I decided to put my Kitchen's overhead light on X10. Sounds easy, doesn't it. It's about 8:15 PM Friday.
I got everything I needed: A WS467 Wall Switch module from my local X10 dealer, a Wiremold double gang surface mount box and a double outlet.
Friday night, I took the faceplate off the outlet/switch in the kitchen and unscrewed the mounting screws and pulled the unit out of the box.
Four wires, each exactly like each other.
Time to dig out the tester. Determine which wire is the hot and which one is the neutral. That leaves two other wires. I unscew the wires (after tuning the circuit breaker off, I'm no fool with electricity.) and remove them from the old switch.
I must point out here that my house was built in 1928 and much of the wiring is 1928 with some 1955 and 1983 additions.
I get 4 6" lengths of wire, 1 white and 3 black. I also get out the tester, as those 4 original wires are all identical. I determine the neutral, that gets the white lead, the other 3 get the black leads. I mount the baseplate for the Wiremold box and attach it over the existing single box with is 2" deep in the wall. The old switch was anchored with 2 long wood screws, not exactly standard. I mount the new Wiremold box.
I determine the hot wire. The other two go the Kitchen ceiling light and the other goes to the Ceiling light in the Breakfast Room, but which is which? The tester is useless here.
It's also past 10:00 PM, I'm tired.
9:00 AM Saturday.
I wire the new double outlet and plug a nite light into it. I go downstairs and turn the breaker back on. Come back upstairs and go into the Kitchen, there is a nite light softly glowing. Back downstairs, tum the breaker off. Go back upstairs again.
I pick one of the two remaining black wires and attach it to the other screw next to the one with hot wire in it. The two screws are joined together and both are hot. I go back downstairs and turn the breaker back on . Go back upstairs, the Kitchen ceiling light is on!! The remaining wire goes to the Breakfast Room light. I picked the right wire on the first try!!!
Downstairs again, turn off the breaker. Back upstairs, take the black wire off the screw and attach it to the black wire on the WS467. The blue wire is attached to the same screw the black wire to the light was, along with the wire from the Breakfast Room. Set the WS467 with the address of F3.
Turn the breaker on and go upstairs, into the Kitchen and press the local button. Nothing happens. Go into AHP and create a module with the address F3. AHP can't control it.
Apparently, the WS467 that I just got Friday has a blown triac, as it has no local control and AHP can't see it. Call the local dealer, who says "that's not unusual, apparently the units are tested at the factory and somehow the triac was blown. He said to bring it back (He's about 15 minutes from my house) and he will have a replacement, fully tested, when I get there.
Go downstairs, turn off breaker, go back upstairs, get in car, drive to dealer's house. Ring doorbell, he answers with a brand new 467, fully tested. I give him the blown one and drive back home. Round trip time 38 minutes.
Go in Kitchen, attach the new 467 the same way the old one was. Go down and turn breaker back on. Go upstairs, into Kitchen and press local button on 467. The ceiling light comes on. Set the unit to address F3. Go to PC and open AHP. Create new room (Kitchen) and create a new 467 module, give it the address F3 and turn it on. The ceiling light in the Kitchen turns on.
Now, screw the 467 and the outlet to the box and apply the cover plate. Looks nice!!!!
Clean up all the junk, tools, boxes of wire nuts, extension cords, drop lights, wire cutter, screwdrivers and hammer, electric drill and drills. Put all the tools away, clean the counter and put the toaster oven back.
It's 12:15 PM Saturday, and the job is finished.
I love X10, but it's sometimes a pain in the you-know-were to get it installed, especially where you do wiring too.
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Topic: Adding a new module - Mission: fustration (Read 2759 times)