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[wdb]

EDIT: SOLVED Hopefully

Hello all. Hopefully a quick fix as I am getting tired of trying to figure this out on my own. The problem isnt a device I want to control with automation though.

My father was the one who obsessed over this x10 stuff. As a result we have nearly everything on this 1 acre lot controlled by something x10. There are 2 main panels and 2 sub panels. But as a result of him being incapacitated, nothing has really been kept up in the last 10 years & the magic of x10 was never explained to me.

The issue is a (Newish) variable speed pool pump on a sub panel is causing issues with the whole houses' x10. When the pump is running at full power most of the x10 works. When the pump is disconnected or the circuit breaker flipped, all the x10 works. The pump is not controlled by anything x10. It was an upgrade from the standard intelliflo 3hp pump that did not interfere with the system.

Currently we are turning on the pool pump outside of its normal 8hr operation time to trigger lights with the x10 when needed and then turning off the pump.

The breaker box has a passive coupler wired into it. This stayed connected through all of the below test...

I tried installing a Simply Automated ZPCI-B Phase Coupler Breaker Box onto the panel the pump is wired to. LEDS lit up fine. No result. Not sure if it needs to be on one side of the circuit breaker, or the other. Took it out.

Today I wired in two X10 PRO XPF 20A Wired-In Noise Filters directly to the pump as the included wiring diagrams show, no change. I am now seeing these may just be to filter an appliance that is controlled by the x10...

What do I need to do isolate this pump? With the pump powered, the circuit breaker buzzes. As the pump gets up to full speed the buzzing subsides.

I can post pictures if that helps. Just hoping for a simple answer to be honest.

[Brian H]

The XPF is a filter that can be used on any load causing issues. It does not have to be used only on an X10 controlled load.
The problem pump is 220 volts?
Is there is a Neutral connection that both of the XPF filters Neutral wires are connected to?

The circuit breakers buzz. Are they a standard breaker or a GFCI type?

The ZPCI-B coupler is an inverting type. I am not too sure if that makes a difference.
Since it is a universal coupler it also couples all high frequency power line signals but may also couple high frequency noise between the phases also.

[dhouston]

This is unusual. We are accustomed to reports about motors causing X10 problems when running rather than when idle.

Can you supply details on the motor? And on how it is wired into the system? I suspect a wiring error that is providing a low impedance path to ground when the motor is off..

[wdb]

Alright, so I will certainly leave this in case anyone ever has a similar issue. But I fuggin doubt they will.

Just so people can see what I was dealing with & maybe understand the solution ill post some pics here.
This is ground zero. My fathers creation & my 10 year learning process.
Sorry to be a pain but I cant post links. copy paste & remove the space, add an H. Or highlight imgur.com/L_____q and right click, select go to ______ 

h ttp://imgur.com/Lu74dXq

Here is the issue. Soft start motor control up top. Circuit breaker box below.
h ttp://imgur.com/rMQD5MK
h ttp://imgur.com/wgIj4kY
h ttp://imgur.com/49OyXFh

Jandy control box. Not involved, with THIS issue anyway...
h ttp://imgur.com/Pta9zcV

Also just for show and tell. My wiring of the 20a filters to the pump.
h ttp://imgur.com/hyVMeoe

THE FIX. On a whim I decided to disconnect the SOFTRON soft start control box. It was wired inbetween the motor & the breaker. I knew it was no longer necessary because the new variable speed pump starts from 400rpm and ramps up on its own to operating speed. I just didnt remove it from the wiring before because I hate electricity. I also didnt really start following wires until today so I wasnt sure what it was wired to.

When power was returned to the system.. no more buzzing. Breaker did not hum. Power supply or relays (i dont know which were buzzing) in the Jandy box now didnt hum as before.
And the X10 maxi controller worked. With the pump on and off. So relieved 

This is also with the 20a filters removed & no phase coupler. I'm going to leave those off.

So, no murder mystery to solve.

[Brian H]

Glad you figured it out. 
I can see why the new pumps soft start circuits didn't like the ramping up voltage from the old soft start controller.
Kind of like putting a dimmer on the output of another dimmer.