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[anarchoi]

Well title says it all, i bought a few x10 system and received it a few days ago...

However i have trouble installing the non-dimming light switch for fluorescent lights...

There is only 2 wires inside my wall, a black one and a white one.... And there is 8 holes to plug wires on the x10 light switch, where am i supposed to plug it?? And what with the other inputs??

I tryed installing a normal x10 light switch for incadescent lights and it works fine, but i really need to use a fluorescent light

This is the item i bought:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140306657742&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

[Brian H]

You have a problem.
From your description you have a switch loop. Where the Line is on one of the wires and the other goes to the lights line input.
The XPS3 needs a Neutral wire to work properly. You may not have a Neutral Wire in your switch box. Are there any other bundled together wires in the back of the switch box? Maybe white? The white on the switch is not a Neutral as it is part of the switch loop.
You may have to pull a Neutral wire into the switch box to get the XPS3 to work.
There are other modules that mount in the fixture that may work for you.

[anarchoi]

No, there is only two wires

If i plug them the light will start flashing (quickly turning on and off)

What are the other modules you are talking about?

[dave w]

As Brian said: "You have a problem".

If you only have two wires in the wall box, neither of which is a neutral line) you can not use an X10 switch in the wall box for the flourescent light (unless you run a neutral line to the box). However you can re-install the old switch back in the wall box and then install a wire-in Appliance Module (XPFM) in the light fixture itself where you do have the neutral. You would want to control the light using an X10 controller like Maxi/Mini Controller, or an RF remote such as Palm Pad or Slim-Line switch, etc.  with a tranceiver (TM751 or RR501)

http://www.x10pro.com/pro/pdf/xpfm.pdf

[anarchoi]

So if i replace my current light switch by XPFM i will be able to control fluorescent light with the remote control and transceiver i already have ??

but i don't see a switch on the picture, will i still be able to manually turn on and off the light?

[Brian H]

No. The XPFM would have to be controlled by the remote.

You maybe able to rewire the old switch loop in the fixture to supply Line and Neutral to the switch box and use a power line controller in place of the old switch. In that case both a remote and the new transmitter could control the XPFM in the fixture.
X10Pro makes a one and four position controller [maybe a two button faceplate also not sure] in the form mounted in an electrical box.
XPT is the base with no faceplate. XPT1 is the base with single button. XPT4 is the base and a four button faceplate.

Look in the Instructions Tab of the X10Pro site. Both the XPT XPT1 and XPT4 are there.
http://www.x10pro.com/

[anarchoi]

I'm still confused...

If i install the XPFM inside my wall fixture, i will be able to turn the light on and off (and control it with the mini timer i suppose?) but there is no switch to manually turn the light on or off?

But i checked the picture of XPFM and there is a black, white and blue wires.... So i'm still missing 1 wire (the blue one)?

Is there any way to make it work with fluorescent light if i don't have 3 wires??

[dave w]

1. If i install the XPFM inside my wall fixture, i will be able to turn the light on and off (and control it with the mini timer i suppose?) but there is no switch to manually turn the light on or off?


But i checked the picture of XPFM and there is a black, white and blue wires.... 2. So i'm still missing 1 wire (the blue one)?

Is there any way to make it work with fluorescent light if i don't have 3 wires??

1. No, you will have to use a plug-in controller or a RF controller (such as Palm Pad, or Slim-line switch - which can be stuck on wall).

2. The XPFM goes in the fixture itself if room (like a ceiling panel flourescent light) or the wall box where the fixture is mounted. The XPFM white goes to the neutral (should also be white) along with the white wire from the fixture. The XPFM black goes to the black in the wall box or fixture (disconnect the black going to the fixture and connect it to the blue from the XPFM).  The XPFM now completes the hot to the light.