xpfm#^%&$

[gg4000]

I just installed a XPFM on my ceiling fan.
The first on command worked. Now I can't turn it off. It clicks twice as if "off on". 
An ideas?
It's gettin COLD! 
Thanks

[dhouston]

The fan motor is probably putting out noise which interferes with the X10 Off signal.

[Brian H]

The noise from the motor going off. Could also be confusing the relay status {On or Off} sensor.
We have seen other reporting the same problem.
Some have wired a noise filter on the output side of the XPFM and others have carefully added a 33K 1 or more watt resistor on the output side to neutral that is common to the XPFM and the load.

[dave w]

I just installed a XPFM on my ceiling fan.
The first on command worked. Now I can't turn it off. It clicks twice as if "off on". 
An ideas?
It's gettin COLD! 
Thanks

Common problem if fan is on medium or low speed. Less common for fan to do it on high speed. 33K ohm 3 watt resistor across the fan motor leads will fix.

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=25284.msg142012#msg142012
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=gu4m31vveomsla9jcmq4l9k746&topic=13045.30

I found five 3W 33K resistors for five bucks including shipping on Ebay.

[gg4000]

YUP!
I set the fan to high, and it does turn off.

Looks like Radio shack only goes up to 1/2 watt.
I'll look around for the 33k 3w.

Thanks for the info!

[dave w]

YUP!
I set the fan to high, and it does turn off.

Looks like Radio shack only goes up to 1/2 watt.
I'll look around for the 33k 3w.

Thanks for the info!

Your 33K at 120V is dissipating almost 1/2 watt, so technically a half watt resister would work. But I get real nervous when putting resistors across 120V in a tight junction box. Even though a 3W resistor would still dissipate 1/2 watt, the bigger body runs cooler. If Radio Shark has flameproof film resisters maybe a 1/2 W would be OK. 

[Noam]

YUP!
I set the fan to high, and it does turn off.

Sounds like the fan has a pull-chain, or some other speed setting on it. From my limited knowledge, those work like incandescent dimmers, and can throw out a lot of noise when "dimmed" (or run at a slower speed).
That could explain (to me at least) why you could turn it off when it was on high.

However,  couldn't you have then used the pull-chain (or whatever) to turn it off, until you found a solution? ;-)

[gg4000]

You mean like get up and pull the pull chain? So old fashioned. 
I'm a spoiled X10 user....

[Brian H]

You need a Home Automation Robot and it can pull the chain for you. 

[JeffVolp]

You need a Home Automation Robot and it can pull the chain for you.   

I made something like that to open and close the cover on our garage exhaust fan, which is also controlled by a pull chain.

Jeff

[dave w]

I made something like that to open and close the cover on our garage exhaust fan, which is also controlled by a pull chain.

Did you name it? (Robbie? Gort? Tobar?....oh man, am I dating myself)

[gg4000]

I was thinking about that today. A X10 Robot. 
It will take a lot of LM465s and a few servos erector sets, Legos, etc.
I will walk, It will talk. But will it core a apple?
The drawback will be when it walks away from the outlet it will pull the plug.

Now I'm on a different mission.
Did not want to start a new thread though.

I have 2 CM11As and one RR501, CM19A.
751s 465s.... and so on. More on it's way. Went crazy on ebay. USPS must be going nuts. 
My MS10As RF will not reach the CM19A. They are too far. I've been reading so many different posts and now I'm back 10 steps.
Did I read that the RR501 will take the MS10A RF and convert it to PLC? Then send the command on the power line?
If my only option is to keep a laptop with another CM19A running in my shed, I will do.

[dave w]

I was thinking about that today. A X10 Robot. 
It will take a lot of LM465s and a few servos erector sets, Legos, etc.
I will walk, It will talk. But will it core a apple?
The drawback will be when it walks away from the outlet it will pull the plug.

If my only option is to keep a laptop with another CM19A running in my shed, I will do.

I should have been wearing a Depends when reading the first paragraph.

Anywho, lets hope that the new CM15A, due to ship before "the holidays", will have all the design flaws of the original CM15A corrected. i.e the pathetic antenna system design for both receive and transmit. even simply puttting the RR501 antenna on the CM15A would make an improvement over what it has now. But the RR501 antenna probably costs 20 cents more than the "dribble wire" antenna on the CM15A, soooo I won't be holding my breath.

[Dan Lawrence]

I agree.  An Interface like the CM15A with the same antenna as the RR501 would be a great improvement.   I hope X10 Repair Depot reads this.

[Noam]

You need a Home Automation Robot and it can pull the chain for you.   

I made something like that to open and close the cover on our garage exhaust fan, which is also controlled by a pull chain.

Jeff

The XTB-PullChain?