I had my electrician install a bunch of Black Series Dimmer switches (LZW31) in my new (to me) home. I’m using Z-Wave JS UI, and I’ve updated them all to the latest Stable firmware. They seem to work properly, and I’ve been able to configure 3-way and 4-way with dumb switches correctly in Home Assistant. I’m struggling getting 3-way and 4-way to work when using only LZW31s (no dumb or aux switches). We have no smart bulbs installed.
The only threads I can find addressing this reference dead links or guides that mention parameters to change that I can’t find in Home Assistant or Z-Wave JS UI. For instance:
A few mention changing Parameter 12 to prevent a Z-Wave loop, but my Home Assistant has Parameter 12 broken down into four separate line items, so I can’t set Parameter 12 to a single number.
One guide mentions setting Parameter 59 to 3 under Configuration v4, but mine shows Configuration v1 and doesn’t have a Parameter 59 anywhere.
I believe the 3-way and 4-way are handled via associations or groups, and I followed an Inovelli guide to creating those groups, but it mentions settings that are missing from my Z-Wave JS UI.
I’m brand new to Home Assistant and had always used Smartthings at my old home. So I’m not sure how to get 3-way and 4-way working without going back to 1 Inovelli dimmer paired with dumb switches. We have a bunch of these Black dimmers, so we’d love to have them at all switch locations. Is there an up-to-date guide for setting up 3 and 4-way Inovellis in Home Assistant, or can someone here please help me out?
When you are using all Smart switches in a multiway, one switch is the load switch and the remaining switches are simply scene controllers. How are those remaining switches wired? They should only be provisioned with a hot and a neutral. Nothing in the load or traveler terminals.
Does the load switch work the light properly?
Do the remaining switches power up?
Are the remaining switches only provisioned with a hot and a neutral with nothing in the load or traveler terminals?
Once the above three questions are all yes, then you need to use Z-Wave association to associate the switches. In this configuration, the switches do not communicate via a wired configuration so you are correct and pursuing the association path. But since your electrician wired them, make sure they are wired properly before proceeding.
Yes, the remaining switches power up. The LED does change when on/off is pressed on each switch specifically - they do not affect the LED on other switches - but the light (load) does not respond. These switches do not seem to affect the light (load) in any way.
I provided the electrician with the Inovelli wiring guides found at this link, so they all should be wired per that guide, which I think aligns with what you said.
I believe all of this seems to track with it being wired correctly.
The link you provided is what I followed to set up the association initially, but it instructs to "Go to “Node” then “Configuration v4,” then to “Set Parameter 59 to 3.” My Node says Configuration v1, not v4, and there is no Parameter 59 under Configuration or in the Inovelli Black Series Parameter Table.
Since I’m a Home Assistant beginner, I’m not sure what else to do to make it show Configuration v4 and Parameter 59, outside of updating firmware, which I’ve done. Or perhaps the Black series doesn’t have those, and the guide is meant for newer products?
Hopefully one of the HA experts can help you here. The problem with the HA guides is that while they were accurate at one time, things change with HA so frequently they can’t keep them updated.
Those guides were written for a VZW31-SN, not the LZW series. As far as I remember (I no longer own any), the black series LZW switches didn’t have a parameter to change the association mode, that was only applicable to the red series).
The HA guide is correct, but doesn’t apply to that switch. @EricM_Inovelli may know if there’s a parameter there for association behavior that I’m not remembering.
The Black Series (LZW30/31 without -SN) were missing several useful features from the Red series, attempting to be cost-competitive against the other Z-Wave basic switches at the time. The product line unceremoniously ended after those two switches, which I assume was decided because they didn’t sell very well and caused lots of support headaches with customers asking why XYZZY Red Series function didn’t work on them…
