I currently have an X10-based installation that I am going to retire. It’s nothing complicated - just a bunch of lamp modules and a couple of X10 in-wall switches. I purchased a Vera3 and a single Leviton VRPD3-1LW Lamp Dimming Module in order to learn the basics and get an understanding of the Z-Wave technology.
After reviewing the “Supported Hardware” section of the MiCasaVerde Wiki, the list doesn’t show any lamp modules that support LEDs - only incandescent and/or halogen. This is a concern because I converted my entire house to LED lighting.
So, my question is…is this a current list of supported hardware or should I be looking somewhere else?
Also, another related question…is there somewhere I can obtain printed documentation of the Vera3? It only came with a “Quick Setup” glossy.
The supported hardware list is a good place to find stuff that is guaranteed to work. But, the list is old and manufacturers are adding new stuff every day, much of it works with Vera. The best place to find out if Vera supports a device not listed on the wiki is the manufacturer, user reviews, and this forum.
Your problem is that your lamp module is a dimmer. I am unaware of any dimmer lamp modules that support LEDs. There are numerous On/Off lamp modules, often called appliance modules, that can work with LEDs no problem. There are also a few in-wall dimmers that can dim LEDs, but it varies and the type of bulb is a major factor. As a rule of thumb, if the in-wall dimmer does not require a neutral wire, it won’t work with LEDs. There is far more information than you will ever want to know on this subject on this forum.
To my knowledge, there is no printed documentation for Vera. The canonical source is online: UI5 Manual
As @Z-Waver said, that page is ‘old’ and Vera will most likely have no issue supporting the Z-Wave part of your device, as it appears to be a standard lighting device.
Looking at the specs for the VRPD3, it claims to also do LEDs, so you should definitely give this a try. With the older versions of these devices, ‘minimum load’ requirements and ‘load sensing’ potentially got in the way of them working properly with LEDs. I do have a few, and they are all driving LEDs.
One of the reasons I picked this one is because of what oTi@ stated - it says it can control LED, CFL, and incandescent.
Provides ON/OFF/DIM/BRIGHT switching of CFL/LED loads up to 100W
Provides ON/OFF/DIM/BRIGHT switching of incandescent loads up to 300W
Since the module is not listed under the “Dimmers and Lights” in the Vera3 “Add a Device” section, should I add the module as a “Generic Z-Wave Device” or something else?
Yes, I believe so. It reports v1.7.318. I’ll give it a go.
Do you happen to have a recommendation for a Z-Wave wall switch (w/neutral) to control dimmable indoor LED floods? The are proving to be a little tough to find.
There should be plenty of threads and opinions here on the LED subject. One thing to decide is whether (true) ‘instant status’ is important to you. If it is, you may be down to a few options.
I ended up picking up one of these dimming modules as well. The “manual” included with it says it has a minimum requirement of 14 watts. It still works nicely with the 11 watt Philips 424382 LED bulb I used with it, but the bulb doesn’t actually start to dim until you go lower than 70%.
I wasn’t able to get this module to work with UI7, but I think that was due to the fact that I couldn’t log in. I ended up downgrading back to UI5 and it worked perfectly. I’ll try UI7 again when they fix all the major bugs in it.
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