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[gomeztsi]

I just installed a home energy monitor (TED  from theenergydetective) to help us reduce our electric bills.  I don't know if this is causing the problems  or not.  I have had problems with the modules and timers every once in a while.  They'll turn themselves on or off whenever.  However, last night I came home to find all of my pool equipment turned on, including the lights, and no timers should have turned anything on.  I can control the modules from my computer with no problem, both turning modules on and off.  They'll also operate as installed and programed just fine for quite a while, then start acting up again.  I'm not sure what I need to do to correct the problem.  Like I said, even before I installed the energy monitor I was sporadically having problems with the modules.  Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  Also my hand held controller with not always work. Sometimes it works great  and others you can't control anything. 

[JeffVolp]

It appears TheEnergyDetective is incompatible with X10.  One XTB-IIR owner reported his TED was causing the XTB-IIR to indicate it was receiving errors, and eventually go into command storm shutdown.  TED apparently sends information over the powerline once a second.  While I was not able to find any detailed information on the content of their transmissions, it must be capable of producing valid X10 start patterns.  The fact that modules can also respond to it means the continual TED traffic on the powerline is clearly a problem for X10 automation systems.

I do not recommend anyone who has a X10 system use TheEnergyDetective unless its communication is totally isolated from the X10 portion of the home.  I believe that fellow planned to isolate one circuit in his home to carry TED traffic.

The fact that you had problems even before installing TED, you may also have other electrical noise sources that will have to be identified and isolated.  You can find more information here:

http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

Jeff

[Dan Lawrence]

It is totally incompatible with X10 technology. I just spent 15 minutes reading how it works on TheEnergyDetective site.   Unless the OP has his house with two separate AC circuits, he might as well return the TED.

[gomeztsi]

Just wanted to thank you both for your replies.  I'll try isolating the x-10 and the TED on separate circuits.  If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to return the TED. 

Thank you again.

[Dan Lawrence]

Just wanted to thank you both for your replies.  I'll try isolating the x-10 and the TED on separate circuits.  If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to return the TED. 

Thank you again.

If the "separate circuits" are on the same main circuit breaker, the X10 interference will still be there.  To use the TED and X10, the TED cannot be on the same main breaker.

Return it now and get your money back.

[murphy]

Just wanted to thank you both for your replies.  I'll try isolating the x-10 and the TED on separate circuits.  If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to return the TED. 

Thank you again.

It can be done.  I've done it.  You need an isolated circuit for the TED sender and receiver.  That is nothing else on that circuit that uses X10.  Install an auxiliary box adjacent to your power panel.  Get a 20 amp X10 inline filter (XPF).  Route the wire from the selected 20 amp circuit breaker into the auxiliary box.  Install the filter in the auxiliary box and connect it's input to the circuit breaker.  Connect it's output to the wire that the circuit breaker originally fed.  Connect the TED sender to the same point.  Plug the TED receiver into this isolated circuit.  If at all possible pick a circuit that is on the opposite phase from your CM15A.  The problem is that the TED does NOT listen before it transmits.  It ends up transmitting while X10 transmitters are transmitting which corrupts both transmissions.  I sent an email explaining this to the TED people about a year ago.  They ignored my email.  The last time that I looked, their web site still said that TED was compatible with X10.

[Dan Lawrence]

Unfortunately, here at the X10 Forums we have found it's not, since it does block X10 signals since it sends its own signal every second.