HS-WS100+ Still intermittent on-off after new firmware - Solved!

[randy]

I just wanted to put this out there. I have installed a total of 12 of the switches and 6 of the dimmers. The first three switches were installed before the 5.14 software was released. The next two were about the time 5.14 was released, but they were installed with 5.13 then upgraded. All of these first five were 1) updated to 5.14 and 2) excluded from the network then included again. They have all been power cycled. All the five are 3-way with HS-WA100 accessory controls.

The next fiveI installed were shipped with 5.13 and updated in place to 5.14. The last 2 were shipped with 5.14. All of the last seven are single switch (not 3-way) installations.

Four of the first five still have very intermittent issues where they might turn off and back on just as they are turned on or they may do it once or twice while they are on. The fifth one of this group is rarely used, so it may do it as well, but we haven't caught it. These are all 3-way installations. There are no Z-Wave log entries other than the initial On and the Off. The intermittent on-off still occurs when they are not associated with HomeSeer.

None of the last seven (all independent switches) has acted up.

HST is as perplexed as I am since I am the only one encountering this.

Has anyone else encountered this intermittent behavior after the firmware was updated?

HST is willing to RMA the switches, which I may have to do, but I would rather not have 5 holes in the wall while waiting for an exchange and having to pay for the return shipping. Changing out five switches is unpleasant enough.

If there are others still encountering this, then maybe it can be addressed with firmware, in which case I will put up with the behavior for a bit longer.

[jhearty]

That sounds unfortunate. This morning I double checked the two switches I updated to 5.14 (both independent with no WA companion) and both are still working OK, on/off/on issue has not resurfaced. I never did any extra steps to re-include or power cycle those when I updated the firmware on them. I have other WS's with companion WA's on 5.13 that have not had the on/off/on problem (one was RMA'd, the original did have the problem). I wonder if it has something to do with the large number of Z-Wave nodes you have. I have around 30 WD's and WS's plus some WA's running, and another 4 Z-Wave nodes of other makes.

[waynehead99]

Randy, they should be sending you out the switches prior to you removing the old ones and paying for shipping to return the other ones. As much as you have helped the HS community, there shouldn't be any downtime at all.

Sorry you are dealing with this. Hope they sort it out properly for you.

[randy]

Randy, they should be sending you out the switches prior to you removing the old ones and paying for shipping to return the other ones. As much as you have helped the HS community, there shouldn't be any downtime at all.

Sorry you are dealing with this. Hope they sort it out properly for you.

I don't ask for anything special, but you're correct, it seems to me that their effort to help me would be reciprocal.

It is odd that I am the only one seeing this and even more odd that it is on 3-way installations.

As you well know, we all walk a fine line with our HA hobby and keeping our spouses happy. Unfortunately one of these switches in in the stairwell to the basement and the other is in the exercise room in the basement, both of which she uses almost daily and you can believe I hear about it every time it happens. It happens a lot.

Today the fifth of the 3-way switches in my workshop acted up. I don't use those lights a lot, so I hadn't seen them act up. Three of the problem switches are on my primary Z-Net the other two are on different Z-Nets (on different HomeIDs). Both of these are very small networks with 10 nodes each.

The only thing that shows in the log is the initial On command (and corresponding scene change) and the final Off command (with scene change report). None of the off-on sequences in between are logged. I think what is going on is strictly within the switch itself, not Z-Wave network related. They will do it with the association to HomeSeer removed.

On my defective dimmer, I had to pay return shipping. Tyler offered that I could purchase a replacement first and they would refund the purchase and the shipping to me, but did not offer to provide a return shipping label for the defective one.

Now I have 5 to replace and return. I guess I am spoiled by Amazon, who always sends an advance replacement for any defective item and provides return shipping labels. They even refund me when I ship a defective - before they receive it, if I do not want a replacement.

While I understand how unusual it is for one person to be having problems that no one else is reporting, the situation I am experiencing is real.

[Rupp]

Randy,
I would put in for an RMA and get these switched out.

