ZEN17 Universal Relay FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About the ZEN17 Universal Relay

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2 Double Input ZEN17 ZEN17 Universal Relay 2 Double Relays ZEN17

INSTALLATION QUESTIONS

Can device be installed outdoors?

While it's not specifically rated for outdoor use, users have been able to successfully use the Universal Relay outdoors with weatherproof boxes like the SockItBox: http://www.sockitbox.com/
You may also need a waterproof cord to extend to the box as well depending on your set-up. Just make sure that the temperatures won't drop below the ZEN17's operating temperature [32-104° F (0-40° C)] before installing it outdoors.

What is the operating temperature of the device?

32-104° F (0-40° C)

What are the dimensions of the ZEN17? How big is the device?

4" x 2.5" x 1.5"

Is the ZEN17 available in other colors?

No. The ZEN17 is only available in charcoal grey.

How is the ZEN17 powered? What kind of power supply do I need?

The ZEN17 can be powered by one of two power supplies linked below:
- USB C with a 1 A Power Adapter plug (you just need a USB plug, the USB cable is included with the device)
- 12-24 V adapter (or any other 12-24 V AC/DC power supply)
Note: Please make sure you do NOT use both power supplies at the same time. Please do NOT use laptop or tablet chargers to power the ZEN17.
Important: Before making any connections, make sure you're applying the power supply to the correct terminals! There should never be any voltage applied to the Sw input terminals.
As long as you'll have a separate power source for the loads connected to the ZEN17, that will work since the Universal Relay needs very little power for the Z-Wave chip and processing commands.

The adapter plug looks like my phone charger cube, could I use that instead?

NO. Your charger cube is an impulse power supply, while the adapter linked above is an external battery, which supplies constant, steady power.
The difference between chargers and adapters is impulse power supplies require a load to activate, so a particular amount of charge on the other side. Laptops, tablets, and phones have powerful batteries that will start drawing a certain amount of power which activates the power supply. If a given device doesn't draw enough power, the power supply / charger will not activate.

What is the upper voltage limit when powering the ZEN17 via 24V?

28V is the absolute limit voltage. Any further fluctuations beyond 28V could damage the ZEN17. This is the current hardware limitation.

What is the wireless range of the relay?

Z-Wave devices work best in a mesh network, so even though the sensor has a range of up to 200 feet line of sight, this means 200 feet with other Z-Wave signal repeating devices between where the hub is and where the sensor will be installed.
It is the hub that decides the communication route to each device. The more signal repeating (non-battery powered) devices included on your network, the stronger it is and easier it is for the hub to reach devices that are further away.
Environments with a lot of glass or metal elements, large furniture, and thick walls can also be very disruptive to Z-Wave signals.
- Basic glass can easily be penetrated by wireless signals including Z-Wave, but with double or triple pane glass windows it will reduce the strength of your Z-Wave signals. If your glass window is treated against emissions and radiation (these are typically present in new buildings as a standard so make sure to determine that before attempting, tilts, films, or glazes may be a indication of that), these can be highly reflective and block/reflect Z-Wave signals.

Where can I find different wiring diagrams and programming instructions for my set-up?

Garage Door Set-up: What kind of wire do I use to hook between the relay and the wall switch? Will bell wire work?

The recommended gauge for 15 Amp circuits is 14 AWG and 12 AWG for 20 Amp circuits.

Garage Door Set-up: My opener has a light; can I control it separately with the ZEN17?

No, you will not be able to control your light with the ZEN17.

Doorbell Set-up:

Will not work with illuminated buttons; it needs to be a basic button.

Can I use the ZEN17 with my Ductless Mini-Splits for AC and Heat

No. The ductless mini-split is a closed system that works only with its own controller; none of our devices would be able to work here to add Z-Wave control due to the nature of the system.

Whole House Fan or other 120V set-up: Do I need to isolate the 120V in this type of installation?

You would definitely need to keep any 120 V connections isolated (nothing can be exposed) and the ZEN17 would need to be installed inside of an electrical box in that case. You would need to isolate any low-voltage connections to power it from the high voltage, for example with a plastic divider. We would recommend the commonly used plastic PVC electrical boxes rather than a metal box to improve Z-Wave signal.

Can I use the ZEN17 to control DC motors with reversed polarization?

