Hello everyone, yup, another noob here. I had X-10 devices years ago, and learned that it wasn’t exactly dependable. But I did learn to add and remove devices and how to use Home Seer, a really old version, after all, this was many years ago. That system made me abandon my smart home project.
Recently I decided to give it another try. I’m just getting started and in the process of seeing if I need a hub. I have 4 GE Enbrighton Z-Wave in wall light switches, on/off, not dimmers. I also have two Eaton Aspire Z-Wave on/off switches. I also have a whole house dehumidifier and a Samsung TV that required I download Smart Things to my cell and open a Samsung account. So I have a very minor start. I planned on using my cell to operate the switches until I can get a hub. After some research it looks like I can’t use my cell until I get a hub.
After installing the GE switches and powering them up, I discovered that they don’t function at all. I have power on the line terminal, but no LED illuminated, and the lights they are supposed to control don’t turn on. I was wondering if anyone here has experience with these switches. I don’t know if I missed something when I wired them in or in set up, shoot; I haven’t even tried to insert them into a network yet. How do I know if I have faulty switches? (I understand I will probably have to get hold of their service dept, but it’s closed on the weekends)
So, after X-10, and the GE switches, I don’t want to spend a whole bunch of money, I mean the switches are expensive enough. I have more questions, but I want to get the manual function of the GE switches to work before I go any further.
Thanks in advance to any and all that can help
Those are very popular models. As Z wave devices, they will require a hub in order to get automation capabilities and to use them with an app. But they should always work as just regular dumb switches even with no hub at all. That is, you should be able to turn the light on and off from the wall by pressing the switch. If you can’t, this is usually a wiring issue, although it’s possible it could be a defective device. That’s much less likely if you were having the same issue with multiple switches. 
It sounds like you should get in touch with Enbrighten support as your first step to make sure the switches are wired correctly.
You are correct that you should have the switches operating manually at the wall before doing anything else, because nothing else is going to work until that does.
I know it’s hard to be patient and wait for Monday, but at this point I think that’s all you can do. Good luck!
It sounds like you already have the support number, but just in case, here it is. Jasco is the company that actually makes the switches, they license the brand name from GE. ( they also make the Honeywell zwave Switches.) Ezzwave is their product information site for the Z wave devices.
By the way, if you want switches you can operate just with your cell phone that don’t require a hub, you should look for Wi-Fi models. Not zwave or zigbee.
One thing to check is whether the air gap switch is pushed in on each of them. It’s a small rectangle at the bottom of the switch, near the LED. It should be flush with the face of the switch - if it’s pulled out then it will cut power to the switch. Be gentle - they’re just plastic and can break.
Otherwise, my guess would be a wiring issue. Do you have a neutral wire connected to each of them?
Hi Thanx alot. I was an electrician for over 20 years and I made the most boneheaded mistake an amateur could make. I jumped the neutrals from all the switches together but forgot to tie them into the neutral from the panel. They work fine manually now. I think I just panicked cuz I swore I wired em right. I double checked the Enbrighten switches for Z wave compatibility. They were advertised at amaz as z wave plus, but I just looked at the packages and nowhere does it say ‘plus’. They do say ‘S2’ and ‘Smartstart’.
I do want to run a network with a hub; I just wanted make sure they worked. After some research, it seems like z-wave is what I am looking for, even a bit more than I’m looking for. For now I just want the six lights to be accessed with our cell phones. That would be step 2 (step 1 was seeing the lights come on). Step 3 is choosing a hub, dongle, or what. That will come real soon now.
In the future I would like to add a front end, I have some old laptops or I would even consider something like a hub with built in touchscreen. I hope to run scenes, but I don’t think I’ll be doing security or anything fancy, at least not yet.
That means that they’re Plus.
This forum is specific to SmartThings, and the ST hub (now manufactured by Aeotech) should work with the devices you listed. There are other options out there though. I’d note that z-wave isn’t supported by some hubs though - the Amazon Echo devices with a built in hub only support zigbee.
Many people use a dashboard app (ActionTiles and SharpTools are popular with SmartThings) on an inexpensive tablet or cell phone for this sort of purpose.
As @philh30 said, if it has S2 capabilities, it’s zwave plus.
And if it has a QR code for onboarding, it’s zwave plus.
But it should also have the logo on the back. 
You can also check the official Z wave alliance site and see the certification for any specific model.