XPS-3 Strangeness
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Posted by David White on May 10, 2008, 12:01 pm
Please log in for more thread options EBay. One has a WS-14A/XPSS companion switch. Almost as soon as I installed these, I have noticed that the one with the companion switch will sometimes turn itself off. But in the last couple days, I have noticed that it is also sometimes turning itself ON. The unit without the companion switch is fine. I have a CM11A that does turn some modules on/off on timers. But the switches in question are NOT controlled that way. Even so, the strange events do no relate to the events that are programmed (not the same times). I am also very sure that no one else in the area has X-10 running (I live in a pretty rural environment). So: (a) Do the XPS-3 units commonly have this problem? (b) Does the presence of the companion switch make any difference? (c) Does this seem a manufacturing defect? (d) Could this be due to a wiring mistake on my end? Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by BruceR on May 10, 2008, 4:57 pm
Please log in for more thread options It's not a common problem and is usually caused by noise. You could try another House Code but it probably won't make a difference. The companion switch shoudn't make a difference. It's probably not defective. Yes, you should verify your wiring as a first step but if it works it's probably OK. Again, noise is the most likely culprit. David White wrote: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by David White on May 10, 2008, 9:05 pm
Please log in for more thread options The circuit in question has 2 overhead incandescent bulbs and 2, 2-bulb
fluorescent shop-type lights. Would the noise you are speaking of come from something on the controlled circuit or outside? I had the thing wired by a pro electrician and he carefully identified the wires and matched them to the instructions. It all works just fine. But just a moment ago, I turned on the switch and within a minute it shut itself off again on its own. This auto-OFF seems to happen with greater frequency than auto-ON. I am not sure how these work. I know there is a relay inside as I can hear it snap. I presume that switching the XPS-3 ON engages the relay which holds contact until it is switched OFF. Is this correct? If so, could it be a faulty relay that is just "letting-go"? That would explain the auto-OFF but I guess not the auto-ON. On a different but related issue: I am running active home connected to my CM11A and watching its communications log in an effort to see any "stray" commands. When I manually turn either of my XPS-3 switches on/off I do not see any activity. Are these things supposed to generate a signal when they are turned off/on? Thanks. BruceR wrote: > What kind of lamp are you controlling?
> It's not a common problem and is usually caused by noise. > You could try another House Code but it probably won't make a > difference. > The companion switch shoudn't make a difference. > It's probably not defective. > Yes, you should verify your wiring as a first step but if it works it's > probably OK. > Again, noise is the most likely culprit. > > David White wrote: >> Hello. I recently purchased and installed 2 XPS-3 switches I got off
>> EBay. One has a WS-14A/XPSS companion switch. >> >> Almost as soon as I installed these, I have noticed that the one with >> the companion switch will sometimes turn itself off. But in the last >> couple days, I have noticed that it is also sometimes turning itself >> ON. The unit without the companion switch is fine. >> >> I have a CM11A that does turn some modules on/off on timers. But the >> switches in question are NOT controlled that way. Even so, the strange >> events do no relate to the events that are programmed (not the same >> times). I am also very sure that no one else in the area has X-10 >> running (I live in a pretty rural environment). >> >> So: >> >> (a) Do the XPS-3 units commonly have this problem? >> >> (b) Does the presence of the companion switch make any difference? >> >> (c) Does this seem a manufacturing defect? >> >> (d) Could this be due to a wiring mistake on my end? >> >> Thanks. >
> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by BruceR on May 11, 2008, 4:24 am
Please log in for more thread options The X10 Pro line does not generate a signal under any condition - they
are receive only devices. Higher end switches from Leviton and Smarthome can generate signals when manually operated. The noise could very well be coming from the flourescent light itself but that should not generate false on and off commands. It may be worth trying another switch to see if the one you have is defective. David White wrote: > The circuit in question has 2 overhead incandescent bulbs and 2,
> 2-bulb fluorescent shop-type lights. > > Would the noise you are speaking of come from something on the > controlled circuit or outside? > > I had the thing wired by a pro electrician and he carefully identified > the wires and matched them to the instructions. It all works just > fine. But just a moment ago, I turned on the switch and within a > minute it shut itself off again on its own. This auto-OFF seems to > happen with greater frequency than auto-ON. > > I am not sure how these work. I know there is a relay inside as I can > hear it snap. I presume that switching the XPS-3 ON engages the relay > which holds contact until it is switched OFF. Is this correct? If so, > could it be a faulty relay that is just "letting-go"? That would > explain the auto-OFF but I guess not the auto-ON. > > On a different but related issue: I am running active home connected > to my CM11A and watching its communications log in an effort to see > any "stray" commands. When I manually turn either of my XPS-3 switches > on/off I do not see any activity. Are these things supposed to > generate a signal when they are turned off/on? > > Thanks. > > BruceR wrote: >> What kind of lamp are you controlling?