Yes. Only the ZEN17 can be used for DC motors with reversed polarization. It has NC and NO relays needed for that, while the ZEN16 only has NO relays and cannot be used to control DC motors with reversed polarization.

What is the warranty coverage for the ZEN17?

Zooz 500 series devices are covered by a 12 month warranty. Zooz 700 and 800 series devices are covered by a standard 1-year warranty and by an extended 5-year warranty if registered within 30 days of purchase. Please register your device here and review the full warranty policy here.

Where can I find the device manual for the ZEN17?

Zooz Z-Wave Plus 700 Series S2 Universal Relay Manual (PDF)

PRODUCT FUNCTIONALITY QUESTIONS

What are all of the terminals on the ZEN17 for? What do they do?

S1 C : wall switch to control R1 or dry contact sensor to monitor leaks (max 40k Ohm when on), open/close status, or motion.
C VC : 12-24 V DC / AC input to control R1. NEVER use C VC and S1 C together! Only one type of input can be used at any given time.
S2 C : wall switch to control R2 or dry contact sensor to monitor leaks, open/close status, or motion.
C VC : 12-24 V DC / AC input to control R2. NEVER use C VC and S2 C together! Only one type of input can be used at any given time.
NC C R1 : normally closed relay controlling any load up to 10 A.
NO C R1 : normally open relay controlling any load up to 20 A.
NC C R2 : normally closed relay controlling any load up to 10 A.
NO C R2 : normally open relay controlling any load up to 20 A.

What does input, output, normally closed, normally open, dry contact, and common mean?

Inputs: dry contacts, buttons, sensors, switches, S1 / S2
Outputs: relays, NC / NO
Normally Closed (NC): there IS contact between circuits in the default position and they are powered
Normally Open (NO): when they're not in use, there is no contact between the circuits and they are NOT powered
Dry Contact: A dry contact, also called a volt-free contact, is a relay contact that does not supply voltage.
- The relay energizes or de-energizes when a change to its input has occurred. In other words, a dry contact simply detects whether or not an input switch is open or closed.
Common (C): each relay terminal has 2 holes (openings). One typically takes the power source of the controlled load and the other opening takes the load connection, it doesn't matter which goes where.
- Some applications will require you to identify which opening on the R terminals is the common (so they know they can connect that part with the other relay terminals for a common power source for example).

What kind of load is the ZEN17 rated for? What is its maximum rating?

NO (Normally Open) Relays: 20 A
NC (Normally Closed) Relays: 10 A

What is the maximum voltage for the individual relays?

You can control a device up to 240 V on either of the relays.

What is the difference between the ZEN16 MultiRelay and ZEN17 Universal Relay?

ZEN16 VS ZEN17: What's the Difference

How do I control the inputs and outputs / relays and switches separately?

The ZEN17 can be programmed to have input and outputs appear as separate entities and be controlled separately as long as your hub supports the advanced settings of the ZEN17.
The inputs on the ZEN17 can be separated from the relays and monitor analog binary sensors for open/close, dry/wet, etc (they'll report to the hub as open/close vs on/off).

Is a wall switch necessary? I would like to turn on multiple devices remotely.

You don't need a wall switch to use the ZEN17 as long as your local regulations allow controlling an electrical load without an emergency wall switch.
From the device standpoint, you can only use the output (relay) part without having anything connected to the input/switch terminals.

Do any of your relays measure resistance (ohms) and can use that to control a light- dimming or brightening depending on the resistance measured?

All of our relays can only control on/off loads; they wouldn't be able to dim or brighten.

How much power is consumed by the ZEN17?

The ZEN17 will need up to 1 W to operate within a Z-Wave network.
The amount of power it uses depends on how busy the network is and how many messages it needs to relay.

Are the dry contact inputs S1/C and S2/C wetted with some voltage by the ZEN17?

No, the S1/C and S2/C cannot have any voltage connected to them or the device will be damaged.

Can the ZEN17 control 2 different loads within the relay's rating - 1 per each relay?

Yes. The relays are isolated.

What security level does the ZEN17 pair to my controller or hub with?

The highest level of security the Universal Relay supports is S2 Authenticated.

Will the ZEN17 act as a signal repeater for other Z-Wave devices in my network?

