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[zimcocomp]

I have been using home automation and security X10 devices for a long time with very few problems. It seem s it's payback time. I lost the neutral to ac power and that wiped out everything on one side of the line due to the surge of power.
I have had to replace most all the X10 devices that I have but I still have some strange things going on. I have double checked all settings most being the same as original.

1) Replaced PR511 floodlight and it seems to work fine except at dusk it will turn on two interior lights of differing codes.
2) When the breaker is on for the hot water heater (it is controlled by an X10 power relay that is a coupler / amp) one light will not turn on or off. It's ok with the breaker off. I installed a new coupler / repeater without observing any change to anything, breaker on or off.
3) I have one light I can turn on remotely but not off.
4) I have one appliance power switch that can only work when plugged into the same outlet
5) I have two Universal modules (using the chimes only) well they basically work when they feel like it.
There are probably other problems I havn't even noticed yet.

I would like any suggestions to help keep me from pulling my hair out ( i don't have any left to pull)

[HA Dave]

.............. wiped out everything on one side of the line due to the surge of power. I have had to replace most all the X10 devices ......

I feel your pain! My backyard was hit by a lighting strike this spring.... Thank God no one was hurt. But it took me days just to realize the full damage.

It "sounds to me" like you have a large scale noise generator on your line. Could very well be a device that was "quite" before the surge (could even be non-surge related like a cell phone charger or crappy CFL).  Without test equipment you just have to go through your lines disconnecting and testing.

[Brian H]

2) Can you turn off the water heater and still have the switch with coupler on? If that changes things the water heater may have a problem. Any chance it has some sort of electronic controls?

4) If it only can be controlled in the same outlet as the X10 control unit. It may have a damaged electronics. Possibly the power line receiving end.

Most X10 modules use power line derived power supplies. Where the Line Input is actually the modules common. The over voltage may have done all kinds of weird stuff to some modules.

I had a friend who's home lost the Neutral from the street. Not a pleasant thing.

[JeffVolp]

The incoming neutral broke over the winter at the Maine cottage maybe 30 years ago.  The first sign was a few "flashbulbs" when I plugged in the main fuse.  I got the water pump running by placing an electric heater on the opposite phase - on HIGH to get it started, and then down to LOW once it was running.  The power company fixed it the next day.

From testing the Cellet cellphone charger, I found that the noise produced by switching supplies can be sensitive to both the incoming AC voltage and the load.  If your neutral was a bit soft all along, the two legs may not have been equally balanced, and a switching supply somewhere might have been running at a different voltage than it is now.  That would be the first place I would look.  Check especially those little wallwarts that nobody really thinks about.

Jeff

[zimcocomp]

Thanks for the response. I kind of need a shoulder.

I had to replace 10 or more of the wall power supplies. A challenge just to find all the correct replacements.

I bought a dozen Varistors. Replaced that and the fuse in the microwave, radios etc.

The hot water switch is the ELK-9100 which is a coupler repeater also. Turning it on and off makes some things work and stops others. I added in a new coupler / repeater which actually changed nothing at all.

The appliance module I spoke of is actually a new replacement. It still could be defective I suppose, although it works when connected on the same side of the line as the control.

My cell phone charger was among the many fatalities.

I do have a noise generator but every time I tell her to be quite I get major problems.

The worst part of this is I had to replace my whole house surge protector from Leviton because I couldn't buy repair parts for it.

It's bugging me about that flood light turning on lights at dusk (not when it senses movement). It's also new but I have to question if it's defective.

I'll report my findings if I survive this whole thing.

[HA Dave]

............... It's bugging me about that flood light turning on lights at dusk (not when it senses movement). It's also new ..............

I almost hate to even ask/mention this... but the Floodlight (PR511) does have "sliders" that assign lights to come on at dusk (and off at dawn). Could you have them selected?

[zimcocomp]

I should have made that clear. It is the most likely question.
I actually copied the settings of the bad one being replaced but I have revisited this again to be sure. This unit really works good sensing movement after dusk, although I disagree with what it feels dusk is. I would like the adjustment to allow dusk to be sensed a little darker.

Lynn

[zimcocomp]

For information purpose. I resolved the floodlight issue by removeing a solder bridge internally.
Now for the rest. I may have to purchase x10 signal test equipment.