Recommendation for replacement outlets

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
1

I’m looking for a recommendation for replacement Decora style outlets. Both Z-wave and Zigbee, energy monitoring a plus, and must work as repeaters.

There are some spots I’d like to (may need to) have a repeater to reach a room. I don’t care for “pocket sockets” sticking out for some spots, looking to replace outlets instead

2

I’ve been looking for the same thing, but looks like there are no Zigbee outlets and the Z-Wave power monitoring in SmartThings is not nearly as good as Zigbee when it comes to real time reporting.

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3

You can find a listing of all available zwave devices here:

https://products.z-wavealliance.org/regions/2/categories/16/products

I have some Enerwave energy reporting outlets but I am not too happy with them. For some reason it is not a common product.

Zigbee has a similar listing:

This is the one I have :

https://products.z-wavealliance.org/products/1776

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@aruffell
Can you say more about why you do not like them?

I was thinking of getting them. There are not that many alternatives

5

I have had them lock up on me occasionally in apparent connection to power outages. I can’t say for sure, but it seems like very short power outages seem to cause the issue. At the same time I notice relevant mesh network issues and the only fix is power cycling them from the breaker. On top of that, I have not found a recent DTH specific to their latest model (the previous model - non zwave plus - was so bad with locking up that I got rid of them all).

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@aruffell

Thanks! Good info.

7

I know this is an unpopular opinion in this community, but my goal from a network engineering perspective is to have as little traffic as possible on a home automation mesh network. So I don’t use either zwave or zigbee for energy reporting more than once a day. I would use WiFi instead.

I know that doesn’t address the repeater question, though, which is why I haven’t posted any suggestions.

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8

Always respect your opinion on such things, JD. I’m not terribly concerned with energy monitoring, frankly. House is brand new with all LED lights and heatpump HVAC. I don’t think there are any significant energy eaters.

9

Thanks, @aruffell! Should have thought to look there.

The Zigbee site seems to have very few devices of any sort.

There are several Jasco/GE replacement outlets. They don’t explicitly mention if they function as relays. Can I assume they do since they are on A/C power?

10

Remember that “something” will be plugged into the outlet…So if it’s about esthetics then run an extension cable from a dumb outlet and plug whatever pocket socket you like into it and just tuck it out of sight…

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11

Speaking of that :smile: Why does Zigbee mesh seem to handle high traffic a lot better than Z-Wave? Is ST handling Zigbee better than Z-Wave, or Zigbee is just more robust?

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A little of both, I think, but without any network management tools provided to us it’s hard to say.

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Because of the differences between the certification process, the Z wave alliance site is just a lot more up-to-date and complete than the zwave alliance site when it comes to the list of certified devices. :sunglasses:

When you say “Function as relays” did you mean “function as repeaters“?

If so, that’s an optional function and up to each manufacturer (for example, Sengled has decided not to make their smart bulbs repeaters), but most mains powered devices will act as repeaters and most battery powered devices will not.

If it’s a really important feature for you for any specific purchase , you should contact the manufacturer to be sure.

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14

I did, yes. Insufficient caffeine… :joy:

I’m looking for these for some spots that don’t have something plugged in all the time and are high visibility. Such as kitchen, bar, and laundry room counter plugs.

These would be more for use as repeaters than as smart outlets, really.

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15

I have quite a few JASCO/GE outlets. They do not have metering and as far as I know they do act as repeaters (at the very least they do for Locks - see ‘Beaming’ below).

https://products.z-wavealliance.org/products/2372

Z-Wave Product Information
Supports Z-Wave Beaming Technology? Yes
Supports Z-Wave Network Security? Yes
Supports Z-Wave AES-128 Security S0? No
Supports Security S2? No
SmartStart Compatible? No
Z-Wave Plus: Yes
Z-Wave library type: Enhanced 232 Slave
Z-Wave Device Type: On/Off Power Switch
Z-Wave Role Type: Always On Slave

One thing I am not happy about this product (yeah I guess I might be difficult to please) is that JASCO is not releasing firmware files. I have quite a few of these and would prefer to have them all operate with the same firmware version so I am sure there are no differences in operation. I had the impression there were differences in the effort needed to include each one, and their behavior but of course that may totally be due to other mesh or device related factors… It’s just one extra variable I wanted to eliminate but JASCO is not willing to provide the update files last I checked. Zwave Alliance should force MFGs to provide them if they want to certify their product as Zwave Plus.

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16

Thanks for those links. Perusing the Zigbee site, they mention the IKEA/ FYRTUR/KADRILJ Wireless roller blind. It was certified April 11, 2019. Hopefully that means a release date will be sooner rather than later.

Certified Product Details

FYRTUR/KADRILJ Wireless roller blind

IKEA of Sweden
Wireless battery driven connected roller blind
Firmware Version 2.2.007
Hardware Version 1
SKU E1748,E1749,E1750,E1751,E1752,E1753,E1754,E1755,E1756,E1757, E1786,E1787,E1788,E1789,E1790,E1791,E1792,E1793
Application Type Zigbee 3.0
Application Type Version 1.0
Technical Category Zigbee 3.0
Technical Sub Categories Window Covering Device
Parent Functional Categories Closures
Functional Sub Categories Window Covering Device
Certificate ID ZIG19071ZB330313-24
Certified Date 04/11/2019
Compliance Document tradfriconnectedblind.zip

17

Exactly what I did. Zooz ZEN 15 tucked out of the way. Very well made and heavy duty. I have one on my refrigerator and another on my home entertainment system.

  • POWERFUL PLUG: The only Z-Wave Plug that lets you safely control and monitor heavy-duty 110V appliances from your Z-Wave smart home system. Connect your refrigerator, humidifier or dehumidifier, AC unit, fan, sump pump, or a gas clothes dryer to Z-Wave. NEW: 45 degree angled plug so you can fit 2 Smart Switches in a single receptacle!
  • POWERFUL Z-WAVE: With built-in Z-Wave Plus signal repeater and range test tool, the Power Switch will boost your whole Z-Wave network while keeping it protected with AES signal encryption.
  • POWERFUL CONTROL: Monitor energy use of connected appliances in live mode or over time with W, kWh, A, and V reports (your Z-Wave hub needs to support this feature). Quick status reports to the controller and on/off state recovery after power failure.
  • POWERFUL HARDWARE: Made from high-quality components that will last, even when it’s very cold or very hot (14° - 104°F, indoor use only). ETL certified: complies with North American electrical safety standards. Extra-thick flexible cord is perfect for installations with no immediate access to a receptacle.
  • COMPATIBILITY: Use the Power Switch with any certified Z-Wave gateway for simple on/off control (Wink, Z-Wave alarm panels). Advanced settings and energy monitoring available for open systems only, including Vera, SmartThings (custom device handler required, contact seller first), HomeSeer, and Fibaro Home Center Lite.
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18

Thanks! I had seen the Zen15 as I’m a big fan of @TheSmartestHouse switches.

Might be useful for monitoring my 13-year-old plasma TV in the bedroom. I’m looking for a good reason to replace it! :smiley::smiley:

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19

I had a Panasonic plasma and sold it after I saw how much energy it was using. It was a great set. Never had an issue with it.

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At this time, the announced release date of IKEA shades is Later in 2019.

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