GE 45631 stick-up controller works fine with Z-Wave dimmers - here’s how…

After a day of experimenting with some new Enerwave ZWN-323 plugin dimmers and a GE 45631 on-the-wall controller, I was pretty disappointed. It appeared that after adding the dimmers to a Switch on the 45631 as a Group, all I could do with it was turn the lights On/Off, and the On dimming level was completely determined by the last level set in the Android app. The GE does not offer control over dimming.

However, careful reading of the 45631 instructions revealed that setting up a switch as a Scene allows you to set the dimming level for each light in a group (small G) of lights on a rocker switch - a Scene. You just have to set up the Scenes outside of ST.

So I puzzled out the procedure that let me assign rocker switch 1 on the GE to 100%, switch 2 to 70%, and switch 3 to 20% for TV time. The on-the-wall controller overrides ST apps, and ST apps can override the dimmer. Setting up the scenes in the GE is a bit of a PIA, but it can be accomplished by the methodical.

I’m not going to review the basics, as they have been well-discussed elsewhere. This procedure assumes that:

  • you have successfully connected a GE 45631 to your ST hub,
  • you have successfully connected your dimmers to your ST hub,
  • you will demonstrate this by setting up one or more Routines in the ST app, which turn your lights On/Off and set them to a given level. These Routines will assist you in setting Scenes in the 45631. (Hint: to change levels in these Routines, you need to both turn the Switch On for each dimmer, as well as setting the Dimming level)

So now it’s time to set up rocker Switch 1 to turn your lights on to 100%.

  • Start by executing the Routine that turns all the lights to 100%.

  • Go to one of the dimmers - mine have a button on the front, used for identifying it and for turning the light On/Off manually. Press the button, to Manually turn the light Off. If you look at it in Devices on the app at this point, it should show as 100%, but greyed Off.

  • On the GE controller, press Add+Remove, and hold until you see a double-flash Orange.

  • Press Add, then Scene, then the up-arrow on the right of rocker switch 1 - get orange flashing light on the rocker until you….

  • Press the button on the dimmer. Maybe get a blue flash while it connects.

  • Get a Red light on the GE, and press Add. Here’s where timing seems to be tricky. It seems as if the dimmer level will be set at the instant you press Add, so I suggest waiting until the light has fully ramped up from the button-press on the dimmer before pressing the Add button on the GE. See a green double-flash to confirm.

  • Test, if desired, by pressing the rocker to On and Off. Light should ramp up and down.

Repeat for each of the dimmers you want to add to that Scene. When you are done, you should be able to turn On all the lights you added to rocker switch 1, and turn them Off with the left side of the rocker.

Then use another Routine to create a different scene, and use that scene to set up that Scene on rocker switch 2. The purpose of these creating these scenes before setting the 45631 is to make it easier to reset the dimmers to the desired scene when you goof and press a button at the wrong time (thus mis-setting subsequent lights), and also to have a duplicate scene in the App as a backup and a remote control.

Etc. (YMMV, but that’s how it worked for me.)

I’ve got mine set to all lights 100% on rocker 1, ~75% on rocker 2 (a bit softer light), ~20% on 3 for casual TV, and ~10% for watching PPV movies. My exact numbers vary by dimmer to balance the light better in an asymmetric room.

I’m sorry you’re probably asked this often but I still for the life of me can’t get the unit to connect at all. I was hoping you might be able to offer any insight. I have al my switches set up in ST. I do not have the switch connected to ST. I’m not entirely sure why it won’t or if thats exactly what I need to do next. Any inside you may offer, I greatly appreciate it.

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