameters? How do I set these parameters? I noticed that my Harmony Home Hub Extender doesn’t seem to recognize state changes when I flip a wall switch manually. It looks like parameter 80 might be the key to this.

Shane
Shane

December 28, 2015

Thanks for tip #1. I was going out of my mind.

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

October 01, 2015

Andrew, thanks for the question. If you only have one bulb per switch, we would not recommend using the micro switch with an 8W bulb. You would be better off replacing the in-wall switch with one of the newer GE switches which all work well with low-voltage lights:

http://www.thesmartesthouse.com/search?type=product&q=ge+switch

The micros may work well for a while but there is a good chance they will eventually fail under an 8W load. I hope that helps!

Andrew
Andrew

September 30, 2015

Does the 20W requirement apply to all of these? I run all LEDs (non dimmable) that are around 8W. Would any of the models here work? I am not interested in dimming, just on/off.

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in THE SMARTEST BLOG

Z-BOX HUB: ALL EYES ON Z-WAVE

March 22, 2023

Z-Box Hub with smart home mobile app

Let’s take a closer look at the first Z-Wave focused hub for US and Canada. We will uncover its primary benefits, UI features, how to use the Z-Box mobile app, and what sets the system apart from other hubs available today.

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

As we often tell our customers, there isn’t one perfect smart home platform to solve it all. The Z-Box Hub is no exception. What makes it unique is its focus on easy access to advanced automation functionality while keeping the key data and processes off-cloud.

Continue Reading

Z-Wave: The Best Alternative to Insteon

May 05, 2022 2 Comments

Z-Wave is the best alternative to Insteon

Insteon just became another smart home company to shut down their services. Overnight, the platform’s servers were disconnected, leaving their customers without a functional smart home. SmartLabs, Insteon’s mother company, claims to have sold over 5 million connected devices; that’s a lot of sensors, switches, and controllers that became orphaned. Does it mean that all of this hardware is now completely useless?

It turns out that there are ways to salvage your Insteon products and continue using them, at least to some extent, on other platforms who stepped up and provided integration for this protocol. However, these workarounds are less than user-friendly and will require more time and possible frustration around a system that’s no longer backed by any official support. What’s the alternative and is it even worth it to have a connected house these days?

Continue Reading

How to Set Up a Z-Wave Smart Home Hub with Amazon Alexa

August 06, 2020

How to connect Amazon Alexa smart speaker to a Z-Wave hub

If you already have Amazon Echo set up, you know how convenient it can be. There’s nothing like walking out the front door with full hands and telling Alexa to turn off your lights last minute. But these smart lights and plugs can be slow to react as you keep adding more smart home devices and clogging your network.

Alexa only “speaks” WiFi (and ZigBee if you have the EchoPlus). It currently doesn’t support Z-Wave, the protocol of choice for home automation thanks to its high speed and low interference with other connected devices in your home. That means you can’t have a Z-Wave switch or plug speak directly to your Echo. BUT you can use a smart home hub as a bridge between your Z-Wave devices and Amazon Alexa. Now that’s a whole other level of functionality to unlock!

And if you already have a Z-Wave hub but no smart speaker, you might be thinking how cool it would be to have voice control for your automations and smart home devices. It’s a step towards a more integrated, easy-to-use smart home with improved security, comfort, and convenience.

Continue Reading

Quick Links
  • About Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms Of Service
  • Refund Policy
  • Contact US
Sign up for our newsletter

Be the first to know about new product releases and special sale events.


© 2023 The Smartest House.

American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Meta Pay Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa