Questions on X-10 capabilities.

[Jim O'Dell]

For those of you that have used these, I have a siguation I'm wondering if they would work for. I have some outside lights for the back yard. Two on each end of the house, and one on my shop that is powered off the house panel. There is also a back porch light that is on a 3-way switch. Can I use the X-10 set up to control all of these from 2 different points? If it makes a difference, they are on at least 2 different breakers. Thanks for any information you can impart. Jim.

[Skip Williams]

Jim,

You should be able to, with no problems. Replace your switches with x-10 switches and put a transceiver at each of the two points in the house (try one first, but it might not have the range if you are using keypads).

This also assumes that all your lights are one the same phase or your 220 service.

Skip

[David G Baker]

Jim,
I don't know if the X-10 has improved since I tried the system, I had a lot of bad luck with the units. Lights and appliances would come on or shut off for no reason that I could determine. Many times the units would not function. I put the X-10 items in a box and stored them. This was over 10 years ago. I would not recommend the units for any critical operations or things that you depend on. If you have a power failure with the units I had the system became useless.
Now, do you want to how I really feel. :D

[Jim Becker]

X10 has been superseded by INSTEON, I believe, which supposedly is more reliable. Some devices support both for backwards compatibility.

[Skip Williams]

David,

I agree...I would never use x-10 for critical applications. Sometimes they are very quirky.

I only use them to control turning on/off lights in the house as a convenience...and that works for me.

Skip

[Matt Meiser]

When Lowes stopped carrying X10 I got a computer interface kit dirt cheap. I tried using X-10 from in the house to control something in my shop. It didn't work. I suspect the issue might have been related to the phase that the controller was on vs. the phase the module was on, but in the process of testing I discovered that the module wouldn't respond 100% reliably when plugged into the same circuit int he same room. I gave up at that point and got rid of the stuff.

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks all! I didn't know about needing to be the same phase, but it makes sense. I would have to map these out to find out. The one on my shop is probably on the same circuit as the one on the garage, as both switches are in the garage on adjacent walls, but that is not a guarantee. I guess I could run some Romex to trigger a contactor for the 2 on the house. But that would only get both of them on from one switch, not both of the switches. Jim, I'll investigate the INSTEON after I map out the phase part.
Just in case, does anyone know of any other type of remote turn on that would work? Thanks again! Jim.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, the INSTEON also has the phase issue, as far as I know, but they make bridges that solve that issue.

[Sonny Edmonds]

My auxiliaries are almost all run by remote.
And you don't have to have it on one phase (L1 or L2), it will go back to the transformer and come back on the other phase if necessary.
False triggering is usually by another X-10 user, or stray harmonics in the power grid. I had a neighbor who gave me fits for a while until I recoded all of mine.
All I have to do now is occasionally reset the main receiver/transmitter. (Since it is on a power strip, I simply turn it off and back on.)
I run both blowers on my DC with it, air filter, Shop Vac system, vacuum pump for my lathes (vacuum chucking), and in the past two air compressors.
I could elaborate more, if interested. But X-10 has been saving me a lot of wasted steps for nearly 10 years now.
I have remotes in the 4 quadrants of my shop so I can start here and turn off over there.
Looks like they are alive and well. (http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/activehome-pro-starter.html)
I'd be glad to help with steering toward the best modules for use in the shop, too.

[Matt Meiser]

I read about the pole transformer bridging the phases, but one thing I read said you have to be pretty close. We have several houses on a transformer out here and there's a lot of feet of wire. There is a module you can put between your stove's cord and outlet that will do the bridging. I think you can do it with a capacitor between the phases too.