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Home > Smart Relays > ZEN17 Universal Relay > How to Use the ZEN17 Universal Relay as a Garage Door Opener
How to Use the ZEN17 Universal Relay as a Garage Door Opener
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You can automate up to 2 garage doors with a single Universal Relay. Please ensure you have verified the local safety regulations before installing the ZEN17. Always test the device meticulously once you have wired and programmed it to prevent accidental operation. To accurately monitor the status of your garage door, you can use a wired NC contact sensor on the input side of the Universal Relay. This will allow you to receive open/close notifications through your hub's interface. Another choice may be to select a wireless contact or tilt sensor to install on your garage door that will accurately verify its position. Whenever the doors are being opened or closed remotely, we recommend having an audible alarm (like a loud siren) go off for added safety.

Please follow the instructions below to automate your garage door opener on a budget with a DIY solution from the ZEN17 Universal Relay:

 

1. WIRE THE UNIVERSAL RELAY ZEN17

If you utilize a momentary switch to operate your garage door opener, the ZEN17 will work seamlessly. Please note, however, that if your garage door opener uses a proprietary wireless control system, you will NOT be able to use the ZEN17 Universal Relay (or any other Z-Wave device) to control the opener.

The diagram below shows an installation with a simple one-button garage door switch and the ZEN17 Universal Relay. If this matches your installation, please follow the below diagram to wire the Universal Relay next to the momentary switch (you can wire up to 2 door switches to a single Universal Relay):

  • WIRING TIPS: Please ensure you take "before" pictures prior to installing the ZEN17. In case you need to restore the original set-up, or reach out to us for input, we will need to verify the original wiring to ensure the installation is correct. Always use the correct screwdriver size for the terminal screws on your Universal Relay and wall switches (if connecting them). Verify you have the correct electrical tools for cutting, prepping, and stripping electrical wires. If you lack the necessary tools to correctly perform the installation or are unsure which tools to use or how, please hire an electrician to complete the installation for you. Please follow the National Electrical Code and your local safety regulations when performing the installation, including (but not limited to), choosing the correct gauge of jumper wires. The recommended gauge for 15 Amp circuits is 14 AWG and 12 AWG for 20 Amp circuits.
  • POWER OFF: Always ensure the circuit power is off in the breaker panel before you start. Keep the Universal Relay unplugged from its power source while performing the installation.
  • DISCONNECT THE SWITCH: With the switch cover open, you should see 2 wires coming to it from the opener. Leave them connected as they are
  • CONNECT THE UNIVERSAL RELAY: Run 2 jumper wires between the wall switch screws and S1-C terminals on the Universal Relay as shown in the below diagram.

 

  • RESTORE POWER: Reconnect the opener and ZEN17 Universal Relay with their power source. Click here for the recommended power supply to power the Universal Relay ZEN17. Please do NOT use laptop chargers or Apple accessories with the Universal Relay. NEVER connect AC/DC power and USB power to the ZEN17 at the same time.

 

2. INSTALL ADDITIONAL Z-WAVE DEVICES TO COMPLETE THE SET-UP

  • OPEN/CLOSE SENSOR: In order to use the dedicated Garage Door Opener SmartApp we talk about below; you will need an open/close sensor. To monitor the status of your garage door accurately, we recommend using a wireless Z-Wave tilt sensor, but you can also use any Z-Wave contact sensor for that purpose. The ZEN17 allows greater flexibility via a wired contact sensor connected between the S1 and C input terminals on the Universal Relay as shown in the diagram above. You will need an NC sensor to best work in that type of installation. An NC security sensor will close the circuit when the magnet is close to the sensor (reporting closed status to your Z-Wave hub) and it will open the circuit when the magnet is away from the sensor (reporting open status to your Z-Wave hub).
  • Z-WAVE SIREN: For additional safety, please consider using a Z-Wave siren to sound an alarm whenever the door is being opened or closed remotely. Any Z-Wave siren can be utilized for that purpose.

 

3. PROGRAM THE UNIVERSAL RELAY

There are many different ways to program the Universal Relay as a garage door opener, depending on the Z-Wave hub you're using. Here are a few examples for the most popular systems:

  • SmartThings: Click here for dedicated instructions.
  • Hubitat: Click here for step-by-step programming guide.
  • HomeSeer: Set the ZEN17 R1 (and/or R2) to the garage door mode under the switch input type setting (Parameters 2, and 3 to value 3). Make sure the relays are in the off position before changing any of the settings. Then turn the relay on anytime you'd like to open or close the garage door. It will turn off automatically after a couple of seconds, simulating momentary contact behavior. If you're using a wired NC sensor on the S-C input side of the ZEN17, set parameters 2 and 3 to value 11 instead, then re-interview / re-configure the device. This will create 2 additional open/close entities for you to monitor the status of your garage door. Finally, set parameters 10 and 11 to value 0 to disable the input trigger so that the sensors changing state won't trigger the relays controlling the opener.
  • Home Assistant: Set the switch type for R1 (and/or R2) to the garage door mode under the switch input type setting (Parameters 2, and 3 to value 3). The relays need to be in the off position before changing any of the settings or testing the device. Turn the relay on to open or close the garage. The relay will turn off automatically after a couple of seconds, acting like a momentary contact switch. If you're using a wired NC sensor on the S-C input side of the ZEN17, set parameters 2 and 3 to value 11 instead, then re-interview / re-configure the device. This will create 2 additional open/close entities for you to monitor the status of your garage door. Finally, set parameters 10 and 11 to value 0 to disable the input trigger so that the sensors changing state won't trigger the relays controlling the opener. We recommend using the ZEN17 Universal Relay with the latest JS Z-Wave integration on Home Assistant.
  • Alarm panels (ADT, Alarm.com, and others): Since there's no way to access the advanced settings from the user interface and you won't be able to read open/close reports from the wired inputs due to the alarm panel software limitations, you won't be able to use this model to reliably control your garage door via Z-Wave. Instead, we recommend looking into the ZEN16 MultiRelay workaround described here.

 

Please reach out to us with any questions on your installation, and we'll be happy to help! Please remember to include your order number and indicate which hub you're using for a faster response. 

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