Refresh values

Use this action to force a refresh of the values of one or more Z-Wave entities. This is handy when you suspect an entity’s state is stale and want Home Assistant to ask the device for its current value.

This action generates extra traffic on your Z-Wave network, so use it sparingly. Updates from battery-powered devices may take some time to arrive, since the device only responds when it next wakes up.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To refresh values from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the list of actions, search for and select Refresh values.
6. Select the Z-Wave entities to refresh.
7. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as zwave_js.refresh_value. A basic example looks like this:

action: zwave_js.refresh_value
target:
  entity_id: sensor.family_room_motion

Options in YAML

Good to know

• This action generates extra Z-Wave traffic. Use it sparingly rather than on a frequent schedule.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.