Z-Wave products that work well with Elve + a few other questions

[rickgd]

Hello all,

I have recently purchased a basic installation of Elve and have it up and running. It currently manages my AV gear and it is doing a fine job of it.

I am now looking to automate some of the lighting in my home and have generally decided on using Z-wave products.

So the question is...what of the myriad of Z-wave products work well with the Elve system.

And more importantly, which online vendors offer a good product mix and solid support (if this is an inappropriate question on the forum, just ignore it please, and forgive my lameness..)

Finally, is there any odd wireing requirements or is it a basic switch swap for the switches.

Thank you for your time and thoughts.

 

[Deane Johnson]

I use Elve and have a limited number of Z-wave devices. So far as Elve is concerned, I should think most would work about equally well from an Elve standpoint.

Having said that, I'll outline my experience with several brands. It's hardly a scientific test.

GE/Jasco: I bought a number of piece when Radio Shack was dumping them. Not very reliable. Failed actions, cumbersome to set up. Several appliance modules have failed and had to be replaced.

Intermatic: So-so on performance. May be better than GE/Jasco but I'm not sure. Wouldn't likely buy more.

Leviton Vizia RF+: Excellent performance. 1 dimmer failed to react 2 times over several years. I like the feel of the push on/push off paddle, not everyone does. I will likely expand more with these.

CooperAspire: Recently bought a wall socket module to replace a GE/Jasco appliance module. Love it. Easy to set up, hasn't failed once.

It's not surprising that the more expensive things seem to work the best. I must emphasize that the above are my experiences in my set up. Other individuals might have an entirely different performance report in their set up.

On the issue of odd wiring requirements, the Z-Wave dimmers are the only ones that can be had to use without a nuetral. UPB and Insteon all require nuetrals. I believe the applicance module type Z-Wave switches all require a nuetral.

 

[rickgd]

Thanks Deane!

I have been looking closely at the Leviton Vizia RF+ serries of products. Since I am starting fresh, it seemed logical to start with a good brand and stick with it. I read somewhere here that its important to get the +3 version of the Serial interface unit. (I forget the model number right off). Is there an easy way to ensure you get the correct one when purchasing it online etc.?

Ill also check out the CooperAspire products as well...I had not done so at this point.

Thanks again for your input.