Is it possible to replace a non zwave dimmer with a zwave dimmer in a 5 way circuit, leaving the other non zwave switches in place?
If you have a multi-way circuit and you want to replace one of the switches with a Z-Wave switch, you typically have to replace all the switches with the coordinating accessory switches, as most Z-Wave switches are wired differently in a multi-way configuration than standard switches (since they use the wiring in a different manner), and you can’t mix and match standard and Z-Wave switches.
That being said, some of the auxiliary switches for z-Wave multi-way can be inexpensive. For my setup I have some Leviton VRS15-1LZ switches, which are expensive, but the auxiliary switches are only about $7 each.
It sounds like an in-wall microswitch such as the Aeon Labs Micro Smart Energy Switch or ones from Fibaro is what you are looking for.
See the attached diagram for an example of how they would be installed.
Edit: Sorry, I failed to realize that you said dimmer. My recommendation would not work for that application. Aeon and Fibaro do both make dimmer modules, however, you cannot use standard slider or rotary dimmers with the micro dimmers. You can only use stanadrd On/Off switches with the micro dimmers, momentary push button or toggle.
This becomes much easier if all the switches are momentary… they can simply be wired in parallel to the switch input of a Fibaro module… Only needs two wires between switches.
Thanks for the replies, great info here. Since this involves 6 recessed lights on an exterior porch and one outside switch, I may be better off replacing the bulbs with TCP dimmable ones since I also have a TCP gateway. I could then link them to work together and it would save the effort of replacing so many devices, especially since one is outside.
You might be able to use the no-longer-made Intermatic CA600, sold primarily on Ebay. Whether it would work would depend on your current wiring.
I had a similar situation with more dimmers than I really needed. The nice aspect of this situation is that by eliminating some of the dimmers you can most likely free up space for in-wall z-wave controllers.
The real world chances of successfully using a single z wave device in your existing circuit are slim. But your are fortunate to have an over-designed switching layout.
You may not want to use TCP bulbs when you have existing wall switches. Wifi/zigbee controlled bulbs are a compromise that are best used when zwave load control is not practical.