I just got started with SmartThings. One of the components is a simple GE12722 Z-Wave switch to turn some lights on and off. My problem is that there is about a half second delay between the time I press the switch and when the lights respond. I believe I saw this behavior even before I paired it with my SmartThings v2 Hub. It is simply replacing a regular wall switch.
Is this a normal experience with Z-Wave switches? Or did I do something wrong in my setup? I see the device type is “Z-Wave Switch”.
I do have other things correctly controlling it, such as opening the garage door turns on the light or when I activate the Good Night routine. So it works correctly, I just don’t like the delay.
I have a different switch from GE (the toggle switch, GE12727) and it is paired up as Z-Wave Switch. I have mine controlling fluorescent tubes and I don’t see that delay when physically toggling on and off.
I can hear the click as it’s triggered and the lights are already coming on or going off. The result is the same when it’s paired with a motion sensor to turn it on.
They are a mixture of CFL and LED BR-30 lights. With the dumb switch, they turned on pretty much instantly. I’ve read some people having trouble with switches that weren’t wired into neutral, but I have the neutral wire hooked up, as well as the ground. So I don’t think it is a wiring problem. The wiring seemed pretty straight-forward.
Also, when I press the switch, either on or off, there is that half second delay between pressing the switch and hearing that little click inside the switch. The lights turn on the instant I hear that internal click, the problem is that internal click is delayed by half a second.
I have similar switches with a similar setup. There is a tiny delay when you toggle the switch and the lights turn on. I have othe switches witch are toggle style that turn on instantaneously.
It seems to be the exact same delay when using the app. I am ok with the delay from the app. I wouldn’t expect the app to work so quickly since I assumed it must be going out to the cloud and coming back in, but maybe the app is smart about it and just stays inside my home network.
I also just tested unplugging the ST hub and even removing the batteries to make sure it was really dead. The switch had no change in delay, but continued to turn the lights on and off. Does this sound like I have a bad switch?
I have a GE 12722 purchased last summer. I can’t say that it’s instantaneous, but I would guess the delay between pressing the button and the light turning on and hearing the click is around 100 ms or so. At least for the switch I have, the delay is not terribly bothersome to me.
I agree. At first I noticed it all of the time. Now not so much. It’s a very short delay.
I deal with it because I couldn’t find toggle in light almond color and the micro controllers are terribly hard to fit into a single or double gang box.
100 ms would be fine to me. I just did an audio recording of the switch. I hear 3 clicks:
Me physically pressing in on the switch
Me physically pull my finger off of the switch- 137 ms later
The internal click when the light turns on - 446 ms after me pushing the switch
From my testing, it doesn’t matter when I pull my finger off of the switch. I can keep pressing the switch without even releasing my finger and the switch changes state.
If the light was on as you say in 100 ms, before I even release my finger from the switch, I would be totally happy. 446 ms makes me unhappy. That is almost half a second. Does it sound like I have a bad switch?
Would anyone care to send me an audio recording of their GE12722 switch so I can compare?
Well, I guess that’s why you test. I recorded my 12722 and am seeing a delay right at 400ms between initial press and the internal switch click. Interesting, I’m usual sensitive to these latencies as well. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to it…
I have the 12722 switches as well, and have noticed a similar delay. Something else I have noticed (and find puzzling) is that the delay seems to be shorter when the circuit is controlled from a 12723 add-on switch. I’d love a look at the firmware to figure out what’s going on. Seems to me they should both be nearly instant (like the Aeon in-wall controller).
Just went out and tested mine for you. There is a delay of about of a quickly spoken “1-one thousand” between the time the toggle on the switch clicks and when the internal relay of the switch clicks and turns the lights on.
This is normal and is present on all my GE switches. The amount of delay is the exact same whether or not I’m operating the switch directly or with an add-on switch.
With the GE switches the on/off signal has to go through the switches internal circuit board and software before turning on the internal relay. With AEON labs and Enerwave switches (that go inside junction box and are controlled by a standard switch) are instantaneous because the wire from the controlling switch hooks directly to the control side of the relay(s) inside the box and thus does not need go through “processing” first.
Hope this makes sense and helps. If you are still unsure, my only suggestion to you would be to buy another switch (you need another switch to control more stuff right?) and compare the operation between the two.
I know this topic is more then a year old but just googled for this similar topic and I feel I can contribute…
I recently also started to make my home smart and I got a mix of Philio PAN06, Fibaro FGS-222 and FGS-223.
The first time I powered them up, the first thing I noticed (and that bothered me) was the delay as you described but I must say there is much difference between the different modules I have tried.
From the modules I have, Philio PAN06 has by far the worst latency (something like you describe).
The Fibaro FGS-223 has some latency but it is almost not noticeable but the fastest was actually the older version Fibaro FGS-222 which almost has no noticeable latency.
I didn’t record them so I can give you the exact numbers but still maybe it helps.
Anyway thanks for the comments in this thread, I believe I will try Aeotec modules next. (since I still need to epand)
Well, I thought about researching this too after my install of several GE switches. In any circuit with an add on switch, the light turns on faster with the add on than with the master. I am very aware of and sensitive to these things. It doesn’t really bother me, but made me think I should have installed the add on switches in the positions that get the most use instead of the other way around. Also of note, all my add on circuits are 3 way, I can’t speak for 4 way, etc.
Just installed a GE 14295 paddle switch to be presented with the 1/2 second delay. How frustrating, especially compared to another Levitron switch which is instantaneous. Guess I’ll return them and buy the better brand.