Yes because it is constantly powered. Your Z-Wave hub decides which devices to use to reach other Z-Wave devices. Any non-battery powered Z-Wave device will act as a signal repeater; it would be up to your hub whether or not it will be used in a communication route.

Z-WAVE QUESTIONS

Do I need a Z-Wave hub to buy the ZEN17?

Yes. The ZEN17 is a Z-Wave device which would need a Z-Wave hub in order to control or monitor the connected load and customize advanced settings.
To control or monitor any of our Z-Wave devices remotely through your smart phone, you'll need a compatible Z-Wave hub. These devices require a central controller that communicates with them and sends commands. Once you have a controller, you would download that controller's dedicated app on your phone and control your connected devices through that app.

Will I still be able to control the ZEN17 or connected load if my Z-Wave hub is down or offline?

The ZEN17 - no. Connected load - It may depend on the set-up, but it most cases yes. The ZEN17 is simply adding Z-Wave control to your existing set-up, so you should still be able to control the connected device or load manually if the hub is offline.
You would not be able to monitor any analog sensors that are connected to the ZEN17, and any automations or scenes based on the status of the sensor would also not run.
For example, if using the ZEN17 to control garage doors, you'll still be able to use the wall switch to control the doors or the garage door remote, if you have one, if the hub is offline.

Is the ZEN17 compatible with my hub?

You can find a list of compatible hubs for a given device under the Works With section on the product's page. Here is the list of hubs compatible with the ZEN17.

Will the ZEN17 work with my alarm panel?

Alarm panels like Alarm.com will typically only support single switches, door locks, select thermostats, and any authorized items on their list. We would recommend reaching out to your alarm panel company to verify compatibility and to get the latest on any device integrations they may be working on.
The ZEN17 will likely not be recognized by your alarm panel, or pair only as a single switch, instead of 3 devices (one main device, and 2 child devices - one for each relay). It would also not give you access to the advanced settings. It would be up to your alarm panel to integrate the ZEN17, as it follows Z-Wave protocol and has been Z-Wave certified. There is nothing we can change on our end to have the Universal Relay be recognized correctly; Alarm.com would have to support the integration. Read more about alarm panel compatibility here.

Can I connect the device directly to my Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or other smart speaker?

No. Smart speakers like Alexa or Google are not equipped with a Z-Wave chip and are not Z-Wave gateway controllers.
Smart speakers are integrated with certain Z-Wave hubs, like SmartThings or Hubitat, which is how you can have voice control of your Z-Wave devices from your smart speakers.
Without a compatible Z-Wave hub, no Z-Wave products will function correctly with Alexa or Google alone.

Where do I find all of my ZEN17's advanced settings?

ZEN17 Universal Relay Advanced Settings

How do I add the relay to my Z-Wave hub?

How can I tell what firmware my ZEN17 is running on?

The firmware that your device is shipped with should be printed on the back of the device where the model specifications are. If your hub supports and properly integrates the device, you should also see the firmware listed in your Z-Wave interface.
Firmware that is listed as 1.01 (or any other value with a 0 in the middle) in the ZEN17's change log may display as 1.1 in your hub.

How do I update the firmware of my ZEN17?

Some Z-Wave hubs have a built-in firmware updater that you can use. Otherwise, we recommend using the PC Controller tool on the Simplicity Studio Software as described here. You will need to register your device in order to have access to Zooz firmware files.

How long does the update take? How do I know when it's finished?

Firmware updates should usually take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on connection quality and how much information needs to actually be updated on a given device.
- If it is taking longer than that, please try to bring the hub / controller closer to the device that is being updated.

Where can I find the history of changes and firmware updates for the ZEN17?

ZEN17 Universal Relay Change Log

What series Z-Wave chip does the ZEN17 use?

The ZEN17 uses a 700 series Z-Wave chip. We are in the process of updating this model to the new 800 series Z-Wave chip so it should be 800 series by the end of 2023.

Is the ZEN17 available in other Z-Wave frequencies?

The ZEN17 is currently available in 908.42 MHz (US, CA, MX), 868.42 MHz (EU), and 921.4 MHz (AU, NZ) frequencies.

Check out the Zooz Knowledge Base for free support articles about the ZEN17 Universal Relay (and all of our devices)!