[randy]

Randy,
I would put in for an RMA and get these switched out.

Probably so, but that still leaves me with holes in the wall, interim devices or the purchase of advance replacements. On top of that I still pay for return shipping on the defectives.

None of that appeals to me right now.

[donstephens]

Man; I can understand that. So sorry to hear you are going through this.

[jhearty]

As you well know, we all walk a fine line with our HA hobby and keeping our spouses happy. Unfortunately one of these switches in in the stairwell to the basement and the other is in the exercise room in the basement, both of which she uses almost daily and you can believe I hear about it every time it happens. It happens a lot.

Hi Randy,

While I'm certain you want to solve the root problem, perhaps to restore WAF you could temporarily install motion detectors by the switches if not already present to turn them on. I have only seen the problem when locally operating the switches which is all I ever heard others that had the issue, presumably it is the same for you. Remote on commands have never been a problem for me, and all lights are run by motion so we rarely press the switches.

One more option. I still have not installed my new switches in my garage including two HS-WS100+ switches. I live in the same general area as you and would not mind meeting to trade switches with you. You could see if the problem clears with the new switches and I could see if your switches have problems in my garage. Let me know if you want to try this.

John

[randy]

Hi Randy,

While I'm certain you want to solve the root problem, perhaps to restore WAF you could temporarily install motion detectors by the switches if not already present to turn them on. I have only seen the problem when locally operating the switches which is all I ever heard others that had the issue, presumably it is the same for you. Remote on commands have never been a problem for me, and all lights are run by motion so we rarely press the switches.

One more option. I still have not installed my new switches in my garage including two HS-WS100+ switches. I live in the same general area as you and would not mind meeting to trade switches with you. You could see if the problem clears with the new switches and I could see if your switches have problems in my garage. Let me know if you want to try this.

John

I appreciate the offer. At this point, I really don't want to try half measures. When I pull a switch out, I would like to replace it with a new one at that moment. As you can imagine, there are also quite a few events that will be broken for each replacement. The easiest way I have found to handle events is to include a new switch, edit all of the events involved with the old switch, then exclude the old, powering it with an AC pigtail.

[randy]

I'm still experiencing the problems. After several unanswered emails I submitted a couple of RMA requests yesterday. Those also have not been answered.

The problems are real and have now been going on for more than three weeks. My patience grows thin. I really don't get it.

"This is a helluva way to run a railroad!"
Leonor F. Loree

EDIT: Matt emailed me offering to RMA the switches this morning. The emails both went to SPAM. For some reason this happens to HomeSeer emails a lot, but I forgot to look.

EDIT2: As I posted below HST took care of the problem promptly once I provided them the information they needed.

[sparkman]

I'm still experiencing the problems. After several unanswered emails I submitted a couple of RMA requests yesterday. Those also have not been answered.

The problems are real and have now been going on for more than three weeks. My patience grows thin. I really don't get it.

"This is a helluva way to run a railroad!"
Leonor F. Loree

I'd call them and ask to speak to Mark...

Cheers
Al

[randy]

I'd call them and ask to speak to Mark...

Cheers
Al

Matt sent emails this morning, both went to SPAM, so I posted with incorrect information.

I asked Matt if I could get a prepaid return label and advance replacements. With many events tied to each device, I certainly want to have a replacement switch to put in place for each I remove.

[donstephens]

Good luck with this Randy. Hope it gets resolved soon.

[randy]

Good luck with this Randy. Hope it gets resolved soon.

Me too! Two of the offending switches are ones my wife uses daily.

You know the saying "Happy wife...". As most of you know, the inverse is also true. Not only do I get reminded each time it happens, I am also reminded of how long it has been happening.

[rmasonjr]

Me too! Two of the offending switches are ones my wife uses daily.

You know the saying "Happy wife...". As most of you know, the inverse is also true. Not only do I get reminded each time it happens, I am also reminded of how long it has been happening.

Been following this thread, too - hope it works out.

That said, my wife too reminds me when things are broken. It's funny how we never hear when things are working right