>> It's not a common problem and is usually caused by noise. >> You could try another House Code but it probably won't make a >> difference. >> The companion switch shoudn't make a difference. >> It's probably not defective. >> Yes, you should verify your wiring as a first step but if it works >> it's probably OK. >> Again, noise is the most likely culprit. >> >> David White wrote: >>> Hello. I recently purchased and installed 2 XPS-3 switches I got off
>>> EBay. One has a WS-14A/XPSS companion switch. >>> >>> Almost as soon as I installed these, I have noticed that the one >>> with the companion switch will sometimes turn itself off. But in >>> the last couple days, I have noticed that it is also sometimes >>> turning itself ON. The unit without the companion switch is fine. >>> >>> I have a CM11A that does turn some modules on/off on timers. But the >>> switches in question are NOT controlled that way. Even so, the >>> strange events do no relate to the events that are programmed (not >>> the same times). I am also very sure that no one else in the area >>> has X-10 running (I live in a pretty rural environment). >>> >>> So: >>> >>> (a) Do the XPS-3 units commonly have this problem? >>> >>> (b) Does the presence of the companion switch make any difference? >>> >>> (c) Does this seem a manufacturing defect? >>> >>> (d) Could this be due to a wiring mistake on my end? >>> >>> Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by dlh on May 11, 2008, 11:42 am
Please log in for more thread options You might find some useful tips in one of X-10's FAQs...
http://www.x10.com/support/x10trou.htm#on Inductive spikes from fluorescents and brown-outs are among the causes. Bruce: Most Smarthome switches and modules (even the low end ones) send off commands or preset dim commands indicating the current level whenever there is a change of state. This has been the case for 3-4 years now. On Sat, 10 May 2008 22:24:50 -1000, BruceR wrote: > The X10 Pro line does not generate a signal under any condition - they
> are receive only devices. Higher end switches from Leviton and Smarthome > can generate signals when manually operated. The noise could very well > be coming from the flourescent light itself but that should not generate > false on and off commands. It may be worth trying another switch to see > if the one you have is defective. > > David White wrote: >> The circuit in question has 2 overhead incandescent bulbs and 2, 2-bulb
>> fluorescent shop-type lights. >> >> Would the noise you are speaking of come from something on the >> controlled circuit or outside? >> >> I had the thing wired by a pro electrician and he carefully identified >> the wires and matched them to the instructions. It all works just fine. >> But just a moment ago, I turned on the switch and within a minute it >> shut itself off again on its own. This auto-OFF seems to happen with >> greater frequency than auto-ON. >> >> I am not sure how these work. I know there is a relay inside as I can >> hear it snap. I presume that switching the XPS-3 ON engages the relay >> which holds contact until it is switched OFF. Is this correct? If so, >> could it be a faulty relay that is just "letting-go"? That would >> explain the auto-OFF but I guess not the auto-ON. >> >> On a different but related issue: I am running active home connected to >> my CM11A and watching its communications log in an effort to see any >> "stray" commands. When I manually turn either of my XPS-3 switches >> on/off I do not see any activity. Are these things supposed to generate >> a signal when they are turned off/on? >> >> Thanks. >> >> BruceR wrote: >>> What kind of lamp are you controlling? It's not a common problem and
>>> is usually caused by noise. You could try another House Code but it >>> probably won't make a difference. >>> The companion switch shoudn't make a difference. It's probably not >>> defective. >>> Yes, you should verify your wiring as a first step but if it works >>> it's probably OK. >>> Again, noise is the most likely culprit. >>> >>> David White wrote: >>>> Hello. I recently purchased and installed 2 XPS-3 switches I got off >>>> EBay. One has a WS-14A/XPSS companion switch. >>>> >>>> Almost as soon as I installed these, I have noticed that the one with >>>> the companion switch will sometimes turn itself off. But in the last >>>> couple days, I have noticed that it is also sometimes turning itself >>>> ON. The unit without the companion switch is fine. >>>> >>>> I have a CM11A that does turn some modules on/off on timers. But the >>>> switches in question are NOT controlled that way. Even so, the >>>> strange events do no relate to the events that are programmed (not >>>> the same times). I am also very sure that no one else in the area has >>>> X-10 running (I live in a pretty rural environment). >>>> >>>> So: >>>> >>>> (a) Do the XPS-3 units commonly have this problem? >>>> >>>> (b) Does the presence of the companion switch make any difference? >>>> >>>> (c) Does this seem a manufacturing defect? >>>> >>>> (d) Could this be due to a wiring mistake on my end? >>>> >>>> Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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> EBay. One has a WS-14A/XPSS companion switch.
>
> Almost as soon as I installed these, I have noticed that the one with
> the companion switch will sometimes turn itself off. But in the last
> couple days, I have noticed that it is also sometimes turning itself
> ON. The unit without the companion switch is fine.
>
> I have a CM11A that does turn some modules on/off on timers. But the
> switches in question are NOT controlled that way. Even so, the strange
> events do no relate to the events that are programmed (not the same
> times). I am also very sure that no one else in the area has X-10
> running (I live in a pretty rural environment).
>
> So:
>
> (a) Do the XPS-3 units commonly have this problem?
>
> (b) Does the presence of the companion switch make any difference?
>
> (c) Does this seem a manufacturing defect?
>
> (d) Could this be due to a wiring mistake on my end?
>
> Thanks.