Aeon Labs in-wall Micro controller capability?

I want a reliable Z Wave switch (not paddle/rocker) but have only found the GE toggle switch, so if the kids flip the lights off at the switch, it really never goes off so I can still control it via ST.

Then I thought about the micro controller (and have searched but maybe my search-fu is bad).

Does the micro controller have this capability? Meaning, if the kids turn a light switch off, ST can still control it because the power is routed to the micro controller THEN to the light switch?

@Turb02, I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to do, but the GE devices do what you want. Kid turns off the light via the switch and ST can still control everything.

Right, but I’ve heard of people saying the GE switches are unreliable, therefore I was looking at the microswitch to perform the same functions but I need confirmation that they can before I purchased them

Yes. I have a micro dimmer. You wire the load to the micro switch and connect the wall switch to the micro switch via 18 AWG. this basically makes a 3 way switch in your gangbox.

The wall switch can be in any position and you can still control the light via ST.

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I have 72 GE devices working great - on/off, dimmers, and fan controllers.

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I have several GE switches and have never had a problem with them. I have one micro switch, no problems with it either.

I prefer the GE switches, toggle style. So that’s what I’m adding to the rest of the house. Specifically my issue is that with the micro dimmer I have, I can only dim via ST. So with the GE toggle dimmers I can dim via switch or ST.

To answer your question, yes in wall relay will work the same way. The device will still be able to hear the next network “on” command even though it was turned off at the switch.

There are a number of different brands of wall switches, all have pluses and minuses, if only a higher cost. Sometimes people put the switch brands just because they prefer a blue indicator LED over green one. Or they want a particular color of wallplate which is only available from one brand. :sunglasses: :bulb:

If you’re concerned about the known drop off problem with the GE switches. It’s not that that affects every switch. It’s just a higher percentage of GE than some of the other brands. But the GE’s are a lot cheaper than most of the other brands, so many people feel a somewhat higher failure rate after the end of the warranty. It’s no problem, they’ll just get another one and still come out ahead on the budget.

Popular wall switch brands for Z wave from most expensive to least expensive: Cooper, Leviton, linear, evolve, GE, DragonTech. These are all good brands in their price ranges. Only the Cooper and the Leviton Vizia line (Leviton also has a value line) offer “instant status update” but not everybody wants or needs that. (Enerwave is another very inexpensive brand, but I think the GE and the DragonTech Are better made.)

Zwave products has a good selection, although not all the brands, and you can search the forums for discussion of any particular model.

www.zwaveproducts.com

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I havent found that many actual switches. Theyre mostly paddles and rocker switches. Light color doesnt matter to me, but mixing switches with rockers in a multi gang box is a nogo for WAF.

Just about all switches will be either be toggle or rocker, and yes there are very few toggles out there.

Amazon is a great place to browse to see what your options are:

Yeah, mostly rocker switches because the way all the switches work, they return to the center resting state after the network commands. Which can look weird in a toggle switch to some people. This is the normal rest position for a GE switch:

The rocker switches seem to look more natural to most people in that Center rest position.

So, I do not want a flat/paddle/rocker/whatever else theyre called, due to the amount of switches in the house and my wife won’t approve of the upfront cost to replace every switch with one. She’s an “if it aint broke…” type.

Therefore we need to KEEP the existing switch type (traditional switch). GE appears to be the ONLY company that makes this type of Z Wave switch, correct?

So my options are the (possibly unreliable) GE toggle or the Aeon micro controller, right? Are these my only options based on my OP?

Besides, the GE switch doesnt have instant status update, right? Does the micro controller?

The Aeon can be set for instant status update, it’s a parameter change. :sunglasses: Of the wall switches, I believe only the Cooper and the Leviton vizia have it.

And, yes, I think the GE is the only toggle style.

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Would this work with dimmer switches also? I have some Lutron Maestro dimmers and, since ST will never integrate with Lutron, could this microcontoller help with that?

would what microcontroller help with what?
If you mean the AEON dimmer, yes with the correct parameter settings it reports instantly.
The stock ST device type reports pretty damn fast with these as well.

Yes Sorry, I should have specified the Aeon Labs… I assumed it was implied as it was the title of the thread.