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🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: me too on March 12, 2006, 09:34:46 PM

Title: Wall switch problem
Post by: me too on March 12, 2006, 09:34:46 PM
I have a light over my kitchen table that is controlled by a standard wall switch, ws467, which has worked perfectly for almost a year.  About three weeks ago it started tuning on and off sporadically and could not be turned on and off with a remote reliably.  Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't’t.  I was thinking that the switch was going bad so I replaced it with a new one.  Same problem.  I then started looking for other causes.  I checked a dimmer in the next room and discovered if I tuned it on the ws467 would work.  I replaced the dimmer with a standard light switch.   However, this still didn't solve the problem.  I remembered that I plugged an old clock in a few days prior and also had a doorbell extended that was giving me trouble.  I unplugged both of them and the problem went away for three weeks.  last night the light came on by itself in the middle of the night.  I started troubleshooting this morning and did the following...
Plugged the CM15a in to the computer and started the activity monitor.  Everything looked good.  Remotes showed up.  No unusual activity. The light continued to go on and off by itself.  I went around the house an unplugged everything one at a time and didn't find anything that was causing noise or signal sucking. I even took my doorbell transformer off power and turned off all of my outdoor lights. All of the other switches work, only this one will not work reliably. The light can be turned on and off by the switch however.
At this point I am convinced that there is a loose wire somewhere in the circuit that feeds the light or light switch.  My question is, can a loose wire prevent signals from getting to the switch even though the switch will operate manually?  ???

Title: Re: Wall switch problem
Post by: Mystyx on March 12, 2006, 09:41:08 PM
do you run AHP all the time for recording or other commands?
sounds like a sim problem to me, as I know I have range problems and old wiring, but my system worked fine before last AHP update...

Have a look here...  AHP Software Problems v3.201 (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=8059.0) at #1
Title: Re: Wall switch problem
Post by: me too on March 13, 2006, 08:59:51 AM
Range is not an issue.  I run the CM15A without the computer.   Just this one light over my kitchen table is having problems.
Title: Re: Wall switch problem
Post by: Mystyx on March 13, 2006, 04:35:30 PM
tried a different HC and #? from A4 to say H2??
how many watts is on that switch? light bulbs on kitchen table are 100W bulbs? how many of them?

if old wiring and there is nothing turned on in that FULL Circuit from the breaker, there is a small chance (distance effects it to) that the 2.5V or so signal will not jump a broken wire but since the Insulation of that wire is still holding close, if you turn on the Light it draws 110V and turns the light on, jumping the break in the wire (Arcing).

A VERY VERY Slim chance of this is the problem though.
Title: Re: Wall switch problem
Post by: me too on March 14, 2006, 02:12:56 PM
how many watts is on that switch?
5x60.... 300 watts

I am leaning twords a loose connection of some sort.  I had my house reshingled  a couple of weeks ago (Thanks to Hurricanne Katrina) and the roofers rattled the heck out of my walls and celings, droping packs of shingles.  And the problem started soon after.  I will work on it this weekend.
Title: Re: Wall switch problem
Post by: roger1818 on March 30, 2006, 11:15:29 AM
I have never had this problem, but there is an article describing the problem you are having with a solution at: http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/modifying_wall_switch.htm#Fixing module that randomly turns on (http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/modifying_wall_switch.htm#Fixing module that randomly turns on)