A few questions about the Dimmer Switch

I’ve been wanting to replace a couple of my existing Z-wave dimmers for some time, and recently discovered the Red Series Dimmer Switch. This dimmer looks like it will exceed all my expectations when it becomes available, but I do have a few questions I wasn’t able to find answers to on either the forums or the instruction manual.

Does the Dimmer Switch use leading edge or trailing edge dimming?

When using the Dimmer Switch with a neutral, is there a minimum load requirement? The Z-wave dimmer in my living room (with neutral) does not dim the lights properly because the load is less than 40 watts (and of course this limitation was only documented in the fine print on the instruction manual).

If the light is currently on at 20%, and I push the power on button 1x (assuming parameter 9 - default level is set to 100%), will the light change to full brightness? or will I need to hold the button down until the brightness reaches 100%?

I understand that an official aux/add-on switch will not be available for some time, but the switch does support some 3rd party (GE and HomeSeer were mentioned on Reddit). I have a Leviton add-on switch laying around from a previous upgrade (VP00R-1L). Does anyone know if this add-on switch will work with the Inovelli dimmer?

If I were to disable the relay on the On/Off switch, can I associate it directly with the Dimmer switch so that it acts like a 3-way switch (probably without the dimming functionality though)? If so, would the on/off switch directly command the dimmer switch, or does the command need to be routed through the controller first? I am looking for an extra layer of redundancy. If my controller goes offline for some reason I prefer to have the 3-way functionality still work.

BTW, I think I found a typo in the instruction manual pdf (https://inovelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/LZW31-SN-Manual.pdf):
On Figure 1.2 on page 9, the description field for parameter 9 and 10 says that it disables the internal relay. I think it is supposed to refer to the default dim level, and not anything about a relay (likely a copy/paste error)

Hey @jtronicus – sorry for the delay here, I was waiting on a couple of these answers!

Thanks for writing in and asking the questions, we’re happy to help.

The switch uses leading edge dimming

I checked with the manufacturer on this one and they said there is no minimum load requirement. However, what I will say is that there are certain bulbs that work and do not work well with the switch and so I started a compatibility thread that will outline the ones we recommend as well as community recommended and verified bulbs.

Yes, this is correct. If Parameter 9 is set to 100% then when you tap up 1x on the light switch, it will go to 100% (no need to hold). Whereas, if Parameter 9 was set to its default of 0 (Previous), and your light was on at 20%, you’d have to hold the top button to get it to 100%.

Great question – we haven’t confirmed this specific model.

Great question – @EricM_Inovelli – any idea on this one?

You could do this with two On/Off switches for sure, but I’ve never thought about mixing the two – now you have me curious!

Great catch! You’re right :slight_smile: – thank you! Surprisingly, I was able to send this in for them to print for the upcoming batch!

To answer this question, yes, you can associate one of our switches with a dimmer to achieve a “virtual 3-way” that does not pass through the hub.

Can I also associate a dimmer with another dimmer to remote control it (without going through the hub)? Thank you?

1 Like

Yes. By their nature, once they are configured they do not communicate through the hub.

2 Likes