Frequently Asked Questions About the ZEN20 Power Strip
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INSTALLATION QUESTIONS
Can the ZEN20 be installed outdoors?
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No, the ZEN20 is rated for indoor use only.
What is the operating temperature of the ZEN20?
- 32-104° F (0-40° C)
What are the dimensions of the ZEN20? How big is the device?
- 11" x 2.5" x 1"
Is the ZEN20 available in other colors?
- No. The ZEN20 is available in white only.
Will this cover up the other outlet or can other devices be plugged in?
- The ZEN20 has an angled plug so that it leaves enough space for the other outlet in your receptacle and will not cover it. You can even fit two power strips in the same receptacle!
What kind of devices can or can't I connect to the ZEN20?
Can I use the ZEN20 to power an electric heater?
- NO. Even if a heating appliance is within the power range of these plugs, we wouldn't recommend automating electric heaters and similar appliances. This is a big fire and safety hazard, since not only should these devices not be left unattended when on, but there's always the risk of accidentally turning it on remotely; this is a UL safety recommendation.
What is the warranty coverage for the ZEN20 Power Strip?
- 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 ZEN20 device manual?
PRODUCT FUNCTIONALITY QUESTIONS
What kind of load is the ZEN20 rated for? What is its maximum rating?
- 15Amps TOTAL between 5 outlets
- USB Charging Port Power: 5V up to 2.1 A
What is the minimum wattage a device needs to draw for the ZEN20 to begin reporting Watts?
- 4W
Does the ZEN20 have energy or power monitoring?
- Yes. As long as your hub supports the functionality, and gives you access to the advanced settings, you can customize the energy monitoring reports your ZEN20 sends.
What kind of reports or control do I have of the USB ports?
- You'll be able to set up on/off (charging/charged) reports and notifications but you won't have Z-Wave control of the 2 USB ports on your ZEN20 Power Strip.
- Read more about it here: How Do the USB Ports on My ZEN20 Power Strip Work?
What security level does the ZEN20 pair to my controller or hub with?
- The ZEN20 supports S2 Authenticated as the highest level of security.
Will the ZEN20 act as a signal repeater for other Z-Wave devices in my network?
- Yes. 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 this device?
- No. The ZEN20 Power Strip has a button for each outlet so you can have manual on/off control of the outlets and use it as such without a Z-Wave hub; however, to control the device remotely and access the advanced features, you would need a Z-Wave hub. The ZEN20 communicates via Z-Wave and would require a hub to allow you to control it remotely.
- To control 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 power strip manually if my Z-Wave hub is down or offline?
- Yes. The ZEN20 functions like a regular power strip and can control the connected loads if the hub is offline.
- To control the device manually, you press the Z-Wave button for each outlet once for on/off control.
Is the ZEN20 plug 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 ZEN20.
Will the ZEN20 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.
- To our best knowledge, most alarm panels don't support multichannel devices so the Power Strip won't display correctly in their interface. It will not create the separate outlet devices like an open Z-Wave hub would, allowing you to control the five outlets separately. There is nothing about the Power Strip that we could change to improve compatibility with alarm panels, since this is a limitation of the hub and how it displays multichannel devices. It would be up to your alarm panel to integrate the device, as it follows Z-Wave protocol and has been Z-Wave certified. There is nothing we can change on our end to have the device be recognized correctly; Alarm.com would have to support the integration. Read more about alarm panel compatibility here.
Can I connect the ZEN20 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 power strip's advanced settings?
How do I add the plug to my Z-Wave hub?
- SmartThings Installation articles
- Hubitat Installation articles
- Home Assistant Installation articles
- Z-Wave System Installation articles
How can I tell what firmware my ZEN20 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 ZEN20's change log may display as 1.1 in your hub.
How do I update the firmware of my ZEN20?
- 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 ZEN20?
What series Z-Wave chip does the ZEN20 use?
- The ZEN20 uses a 500 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 ZEN20 available in other Z-Wave frequencies?
- The ZEN20 is currently available in 908.42 MHz (US) frequency only. We do not currently have plans to release it in EU or AU frequency.
Check out the Zooz Knowledge Base for free support articles about the ZEN20 Power Strip (and all of our devices)!
