Zwave switch interference from Electrical Service Panel?

I have 4 existing GE Inwall zwave switches that work very well and have for years. I have tried to install a 5th for a set of outdoor soffit LED lights and this switch does not want to connect to the hub. I even bought a network extender since this device was the furthest away from the hub and no success. One variable is that this switch is within 8" of our house electrical service panel (300A). Could the electrical service panel create some type of interference that would make the zwave switch not connect to the hub?

Sure, you can get electromagnetic interference from a lot of different kinds of devices when you are within about half a meter of it. So that’s not too surprising. It’s kind of like when you start your microwave and some other device which is nearby just stops working until the microwave turns off even though they are on completely different frequencies.

There’s not a lot you can do about that situation except to go for a protocol with stronger signal strength, maybe a Wi-Fi version of a switch. ( wi-Fi has a much stronger signal than Z wave.) Or relocate the switch box if that’s possible.

Or it’s also possible that you’re still just too far away. You said you added an additional repeater. (by the way, those don’t give you any particular advantage over any other mains powered zwave plus device, like a plug-in pocket socket.) Did you run the Z wave repair utility after adding the extender device? Otherwise the existing switch won’t find it.

You can test The z wave range in that area by bringing a battery operated Z wave plus device into the same room and try it in different locations and see if you can get connection to it.

First move the battery powered device Into that room.

Then run a zwave repair, then wait until the next day.

And then start moving the battery powered device to different locations in that room and see if the signal gets through.

That will tell you if the problem really is the Service panel, or if it’s just range.

Thank you - very helpful. i did not run the repair utility - good reminder. Will try again after doing that. I have a battery operated zwave device in the same general area that connects just fine. My suspicion is it’s interference driven so I also considered wifi switch in place of this one. Thanks again.

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