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[rwgrigg]

When I plugged my LED Christmas tree lights into an X-10 Appliance Module, the LED's were dim after the Module was turned off. After reviewing several "fixes" found on-line, and settling on the cure that says to plug a night light into the the Module with the tree LED's, I opted for a similar but practical solution.  Most people put a (sometimes lighted) star or angel on top of the tree.  I've had a star for many years that has 10 mini incandescent lights in it.  So it seemed to me that since the night lights are usually incandescent, that the incandescent lights in the star would do the same thing.  I tried it and it worked!  No more dim LED's!  You can use any "tree topping" you want just as long as you use incandescent lights in it. Of coarse the star was the last thing in the three set string of LED's that I put on the tree and it is plugged into the female connector on the end of the last string.  This is assuming you start from the bottom of the tree and work up.  The 10 mini lights in the star don't draw much current and won't add much to the power consumption of the strings of tree lights.  The reason that the LED's were dim when the Module was off is to do something about a diode across the relay in the module and the diode passes enough current available in the "off" Module to still light the LED's, but dimly.  The incandescet lights create a higher resistance "load" on the string keeping the LED's off in the Module's "off" state.  At least thats the way I understand it. 

[Brian H]

Thanks for another way to keep the LED lights from glowing dimly.
We can add it to the night light, 47K 1/2Watt resistor and unused wall warts tricks.

The current is actually from the sensor in the module that indicates it is on or off in both CFL friendly and older modules. The older modules also have the local control sensing circuit where there is the diode you mentioned.

[IPS]

I use 2 LM15A to light mixed strings of LED and old style strings. Instead of bulbs, I plug in female receptors and the strings plug into them and two macros control the lights. Also I use BVC to turn off all outside as well as family room lights and then after delay of 5 sec it lights up strings on five backyard trees and of course that spells  my wife's name.

IPS

[IPS]

I foregot to add that none of the lights glow when off.

Sorry for the oversight.

IPS

[dave w]

How timely and relevant. 

[beelocks]

How timely and relevant. 

I have exterior LED Xmas lights that have glowed dimly on an appliance module since I plugged them in in November 2010 - they work faultlessly on a dusk to 11pm timer with the only failure in January this year when the appliance module had enough of being outside under 3 feet of snow.

Do you think June would be a good time of year to disable the timer or remove the lights?