Z-wave random pulsating dimmers

Hi! I’m using the Qolsys IQ Panel 4. I have ZWave light switches connected to the ZWave hub in the panel.

(Same system of devices I was using previously with a 2gig GC2 previously for years without this issue. )

Every couple of days I’m finding a different light pulsating. Turning up and turning down. Seems to be the dimmer switches only. Seems to be a different light each time. It will go on for hours until I hit the switch.

You can imagine this is upsetting when it’s a room light in the middle of the night!

Any ideas?

Hmm, can you confirm what is the model number of each dimmer this is affecting?

By pulsating, do you mean fluctuating a little bit quickly? Or is it a significant brightening and dimming?

Is it only one light at a time?

Tapping the switch on/off stops the behavior all the time? Often light pulsing with dimmers is caused by bulbs which are not compatible with the dimmer. Did you replace bulbs recently?

Have you tried deleting and relearning the dimmers? Have you run a network rediscovery?

  1. Hmm, can you confirm what is the model number of each dimmer this is affecting?

They’re all 2gig WD500Z5-1 Wall Mounted Dimmer

  1. By pulsating, do you mean fluctuating a little bit quickly? Or is it a significant brightening and dimming?

They go from 0 to 100 in about 1-2 seconds, appear to stay at 100 for 2-3 seconds, and then go back to 0 in about 1-2 seconds, stay at 0 for about 1 second, then repeat. I have a video, but it seems that I can only upload images.

  1. Is it only one light at a time?

Only one switch at a time

  1. Tapping the switch on/off stops the behavior all the time? Often light pulsing with dimmers is caused by bulbs which are not compatible with the dimmer. Did you replace bulbs recently?

The behavior stops once you use the switch, and to be clear, it’s not a “flicker” or a PWM effect, it’s a very deliberate up/down fade. No new bulbs have been added/changed and all attached devices support dimming (either by being incandescent, or explicitly dimmer-compatible LED).

  1. Have you tried deleting and relearning the dimmers? Have you run a network rediscovery?

The Qolsys panel is relatively new to the party here (see my Surety account age) and I did, in fact, run a network rediscovery recently (unrelated) since I’ve seen this behavior. I found a light doing the fade behavior this morning, which got me to search & post finally. Worth emphasizing that the big change in the system is the Qolsys panel.

I can’t be the only one with this situation, as I found this page (granted it’s a garbage support site, but still the question is on the money).

The link you provided is very recent and uses identical wording. Can you clarify, are you saying you posted that other question as well? Or did you copy and paste its wording here after researching the issue?

In either case, this is not a known behavior on the IQ Panel 4, and I am not aware of this ever being reported before. Happy to help however!

First though, can you please confirm, have you tried deleting and relearning the dimmers? This would be an important first step.

Were they learned in via Z-wave standard add device inclusion mode or via smart start?

Can you provide a rough time of when you noticed this issue occurring this morning and the name of the switch it was affecting? We can confirm in history whether the system reported changes or if this was a local phenomenon to the switch.

Your attention to detail is commendable! I saved some typing and copied a bit (it was not my post over there), hence the language similarity.

I have not tried to remove/relearn the dimmers - we have so many of them that this would be quite a burden, so hopefully the last step (before a full replacement) - honestly the problem is not as bad as the solution in this case maybe?

Primarily I used the standard inclusion mode, though for some I used the Alarm.com initiation - is that what you’re calling Smart Start? I know for sure that the one this morning was a traditional inclusion at the panel itself.

Yes I can tell you the dimmer (“Living Room Mantle”) this morning was actively do this at 8:12am (no idea when it started though, it could have been doing it from the middle of the night).

I know for sure that the one this morning was a traditional inclusion at the panel itself.

That’s good to know and answers the question I would have.

Looks like you turned everything off at once via a scene last night, is that correct? Did anyone interact with the light after that?

Can you confirm 100% if the Living Room Mantle device actually turned off when that command was sent or could it have begun this fade-in and out at that time?

There are no subsequent commands or reports from the system regarding that device after that scene off command. No dimming levels set, no all-on/all-off. This means it is likely a local phenomenon to the switch.

If all the affected dimmers are the same model that would at least make a little more sense to me, though I am not sure yet what would cause it exactly.

One thing to make sure is to update your panel firmware to the latest. You currently show 4.1.1

You’ll need to update to 4.2.1 first, then to 4.3.0. Does the behavior happen to stop after updating?

I know that the switch was not touched after the “turn off” scene last night, but I’m not 100% sure if it went off. I would like to think I would have seen the light, but to be perfectly accurate here I’m just not sure. Most likely, but unable to confirm 100%.

All the affected dimmers are the same model, confirmed.

I will work on the panel updates, and will watch and report back. It’s not a frequent or consistent issue, so bear with me - this is great so far. Thank you!