Hubitat Elevation Troubleshooting Z-Wave Device Pairing Issues
If, and when, trouble strikes while trying to pair or repair devices on your Hubitat Elevation smart home automation hub, here are some smart things you can try to get everything up and running again. These are not unique to the Hubitat Elevation, so if you have problems on any other hub, this information still applies. I’ve tried to list them in the best possible order. If you already tried something, move to the next step.
Building a Solid Mesh Network
Regardless of having problems with Z-Wave or Zigbee devices, having a solid mesh network will solve most of your pairing and performance problems. There are some thing to keep in mind with each protocol, so I’ve split them into two categories as you’ll see below.
Range Extenders
Get a range extender. No, get at least two range extenders. One Z-Wave and one Zigbee. I’ll cover more about this in the sections below as for why. With Hubitat, in my opinion, a solid range extender is essential. The simplest type of range extender is a mains powered device, which is any constantly powered device like a plug in module or an in-wall switch. On the Z-Wave side, these must be Z-Wave Plus units. I recommend that you check the device and make sure that it says specifically that it can be used as a repeater. If you’re still having trouble, get a dedicated range extender.
Dedicated range extenders generally have optimized power and antennas and are built for one purpose, extending the range. Switches on the other hand are built as switches and have the generic Z-Wave Plus or Zigbee repeater capability. While mains powered devices constantly run in high power mode, the do lack a few things when in comes to true range extension. There is a great article from Silicon Labs that describes some of the differences. I suggest you read it, especially if you are having trouble with door locks.
 
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Z-Wave Need to Know
Z-wave Exclusion does not work through the mesh, including Z-Wave range extenders.
If you are migrating from another hub platform to Hubitat you will want to use your old hub to exclude if you can’t perform the exclusion through Hubitat.
If you are starting from scratch and you don’t have another hub you have two choices
- Bring the hub closer to the device. This can be accomplished with an Ethernet cable and a power bank. You may need a long cable depending on the distance from your hub to the device.
- Bring the device closer to the hub. This may mean wiring it into a different wall switch and then moving it. Option 1 is better (although may add some cost). Option 2 is cheaper, but may be a pain in the butt depending on the type of device.
It’s always a good idea to pair the device in it’s final location to ensure the mesh knows how to find it!
Zigbee Need to Know
If you’re packed full of lights, you need to know that most Zigbee lights are either not range extenders or very poor range extenders. A real range extender is always a good idea.
If you’re still having problems, you need to know that Zigbee runs on the same frequency as Wi-Fi and it is possible for your or your neighbors Wi-Fi signal to interfere with your Zigbee mesh. Just like Wi-Fi, Zigbee allows you to set your channel. You’ll need to investigate which channels are in use in and around your home and pick a channel for your Zigbee network that is not close to the Wi-Fi channels.
It’s always a good idea to pair the device in it’s final location to ensure the mesh knows how to find it!
Ensuring Device Compatibility
It’s always a good idea to check the device compatibility. Here is a link to the Hubitat Supported Device page. On this page Hubitat provides several links for the devices which provide instructions to Factory Reset, Join the Z-Wave Network, and Exclude from the Z-Wave Network.
Community Device Drivers
If your device is not on the supported devices page, here is a link to the List of Community Device Drivers page. In many cases, someone in the community has already made a device driver for the device you are trying to add. These must be used at your own risk since they are not created or supported by Hubitat.
If you have a community device handler and the device still comes in as a generic ‘Device’, try to change the device driver to the Drivers Code you loaded onto your hub. If it still doesn’t work, you may need to remove the device and re-include it into your hub.
I have noticed that on certain occasions, the first time I include a new device into the hub with a custom device handler (driver), some of the functionality does not come in. When I remove it and re-add it, all the functionality is there and the hub properly identified the device handler. Your mileage may vary.
Similar Device Drivers
On many occasions I found that even though there is no specific device driver for my device and the Generic device driver doesn’t work, I’ve been able to find a in-built device driver for a similar product that works with my device. Poke around and give it a shot.
Exclusion
As mentioned above, Z-wave Exclusion does not work through the mesh, including Z-Wave range extenders.
If you are migrating from another hub platform to Hubitat you will want to use your old hub to exclude if you can’t perform the exclusion through Hubitat.
