An apparatus including a home automation system having a plurality of sensors that detect events within a predetermined geographic area, a first wireless sensor of the plurality of sensors that operates within the home automation system under a Z-wave format wherein the first wireless sensor has a number of predetermined system operating attributes that are not related to a system address of the first sensor, a replacement wireless sensor having a processor that communicates under a Z-wave format and a program executing on a processor of the home automation system that operatively removes the first sensor from the home automation system and automatically enrolls the replacement sensor with the home automation system by assigning the predetermined system operating attributes to the replacement sensor.