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[BBTandT]

Well, I'm going to try having a PZZ01 installed, but other than that I'm out of ideas for remote switching.  My only other option seems to be wiring a switch up from the outlet downstairs and locating it at the current switch location.  Crude and a pain, but fool proof.

[dave w]

Update:  plugged into another outlet on the original circuit but not gfi protected, yielded the same result as the original setup.

So, same circuit works. Same phase different circuit gfi protected or not, doesn't work.
So,  where to go from here?

If you are sure the XPT and the appliance Module are on the same phase, then you probably have a noise source or a signal sucker interfereing with the X10 signal. Unplug EVERYTHING on both circuits except the Appliance Module, and turn all lights off. Then see if the Appliance Module now works from the XPT. If so, plug everything back in one at a time to find the source..

[BBTandT]

Well I found it.  It's a double breaker that powers the air-handling side of my heat pump/furnace.

Now how do I eliminate that noise from the house?  I would rather have heat than a light switch after all

[Brian H]

Would that unit have some electronic controls or air cleaner in it?
You maybe able to use a wired in filter to just filter the noisy electronic part as I would think the whole unit uses a fair amount of power.

[dhouston]

Well I found it.  It's a double breaker that powers the air-handling side of my heat pump/furnace.

Now how do I eliminate that noise from the house?  I would rather have heat than a light switch after all

The appropriate filter will probably work. It could be noise from the power supply for the electronic controls or the power supply/electronics might have filter capacitors intended to keep noise off the powerline which also filter X10 signals or it might be inductive noise from any motors involved.

[BBTandT]

The only electronic control is a Honeywell thermostat, and no other auxiliary devices are attached.  What might be the appropriate filter? Is there a filter that I could place on the house circuit to trap or isolate any interference including this source?

[Brian H]

Will have to see what I can find out.

A device that could absorb the noise for the whole house would probably also absorb X10 signals as noise.

[dhouston]

I think we need to do more troubleshooting to pinpoint whether it's noise or signal attenuation. Does the problem go away if either device (or both) is turned off?

If it is noise from the heat pump or blower motor, one solution might be the clamp-on ferrite filters Jeff Volp described in thi thread.

• http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=25126.0

Perhaps Jeff can chime in here.

[JeffVolp]

If it is noise from the heat pump or blower motor, one solution might be the clamp-on ferrite filters Jeff Volp described in thi thread.

• http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=25126.0

There have been a few reports of the newer variable-speed HVAC blowers causing interference with X10 signals.  The fix that seems to work is to install a 20A X10 XPF in series with that circuit.

I don't think that clamp-on ferrite filter will provide enough impedance to be effective.  The reason they work with the smart meter is each filter adds about 10 ohms impedance at 120KHz.  That combined with a very low impedance shunt filter (my own version is about 0.3 ohm) knocks the smart meter signal down by about 99%.

Here 10 ohms impedance would probably not have a significant effect to either noise or "suckability".

Jeff

[dave w]

Well I found it.  It's a double breaker that powers the air-handling side of my heat pump/furnace.

Do you have an electric furnace in the air handler? If so, you will need to find a way to filter the power feed to the control board only. And if the control board directly drives a variable speed fan, you may have a really hard time filtering because of the higher current demands. If the control board only provides control signals to the fan motor (fan will have seperate power line to the motor with only low voltage control line from the controller board) then you may still be able to filter at the control board. Can you investigate more?

I had similar problem with a Lennox Pulse furnace and got away with filtering power going to the control board. On my current Bryant Heat Pump, the control board powers the varible speed fan directly so I can not filter. Fortunately the control board on this air handler is not noisy.

[BBTandT]

There is an electric "furnace" in the air handler, and it is a variable speed Trane 4TEE3.  I'm happy to investigate further, but I'd need to be pointed in a direction.  A 20A filter could be placed in line with the handler, but would I need two since it is receiving 220 by way of the double breaker?

[JeffVolp]

There is an electric "furnace" in the air handler, and it is a variable speed Trane 4TEE3.  I'm happy to investigate further, but I'd need to be pointed in a direction.  A 20A filter could be placed in line with the handler, but would I need two since it is receiving 220 by way of the double breaker?

If the air handler can be separated from the electric heat, and it pulls less than 20A, then you could install a pair of 20A XPF filters to isolate just the variable speed air handler.

Jeff