Here’s the existing situation:
Exterior garage lights are controlled by a switch inside the garage. Exterior post light is controlled by a switch by the front door in the foyer. These switches, of course, are not very close to each other.
Client wants the exterior garage lights and the post light controlled by the same switch. Either the switch in the foyer, or maybe even both switches can be 3-way.
Finished area above front foyer and in basement, so wiring access is not going to be easy to hard wire it all together.
I’ve heard about X10 before, but never used it. As I understand it, I can get a module for each light, and a transmitter module (?) for each switch. Set the dials to the same code settings and presto, it works!
Is my understanding correct? Someone once told me a computer is needed to get everything programmed, but I don’t need the whole house automated, just some lights, and would rather flip some dip switches than hookup a laptop.
Any advice greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance.
Pete Duffy, Handyman
Replies
you have a call....
IIRC this guy is up on X10...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
put a call in to the right department...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
There are many other brands, other than X-10. Leviton and Lutron among them. Some have a DIP switch for setting the codes, some learn the codes from other devices. There are RF controlled switches and lamp modules and you can do a whole-house lighting system just by replacing the switches and buying a master controller, keypad that will operate multiple switches and even set up lighting scenes. Leviton, Lutron and Intermatic work via Z-Wave, which is RF. Some models of Harmony (890 PRO) and one Monster remote controls will operate these, too and that means that if there's a need to turn off every light, it can be dome without trapsing all through the house.
Shows how much I know. I thought X-10 was a generic thing, not an actual brand.
Thanks for the input. I'll check out the other brands. I just want something simple.Pete Duffy, Handyman
X-10 was a system that was OK, but then ADC bought it, and you may remember ADC for their phono cartridges and BSR turntables, like Accutrac. They got it working better and then bought a company called ANOVA in about '83, which had a telephone/light controller/security system that could be linked together, activated remotely, message retrieval and a pre-recorded message to the police if there was a break-in. X-10 has been around long enough that it has become kind of a Skil Saw thing, so I guess it is generic. Z-Wave is totally different in that it works in the 756MHz RF range and devices can be added directly using the controller and that device. It becomes a mesh network as soon as more than two devices are recognized, because the command it broadcast to the nearest device, which then re-broadcasts it to any other devices. It's two-way communication, so any loss of communication is apparent immediately. X-10 uses the electrical wiring to send commands.For two switches to act together and turn only a couple of lights on, go to Home Depot and look at the Lutron display. They have a series called HomeWorks that includes wireless control of switches. I think Lowes sells them, too.If you really want to break the bank, Lutron can definitely assist you. I worked for an integration company and we installed systems with 4 electrical panels, just for our Lutron controls. The electrical rough-in included home runs for the lighting and recepticals that we needed to control and the lighting panels is where we mounted our modules. For a few lights, I would use the wireless Leviton, personally. Go to http://www.z-wave.com/modules/Z-Wave-Start/ for more ideas, or google Z-Wave."I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 9/12/2007 9:12 pm by highfigh
Hi Pete,
This guy has a great blog on setting up X10.
http://www.brooklynrowhouse.com/x10/page1
Read through it (there are also additional posts referencing X10 that you can find with his search), and if you have questions, shoot him an email. I've seen him be very receptive to helping people out.
He's also done some pretty terrific trim, cabinet and remodeling work.
Hope that helps.
Best,
Steve
http://www.remotecentral.com is a good place to get info on any remotely controlled equipment for the home.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
DINGDINGDINGDING we have a winner!
The following was from the link you posted:
There's more. Let's say you have your porch light and the driveway spotlight on separate switches, one in the entry way and one in the garage itself. Wouldn't it be nice to have them both controlled from one switch? Easy: install two receiver switches on the same X10 address and use an X10 transmitter switch to control them both.
That's pretty much the scenario I have.
Thanks again. Now I'm going to keep reading the blog and see how much money I can spend on this stuff for my OWN house.Pete Duffy, Handyman
I have a numbetr of X-10 modules in my home. in general, they work fine, but don;t expect that they will work absolutley EVERY time. And especially if any of them is far away from the place where the commands are issued. Mine work about 98% of the time, which is "good enough" for what I'm doing with them. The one in the garage (200 cable-feet away) works probably 95% of the time. As life as they are not life-support equipment, it's OK.
Bob Chapman
That's odd. I use X10 over 800' as a major part of my security arrangement between the house and outbuildings. Works like a dream, 100% reliable.
Have to replace the interface (~$18) every year or few after an electric storm, but I feed 2 inputs into it: burglar alarm and driveway sensor. It reports to several appliance modules, every time. I don't use many X10 components, but these work flawlessly.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Hey Pete,No worries. Glad that was what you needed!Yeah, that guy has some interesting stuff on there.Best,
Steve
We had an apartment wired with x10 in college, my roommate was a bit of a computer geek...
anyway, All you need is the switches and the control, maybe a central module I can't remember. At least that's the way it was 5 years ago, I'm assuming it's advanced considerably.
Back then, there was no need for a computer though I believe it could have been used for remote access.
I really don't know that much about, if you look at their web-site I'll bet most of your questions can be answered fairly easily.
Someone once told me a computer is needed to get everything programmed, but I don't need the whole house automated, just some lights, and would rather flip some dip switches than hookup a laptop.
Nope. Shouldn't, anyway.
Check here: http://www.x10.com/home2.html
They have some good stuff, and (used to, at least) some guidelines.
X10 works by having a plug-in base unit, somewhere, to generate the signals that run down the lines to control things. The controlled "things" need some one X10 component in their connection to the electrical world. In this case, a switch would seem simplest. (Even though people flipping them to "off" in the remote locations can be a pain.)
Now, with that controller base unit some place, that place then flips the things, lamps in this case on and off. Depending on the location of the controller, and the construction, and some RF issues, you can add a remote switch near other doors. These switches are only the thickness of a cover platem and run off a watch battery. Which can be pretty cool. The various remotes are also cool too.
Oh yeah, almost all the pieces parts for X10 will run more than one thing, so, it's very likely more "things" will be selected to add into the system. (Note, X10 is a great way to control holiday lighting; you can program it to come on before you get home, and turn itself off later, too.)
Please, though, please don't put outside or security lights on letter "A" and number "1" 9even though that's what's preprogrammed into almost every X10 "bit" you buy. Why? So some dufus can't go get the "keychain remote" (remember, it's already set up for A:1) can come along and flip your security lights off and on.
Start your education here: http://www.smarthome.com/_/index.aspx
I've used X10 and dedicated solutions. X10 was slower response than the others, but much less expensive. That was 10 years ago. Learn the pros and cons of each system so that you're comfortable with the cost-benefit tradeoff.