Z-Wave Replace Question - Swapping with Different Device

Is this possible …

Replace an existing Z-Wave device with a different type of device (then change device handler to an appropriate one for the new device). Basically I am pulling some smart switches and replacing with a different brand.

My thought process is to avoid redoing automations which would be necessary if I simply remove the old devices.

The brand shouldn’t matter but you are only supposed to use the zwave replace utility with a device that will selfidentify as the same device class and which uses the same Z wave commands. Otherwise some of the automated network functions like routing and status checks won’t work correctly.

I have no idea how the SmartThings platform ability to switch from one DTH to another affects that whole process.

@duncan

Okay JD. I think that’s enough for me to just play safe and do removes on the old devices.

Thanks

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Oh come on, swap one and see what happens. For science! :grin:

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Said no consumer-facing engineer, ever. :wink:

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Um, no. lol.

If I do I should wait for a Friday right. That’s usually when ST likes to take a nosedive.

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I’ve been doing this to upgrade old GE Z-Wave switches that drop off the network with new Z-Wave Plus ones. Seems to work without issue, but as @JDRoberts said, while you can change the DTH, SmartThings doesn’t seem to update any of the network / device layer stuff, and the Raw Description and Data describing the device remain the same even after a replace.

I had no problems replacing any dimmers / switches with this method, but I wasn’t able to use replace with a new lock. While the lock would pair and unlock/lock without issue, it wouldn’t accept code programming.

In another thread I asked if it was possible to refresh the network / device layer stuff on a replaced device, but it doesn’t seem doable. Or potentially it does refresh, but the new info doesn’t get copied to whatever database the IDE pulls from to display the info. Z-Wave Tweaker does show the correct info when it queries the device, so it is possible it is just a display issue. It would be nice to have a comment from ST.

Example. Two identical GE/Jasco Z-Wave Plus switches.

This one was REPLACED from an old GE/Jasco switch:

Where as this one is a NEW install of the same model Z-Wave Plus switch:

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