If you are starting from scratch and you don’t have another hub you have two choices
- Bring the hub closer to the device. This can be accomplished with an Ethernet cable and a power bank. You may need a long cable depending on the distance from your hub to the device.
- Bring the device closer to the hub. This may mean wiring it into a different wall switch and then moving it. Option 1 is better (although may add some cost). Option 2 is cheaper, but may be a pain in the butt depending on the type of device.
Another solid piece of advice is to exclude a) before you include, and b) if the inclusion fails, do the exclude again. I need to do this about 50% of the time an inclusion fails.
It’s always a good idea to pair the device in it’s final location to ensure the mesh knows how to find it!
 
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Factory Reset
If you’re still not able to get the device into the hub, try a factory reset. If you’re not sure how to do a factory reset, search online for the manufacturers user manual or check out the Hubitat Supported Device page. In most cases they have the instructions on that page.
I always recommend that you Exclude again after the factory reset. I’ve seen cases where the reset only resets parameters and not the device side Z-Wave network.
Older Z-Wave Devices
In some cases, older Z-Wave devices (non-Z-wave Plus) either don’t act as good repeaters or don’t want to come into the hub. You can try to relocate them or you may need to replace them. Non-Plus Z-Wave devices don’t operate in full power mode all the time, which can reduce the efficiency of your mesh network.
Special Note on Locks
Locks and all perimeter devices (e.g. Garage Door Openers) use a secure mode that makes them a little different in how they include into your network. If you have locks, then the Range Extender is vital. Again I will refer you to the article from Silicon Labs that describes some of the differences. In these cases, I would suggest having a Range Extender near your hub and one near your lock (depending on the distance.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that since you have a repeater capable Z-Wave Plus switch next to your lock that you should be fine. “The mesh should take care of it” is the common mantra. Read the article.
Hubitat Stuck in Initializing Mode
On (rare) occasions, the hub may get stuck in initializing mode, meaning that the hub says the device is in, but it never fully comes into the page that allows you to name and save the device. This only happens to me with certain Zigbee devices, usually bulbs. If this happens, wait a while (not more than five minutes) and try again. This means:
- Back all the way out of the include screen
- Go back in and perform a Z-Wave Exclusion (the device may think it’s paired even though the hub doesn’t)
- Try the inclusion again.
If the inclusion gets stuck again, perform a soft reboot from the hub (from the Settings page) and try the above steps again. I’ve had to do this two or three times in some cases, but I’ve never failed to get a compatible device into the hub.
Battery Operated Devices
Battery operated devices can be finicky. If it’s a lock, see the lock section. If they’re motion or door sensors (or other battery devices), here’s your best options:
- Make sure you have other Z-Wave Plus devices near the battery powered device. Usually within about 10 feet (3 meters). If you don’t or can’t, get a Range Extender.
- Put in a fresh set of batteries.
Battery devices go into high-power mode when pairing. If you have older batteries, you may see the device appearing to operate normally (lights up, flashes, etc.) but won’t pair. This could be because when the device goes into high-power mode the batteries voltage drop to a level that’s not sufficient for pairing.
Z-Wave Network Repair
After you’ve put in your devices, you may see your network running slowly. This is because the mesh isn’t fully understood by both the hub and all of the devices. Run a Z-Wave Repair. Depending on how many devices you have, it may take a while. Then you’ll need to let the network settle down for up to 24 hours. Give it time, there’s a lot going on. Each device is trying to figure out who it’s neighbors are and the fastest path to the hub.
You should know that Z-Wave keeps track of the number of hops that it makes on its way to the hub. You should also know that Z-Wave only allows four (4) hops. This stresses the need for good Z-Wave repeaters (mains powered Z-Wave Plus devices) and Range Extenders. Once you’re sure you have everything in the proper location, run the repair and let the network settle down.
Contact the Device Manufacturer for Support
If after all of this you are still having trouble, contact the manufacturer and see what they have to say. There may be a known problem with the device.
Try the Community
There’s a lot of smart people out there and in many cases they will have more knowledge than the hub manufacturer or the device manufacturer about your particular problem. Check out the following for your hub:
Wan’t more help? Join the DIY Smart Home Guy Facebook Group! It’s the best place to ask questions and get help on topics covered in my videos and on my website. There are lot’s of other smart people there as well. If I can’t help, maybe someone else can. Give it a shot. |
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