X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: caddy on March 21, 2007, 03:59:31 PM

Title: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: caddy on March 21, 2007, 03:59:31 PM

I replaced my reg lights with  enery savers lights. Now i can not use the remotes to turn them off. I lacated the trouble to my computer or moniter. What could be to to eliminate this problem.  The lights works ok with the reg bulbs. This affects the other circuits that have enery saveing blub.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: Brian H on March 21, 2007, 04:22:52 PM

What type X10 Modules or Wall Switches are you using? Two wire Wall Switches will not work with CFL lights.
Also the Energy saving bulbs; are they a [CFL] Compact Fluorescent Type? Many make noise when ON that makes X10 signals get lost or scrambled.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: caddy on March 21, 2007, 05:00:58 PM

I'm using the ws13a-s model.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: Brian H on March 21, 2007, 06:57:36 PM

Have you read any of the good troubleshooting tutorials available here?

WS-13A has a relay in it so a CFL and inductive lights should be fine.
If the new bulbs are making powerline noise one symptom is can't turn off. I believe some have used a in line filter on the bulbs fixtures to aid in reducing noise. I don't have details but I am sure the information will be provided by someone who has done it.

You said you thought you found the problem is with the computer or monitor? If so an X10 power filter on the computer and monitor maybe a help.

More details on your setup. Like what interface you are using for computer control would help.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: caddy on March 21, 2007, 07:13:26 PM

I'm tying to find out if filters will work or not. With my computer I'm using a 15 ft 14 ga extension cord so it not on the same circuit as the light. That solved the problem there. If this keeps working I'll permanently wire it to a differant circuit. In the kitchen I unplugged every thing and still get the interference. I'm thinking about trying a shunt filter  and see if that works if it don't cost to much.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: Brian H on March 22, 2007, 06:53:06 AM

Many filters if not designed to leave X10 signals alone. may actually absorb or block all x10 signals and make things worse.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: caddy on March 22, 2007, 09:16:48 AM

Yes I'm finding that out. If I only use one bulb in the kitchen it works ok.

Title: Re: Energy savers lights will not turn off
Post by: gil shultz on June 13, 2007, 03:29:32 AM

Energy savers lights will not turn off

The triac trigger circuit typically draws current through the connected load. In this case it is drawing enough to keep the lamp lit.  Look at it this way, you are lighting the lamp with energy that is wasted with a normal lamp.
Put an additional load across the light such as a night lamp and it will probably go out.
Gil Shultz