Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[khenson]

I hope that someone can help me with this problem.

I have read a lot about why this happens but would appreciate any solutions or recommendations to try.

I replaced my porch and over garage incandescent light bulbs with LEDs because they are often on for long periods of time for security/safety and other reasons.
They are controlled with older X-10 wall switches (I don't know which actual model).
The lights never fully go off (dim), but do toggle between dim (off) and high (on) from the actual wall switch.
The only way to turn them fully off is to use the toggle slider.
They are not controllable (on or off) from either of my two remote control/timer boxes at all (the incandescent bulbs were) and I have not read anything about this.

I have to leave 1 incandescent bulb in for the X-10 to work as before which sort of partially defeats the purpose.

I can only use a wall switch and not an outlet or appliance module.
I do not know whether I have two or three wire available.

I have thought about piggy-backing off one of the candelabra bases to another base with a low-watt night-light, but it would look ugly and again waste electricity.

Any ideas,

Thanks,

[Brian H]

The two wire X10 dimmer switches are for incandescent bulbs as you stated.
They get their power through the bulbs and that is why the LED bulbs always are on dimly.
That is also why your controllers don't work. The X10 signals are not going through the LED bulbs correctly.
One incandescent bulb many times passes enough current to get the power to the switches and not have the LED bulbs glow dimly.
Maybe a resistor across the load may help but that also uses some power.

You may want to check and verify you have no neutral power connection in the switch boxes. That a different switch maybe able to use.

I have played with some two wire ZWave switches and they act the same with LED bubs. So X10 switches are not unique in that respect.

[khenson]

Thanks for the reply,

I will check for the other wire, I am assuming that you mean the bare copper ground wire that usually goes to a green screw on other switches.

Which model would be good to try as a replacement for the wall switch?

I have used X-10s for several years (since they were made by Stanley in hardware stores and later sold under another name by RadioShack) and would like to continue to use them if possible.

I am hesitant to try to open up and modify a module as in some posts and am a little worried about putting a resistor across the load especially since the lights are outside.

[Brian H]

No.
You need a White Wire that is not presently connected to the switch.
A White {maybe with a black band or tape on it} wire connected to the switch is part of a switch loop and not a Neutral power connection.
Possibly in the back of the electrical box and maybe bundled with a few other White ones.

[khenson]

Thanks for the info, I was not sure what was meant by a neutral wire.
I am pretty sure that I do not have one.
I was there when a lot of rewiring was done for parts of my house and I don't remember seeing a wire like this.

So I guess I am back to seeing what I can do about getting a safe load on the same circuit as the lights.
Right now, the switches only control the outside hanging lights.

Thanks,