Z-Wave and neutral wires

[mdonovan]

Hi all -

I was looking over the installation sheets for the Leviton Z-Wave switches, and from what it looks like you do NOT need a neutral, unless you want to use a slave switch that synchronizes the LED's with the master switch.

Am I reading this right? or am I totally messed up :angry:

Thanks for your time

Matt

 

[ChrisWalker]

Matt,

The VIZIA RF website says that "No neutral wires required in installation" is a key VIZIA RF feature. Good find!
http://www.leviton-lin.com/viziarf/

Now, the question is: are there some VIZIA RF devices with neutrals, but also matching devices which don't need them?

Chris

 

[mdonovan]

It looks like the No Neutrals Required line is a bit misleading. Looking here:

http://www.leviton.com/vizia/pdfs/VIZIA_Spec_Sheet.pdf

From what I see the switches (VZS15) require neutrals, and also the slave switches with LED's require neutrals, so the only thing that doesn't need a neutral is a dimmer (VZI06) with or without the slave switch with no LED's.

I wish someone could invent a HA switch that just plain didn't require a neutral wire. Not all my switch boxes have neutrals and I am loathe to get my walls damaged to put them in (the house is only a couple years old).

According to an electrician hardly any electricians wire houses the way these companies want any more. It's a pain. <_<

Matt

 

[KenM]

mdonovan,

I breezed through that link and got confused. It could be, just a guess, that those switches have an option to either use a wired neutral, or not.

The 'non neutral' switches require a minimum resistive type load to operate. That puts a limit on the things that can be switched.

I can only guess that these people have created a switch that will function either way. ??

Ken

Edit:

By the way, my econo Intermatic HA06 switches need no neutral. They do require a minimum load of 40 Watts.

As to the electrician's comments; to me it makes good sense not to drop a neutral into a switch box. Twice, in my life, I have personally seen the wires going into a switch box developing a 'variable' short. That only caused the lights to do some wierd dim/bright/flashing. If that box had a neutral, it is 'possible' that a variable type of short could set the house on fire prior to tripping a breaker (picture an electric space heater, switched on high, tossed into your attic).

k

 

[ChrisWalker]

Matt,

Those specs are for the non-RF switches, aren't they?

Chris

 

[KenM]

That makes sense, I guess I should have read a little slower. They have different types of non RF switches on that link, that is why some have neutrals and some don't.
k

 

[mdonovan]

Hmmmm... so the VZIO6 is not a Z-Wave switch? I'll have to look at it again. It's rather confusing. <_< I'll have to find Leviton's part numbers for the Z-Wave switches specifically and look again. I thought the part numbers I had were for the Z-Wave switches. Is there a set of Vizia switches that are zwave and a set of them that are not?

Matt

 

[ChrisWalker]

Matt,

That's exactly right--there are VIZIA switches (non-RF) and then there are VIZIA-RF switches. It's a pretty cool setup, because then you can have your whole home decked out with the same kind of switch. You may choose to control only a few loads, or you may choose to control everything but the garbage disposal.

Chris

 

[mdonovan]

Thanks for pointing that out Chris. I'll go through it again. Actually I'm glad I was wrong <_<

 

[KenM]

Matt,

In case you missed it (like I did).

http://www.leviton-lin.com/viziarf/

Only the ones listed as VIZIA-RF are Z-Wave.

All of those VIZIA switches are excellent looking!

k

 

[GMoney]

I am patiently waiting for the Leviton Zwave products and I have done my research. The RZS15 15A switch and RZM10 1000W Magnentic dimmer will have a neutral connection. As for the controllers that don't control a load it will be a load wire and a neutral wire to power the devices.

www.viziarf.com

 

[mbreeden]

Are the Leviton Z-Wave switches out yet?

- Mike

 

[ano]

you may choose to control everything but the garbage disposal

Hey, I control my garbage disposal. You want it to shut off if left on for more than a few minutes.

 

[BenH]

Levtion Vizia RF system is not out yet but extremely close. The no neutral wires really means for a basic RF system. The dimmer and the plug-ins will not rquire any neutral. you could install a basic system using these componets using no neutrals.