X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: sudhir on January 18, 2007, 04:30:34 PM
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Folks,
I have a track light in my family room which I just installed and I want to be able to control it using a wall switch. The track light doesn't use line voltage directly, but has a transformer and has halogen bulbs (5x20W max). When I installed the light and changed the switch to X10, I was not able to turn on the light using the X10 remote. However, if I turned on the light manually, I could turn it off using the remote. Also, when the track light is on, some other X10 controlled lights won't turn on or off (using remote or using macros). Any help appreciated.
Thanks,
Sudhir
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Sounds like you used a 2 wire dimming type switch. Transformers should not be used with a dimming type switch. 2 wire switches steal power through the light and that could be why they don't turn on and transformers and dimmers can damage each other.
Switches with a relay in it can be used with transformers. The X10 WS13 is one of them. Note they need a Neutral wire in the switch box along with the line and load wires. The lights maybe making noise on the powerline that is causing the other modules not to respond when on. This could be a result of the transformer reacting with the dimmer and go away with a relay type switch. The still could make noise and in that case added X10 filter would be needed also.
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Ground is not the neutral wire, right? I am not sure if I have the neutral wire. Also, what's the part number for the X10 filter?
Thanks!
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Ground is not the neutral wire, right?
Correct.... Ground is NOT Neutral.
I am not sure if I have the neutral wire.
Neutral wires (generally) are white. Inside your switch box you may see 2 or more white wires capped together.
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If you only have a black and a white both connected to the switch. It also could be a switch loop and not a neutral.