How do I replace a sensor?

Devices & Integrations
1

I have a POS ST multipurpose contact sensor that doesn’t work.
I want to replace it with a Iris contact sensor, is there way to replace the sensor in the hub?
I have a lot of rules in CoRE that I would I have to modify to use the new sensor vs the old if I have to do an old school swap.

2

Z-Wave yes
Zigbee no

Goto Device Tab in the ST App and then the SmartApps Tab. Take a screenshot of the rules that are associated with the sensor.

Install the new sensor then manually change over the sensor for each rule.

Then delete the old sensor. You’ll be done before you know it.

3

And for those who wonder why this option is not available for zigbee devices…

With Z wave, the hub tells the device what its network ID will be at the time of initial pairing. That’s why it’s easy for the replace utility to just tell a new device to reuse the network ID of a previous device.

With zigbee, each device has its own unique ID assigned at the time of manufacture which the device tells to the hub at the time of initial pairing. So there’s no way to get the device to use a different device’s ID.

Both methods have pros and cons, it just happens that the two different protocols selected different approaches. :sunglasses:

2 Likes
4

The device doesn’t need to…

SmartThings (the App, SmartApps, etc.) refers to the device by its SmartThings Device ID (an internal object identifier which contains the name, label, device type pointer, physical device id/address, etc.).

SmartThings could “easily” let you reassign (re-map) the old Device ID to a replacement ZigBee, Z-Wave, LAN, or Virtual device.

But they don’t. :confounded:

This would be a component that would help tremendously with Hub to Hub (or Location to Location) migration.

2 Likes
5

I’ve swapped ZigBee devices in SmartThings. You’ll have to get the ZigBee ID of your new device either by first pairing it, getting the ID then removing or if printed on the device itself.

Go to account.smartthings.com. Find your existing device you want to replace under devices. Select your device. Click edit. Change the ZigBee ID to your new device’s ID. Click save. Now put your new device in pairing mode and click add new devices in the SmartThings Classic app. No new devices should appear but the device should pair to the old device name. Now it should work as if it was the old one.

This should work for swapping any device for a ZigBee one, just change or add the ZigBee ID.

The other thing to note is that you may need to change the device handler if protocol/capabilities change

6 Likes
6

I keep it simple. I add the new sensor, then replace the old with the new in the various automations.

Yeah I know that s not always the simplest way lol

1 Like
7

@jhamstead
Thanks. That helped a lot! Took 3 minutes versus changing so many things.

1 Like
8

I was also able to accomplish this with the new SmartThings App using the same procedure. Just skip the QR code scanning if you’re adding a newer sensor that has one.