X10 Community Forum

💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: birdzeye on January 19, 2009, 04:45:22 PM

Title: GFCI outlet
Post by: birdzeye on January 19, 2009, 04:45:22 PM

Hi,
I've noticed that one camera I have that's plugged directly into a GFCI outlet always consistently works really well, and turns on and off immediately when triggered. Does a GFCI outlet improve signal transmissions?

Title: Re: GFCI outlet
Post by: steven r on January 19, 2009, 05:18:06 PM

No.
Some have complained that they have had a diminished signal when plugged into a GFI outlet. I've never noticed a difference myself.

Title: Re: GFCI outlet
Post by: Alan V on January 19, 2009, 06:00:28 PM

The hot and neutral leads on a GFCI are surrounded by a differential transformer.  The differential transformer is used to detect current imbalances of ~5mA.  When such an imbalance exists it usually means that there is a leakage current flowing through GND.  This in turn trips the GFCI which shuts off current.  There is no active circuitry in series with either the hot or neutral leads.  The transformer surrounding the leads may act like an inductor to slightly impede the 120kHz X10 data, but I would think the effect would be negligible.

Title: Re: GFCI outlet
Post by: Brian H on January 19, 2009, 06:28:59 PM

Maybe you got lucky and the differential transformer mentioned. Actually is reducing a noise source you have on the power line.

Title: Re: GFCI outlet
Post by: originalevil on January 19, 2009, 11:43:55 PM

Whatever you do, don't put a power horn on a GFCI outlet! I had one out in my garage on a GFCI and set my alarm off by mistake. i didn't think anything of it until the following weekend, when I noticed a bad smell.

The powerhorn had tripped the GFCI circuit, which killed power to everything in my garage.... including a chest freezer full of frozen food!