LZW31-SN Aux switch question

Simple question, hopefully, simple answer.:thinking:

If I use an Aux switch instead of a dumb switch, will this still require the relay in the red series to toggle/make the switching sound? I’ve grown accustomed to having dimmers quiet, even in three/four-way applications.

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The relay is what actually turns on power to the load…using an Aux switch won’t change that. It merely tells the main switch what to do (turn on/off)

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Actually, I think that would make it quiet. I believe the only time you need the relay is in a 3-way with dumb switch. That’s because the dimmer has to switch power from going to the load to the traveler, and vice versa. When you go with aux switches, you always power the light from the load output, thus no need for the relay to switch over.

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@Eric_Inovelli @EricM_Inovelli could probably answer this better, but my understanding is that with any smart switch, the way they work is that pushing the paddle pushes a button, which activates a relay, and the relay is what is controls the power to the load.

Normally, a dumb switch is purely mechanical in that it literally just closes the circuit. Smart switches obviously can’t work that way as they are digital. A relay is kind of a device that uses a switch on one voltage (in this case the digital output from a circuit controlled either by the buttons or zwave input) to switch a different voltage (in this case they’ll load).

I noticed when I first set this switch up and forgot to change the parameters from “Load” to “3-way toggle”, that the relay never switched when controlling the dimmer. Why would it need to? However, as we all know, flipping the dumb switch, in this configuration, makes this an always off circuit :slight_smile:

The smart dimmer that this Inovelli dimmer replaced was a Zen27. I have it set up as a load only device somewhere else in my home now (Where I don’t need notifications or more than two scenes). When the Zen was in this three-way configuration, its internal relay would only toggle when the dumb switch was changed (i.e. not when the dimmer was activated). So, not knowing the innards of the Inovelli, maybe @Eric_Inovelli or @EricM_Inovelli can determine if this behavior could be accomplished with a firmware change?

I guess if this all I can find to pick on… the dimmer is pretty damn good!!! :smiley:

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Yeah, I haven’t really thought about it, but you do have a point. Technically the relay should not need to toggle when turned off from the dimmer. I will definitely put that on our list of improvements.

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This was my experience as well.

When configured with a 3-way dumb switch, you’ll hear the relay toggle on/off. (I also had issues with my lights automatically turning back off sometimes).

When configured with a 3-way Aux you won’t hear the relay (just normal silent dimming like you are accustom to).

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I think the dimmer is switching the relay so that when the dumb switch is operated, there’s power ready to go when the dumb switch is flipped. If it kept power at the original terminal, flipping the dumb switch would just cut power to the light, instead of engage the circuit to turn the light on. It took me a little bit to figure it out, but it’s really pretty smart I thought.

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