How to Exclude a Z-Wave Device

A used lock will not join the new panel, a switch moved from another job refuses to include, or the controller lists a sensor that was thrown away months ago. All three have the same root cause: the device or the controller still remembers an old network. Knowing how to exclude a Z-Wave device, and what to do when exclusion is not possible, clears all three. This guide covers the procedure, general exclusion, factory reset and failed node removal.

What Z-Wave exclusion actually does

Inclusion adds a device to one controller’s network: the controller stores the device as a node, and the device stores that network’s identity. Exclusion undoes both sides at once. The controller deletes the node, and the device forgets the network and returns to a state ready to include again.

That two-sided handshake is why exclusion works between products from different makers. The Z-Wave Alliance technology overview states that the Z-Wave PHY and MAC layers are defined by ITU-T Recommendation G.9959, and that the protocol offers backwards compatibility to all versions. A certified controller can therefore remove a certified device, whatever its age or maker.

How to exclude a Z-Wave device, step by step

The menu names differ by panel or hub, but the order is the same everywhere:

1. Find the device’s exclusion action in its manual. It is often the same button press used for inclusion, sometimes a triple press or a press and hold. Locks may need the keypad’s programming code.
2. Put the controller in exclusion mode. On a security panel this is usually under the installer or Z-Wave menu, labelled Remove Device or Exclude.
3. Trigger the device while the controller is waiting. Exclusion mode times out, so have the device in reach before you start.
4. Confirm the result. The controller should report the device removed, and the device usually signals by its LED.

Bring the device or a portable controller close for this step. A device across the building may not hear the command, and a failed exclusion at range is one of the most common complaints on installer forums. The mesh side is covered in how to extend Z-Wave range.

General exclusion: removing a device from another controller

A device paired to a controller you no longer have can still be cleared. Any Z-Wave controller in exclusion mode can remove any device that is put into exclusion, even one it never included. This is known as general exclusion, and it is the standard first step for used, returned or demo stock.

• The controller may show no confirmation, because the device was never in its own list. Watch the device’s LED instead.
• Repeat it if the device still refuses to include. Several attempts at close range are common.
• If the old controller is still powered nearby, it may hear the exclusion too and drop the device from its own list.

Make general exclusion a habit: exclude every device before including it, new or used. Some devices leave the factory paired to a test network, and the step costs seconds.

Exclusion vs factory reset

A factory reset clears the device’s memory locally, with no controller involved. That makes it look like a shortcut, but the controller never learns the device has gone, so its node entry stays behind as a ghost. Device manuals often carry the same warning: use the reset only when the network’s primary controller is missing or otherwise inoperable.

If a device must be reset to defaults after it leaves, exclude it first and reset second.

How to remove a failed Z-Wave node

When a device is dead, missing or was reset without exclusion, the controller still holds its node. A ghost node does real harm: the controller keeps trying routes through it, which wastes retries and slows commands to its neighbours. Remove it with the controller’s failed node function, which may be labelled Remove Failed, Replace Failed or Device Is Broken.

1. Let the controller mark it failed. Most controllers delete only nodes they have marked failed. Run a connection check, ping or node test on the device first.
2. Remove it as failed once marked. The controller deletes the node from its memory.
3. Rebuild routes afterwards, so neighbours stop pointing at the dead node.

Expect trouble on two cases. A device that still answers cannot be removed as failed; exclude it or power it down. A sleeping battery device often never gets marked failed, so wake it or remove its battery and repeat the check. Node data is held in the controller’s Z-Wave radio, so editing an app’s device list does not remove it.

Re-including a device after exclusion

Once excluded, the device is ready to include on its new controller. Include mains-powered devices first and battery devices last, each in its final location, as set out in our guide to Z-Wave vs Zigbee for security dealers. That guide also explains S2 security, which adds authenticated inclusion through a QR code or PIN printed on the device.

• Have the device’s QR code or PIN ready before you start; keep it in the customer file.
• Choose the S2 class the controller offers for that device, especially locks and garage controllers.
• Recreate scenes, rules and lock user codes; exclusion removes the device from all of them.

When to exclude before moving a device

Exclude first, every time a device changes hands or networks:

• Moving a device from one panel or hub to another, including a panel swap on an existing job.
• Returning a device for warranty or restocking it as used stock.
• Replacing a device: exclude the old unit, or use replace failed if it is dead, before including the new one.
• Handing a demo or training kit to another installer.

For a customer weighing Z-Wave against Wi-Fi devices, our Z-Wave vs WiFi comparison covers that choice.

Where to find Z-Wave devices and controllers

The Z-Wave category lists Z-Wave devices, and 2GIG panels include a Z-Wave controller, both in the Security, Surveillance and Control division. For pricing and availability, ask your sales representative through the Bursma contact page, or open a Bursma dealer account.

Frequently asked questions