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Author Topic: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module  (Read 6930 times)

Smokedawg

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Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« on: August 21, 2007, 09:04:03 PM »

Hello,

I wired all my switches and they all work great besides my 1 3-way switch.  When pressing the button the light comes straight on or off, no matter which way the switch is. 

I have 2 black wires and 1 red coming out of the switchbox for each switch.  The back of the 3-way switch has a black lead, blue lead, and red lead.  I tied the reds together, then randomly choose a black wire and tied the remaining wires together...

Ideas?


another question as well :)

On my ceiling fans, instead of running 2 switches out of it like most people do, one for fan, one for lights, I tied both fan and lights together and brought them down to one switch.  So either they are both on, or both off, unless you pull the fan cord.   So my question is, will a regular wall switch module kick the fan on/off with the lights due to the way I wired them?
« Last Edit: August 21, 2007, 09:06:26 PM by Smokedawg »
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Brian H

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2007, 07:01:49 AM »

You did use the provided slave switch with the X10 Master?
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Smokedawg

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2007, 08:58:40 AM »

Yes...on one end of the hallway is the switch that has the on/off slider and the push button, and on the other end of the hallway I put just the slave push button switch.
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dave w

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2007, 12:33:13 PM »

Hello,

I wired all my switches and they all work great besides my 1 3-way switch.  When pressing the button the light comes straight on or off, no matter which way the switch is. 


Ideas?


another question as well :)

On my ceiling fans, instead of running 2 switches out of it like most people do, one for fan, one for lights, I tied both fan and lights together and brought them down to one switch.  So either they are both on, or both off, unless you pull the fan cord.   So my question is, will a regular wall switch module kick the fan on/off with the lights due to the way I wired them?


Sounds like your 3-way is working correctly. ON-OFF at both ends of the hall correct?


Yes, if you have tied both lights and fan togeather at fan the wall switch will control both...no other way. BTW a fan does NOT like to be controlled by an X10 switch that can dim unless it is the X10 Pro XPDI3, and it will may the motor buzz. The XPDI3 requires a nuetral wire, which it does not sound like you have in your box.

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Smokedawg

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2007, 02:23:40 PM »

Dave,

The light switch is working correctly as it turns the hallway light on/off at both ends of the hallway, but it does not dim the light like i thought it would..It just turns it straight on/off. 
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2007, 03:00:16 PM »

Dave,

The light switch is working correctly as it turns the hallway light on/off at both ends of the hallway, but it does not dim the light like i thought it would..It just turns it straight on/off. 

The older WS467 (1-way) and WS4777 (3-way) Wall Switches had only  On/Off control via the pushbutton; dimming required an signal from an external X10 transmitter.  The WS467 was redesigned in 2007 and now can be dimmed with the pushbutton, and I suspect the WS4777 will soon follow, if it hasn't already.   There's no difference in model number, appearance, packaging, or instruction sheet to indicate which is the original and which is the redesigned unit.  The date code sticker on the module can give a clue, but we haven't yet determined exactly when the changeover occurred.  (It's assumed that X-10 will ship the older units until they're all gone, then start shipping the new ones.)

Try this to see if you have a new design unit: At the master switch, tap the button once to turn on the light, then press and hold the button to start dimming.  Release, then press and hold to start brightening.  A quick tap at either stage will turn off the light.

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Smokedawg

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2007, 09:23:31 PM »

I tapped the switch to turn it on, then I press it again and hold it and it turns the light straight off...When I ordered the switch it said it was a dimming 3 way  >:(
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2007, 12:39:48 AM »

I tapped the switch to turn it on, then I press it again and hold it and it turns the light straight off...When I ordered the switch it said it was a dimming 3 way  >:(

It sounds like you probably have the original design unit.  It does have dimming capability when it receives X10 Dim signals over the powerline, but not via the pushbutton.  If you open up your switchbox again, let us know the date code from the sticker on the back of the master unit.  It'll be something like "07D17" (if it's a 2007 date code).

The pushbutton on the redesigned WS467 (1-way) Wall Switch works as I described.  One might suppose a redesigned WS4777 3-way switch would work the same, however X-10 does what suits them at the moment and you never know what you're going to get.

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steven r

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2007, 07:44:28 AM »

...When I ordered the switch it said it was a dimming 3 way

...X-10 does what suits them at the moment and you never know what you're going to get.

The advertising was most likely just referring to the fact you can send it a dim command not that it has local dimming. I don't think X10 has even publicly announced that some switches have changed. I'd even go so for as to guess there's still employees in marking and customer service that don't know about the change.

This forum is the "bleeding edge" for how things X10 work.
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Jason B

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2007, 12:21:27 AM »

I'm dying to know if the newer WS4777 swtiches have local diming.

I bought some WS467 swtiches and they have it, and I LOVE IT! I wish I could hook up multiple WS467's to replace my standard 3 way swtiches, but I guess that can't be done.
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Jason B

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Re: Diming problem..3 way wall switch module
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2008, 09:59:25 PM »

bump
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