how come my insteon works only at night time?

[opencocoon]

I have noticed that while my house is unoccupied (A/Cs, refrigerator all off) my insteon switch that controls a 220V water pump works fine. As soon as I turn on the refrigerator, the same water pump cannot receive on/off signals like before. But I discovered that during the hours around midnight, it does respond to on/off commands? What can I do to fix this? Only difference at night there are maybe more lights on, but when I try turning some on during the day, there is no response still at the pump.

Any ideas appreciated.



My setup:

ELK M1G is sending out the on/off commands via Insteon single band PLM
Insteon wireless phase coupler
SingnalLinc Plug-in Phase Coupler X10
The pump is wired to a 2494S220 (SwitchLinc 220V - INSTEON Remote Control 220V Switch Kit in Weatherproof Enclosure)

 

[Frunple]

Wow, you're opening this up to a lot of replies
Suffice it to say, Insteoff isn't very well liked in the HA world.

 

[BLH]

Insteon Wireless phase coupler. Is it the discontinued 2442 SignalLinc RF or the 2443 Access Point?

If you have the older 2442 SignalLinc RF it can not communicate with any other Insteon RF devices as it used a 904 MHz frequency and all the new RF devices are now 915MHz.

You may have to add a second Active Phase coupler to the mix as it sound like you have a very marginal signal on the power lines.

Is the X10 plug in coupler the Dryer Outlet repeater, passive model?

It isn't a a BoosterLinc is it? Older BoosterLinc enabled devices don't play nice with Insteon.

Some new appliances with electronic controls. Can absorbe signals on the power lines.

 

[opencocoon]

Thanks BLH,

The insteon wireless coupler I have is the discontinueed 2442. Since all this insteon equipment was bought 4-5 years ago I don't think it is any of the newer dual band stuff that I recently read about on this forum.

The X10 plug in coupler is indeed the dryer outlet repeater, passive model.

So this 'active phase coupler', would this work for me even though I have older switchlincs and switches?

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[apostolakisl]

Most likely problem is power line noise. Turn all of your circuit breakers off in your house except those going to your Elk/Insteon PLM, the circuit with the phase coupler (probably not necessary since your testing a 220v insteon device which is already on both legs), and the circuit with the pump. Test it out. I assume it will work. (I would consider unhooking the pump from the Insteon device so you don't keep cycling the pump with each test) Keep turning on breakers one at a time and test it. I suspect that you will find one or two breakers that, when on, cause a failure. Then pinpoint what devices are on those breakers that might make noise and put a filter on them. Hopefully it is not you AC since there aren't any good ways to filter high current 220v stuff. If an entire circuit contains no Insteon devices, the easiest way to filter it might be to get an x10 filter and install it at the breaker.

Keep in mind that you should try to have everything that is connected to each breaker "on" so when that breaker is on, all possible noise making devices connected to the breaker will be making noise.

 

[tmbrown97]

Wow, you're opening this up to a lot of replies
Suffice it to say, Insteoff isn't very well liked in the HA world.

Frunple - while I share the same dislike for Insteon, there's no denying that many of the newcomers over the last year or more have been going that route - mainly driven by the low cost, wide variety of devices, and the flexibility of the ISY. And the supporters of it are some of the most vocal when newcomers ask which protocol is best.

 

[BLH]

It does sound like it could be noise on the power line at certain times of the day. As mentioned.

 

[x10partscom]

I have an idea,....
Perhaps you or a nearby neighbor has Solar.
This will kill the signal during the day usually from 9am to around 5 pm in Southern California. I have no idea where you are at.
While some of the above are accurate it is noise. It more than likely is solar and it does not have to be on your property. It can be on your neighbors property. If it is on your property there may be a way to filter it. If not you have have to opt to a zwave type system. I suggest trying to find an x10 tech in your area who has the testing wquipment to fiugre it out. Unfortunatly Insteon is lacking in the tool testing dept. from what I have seen so far. The x10 test should give you an idea.

 

[apostolakisl]

I have an idea,....
Perhaps you or a nearby neighbor has Solar.
This will kill the signal during the day usually from 9am to around 5 pm in Southern California. I have no idea where you are at.
While some of the above are accurate it is noise. It more than likely is solar and it does not have to be on your property. It can be on your neighbors property. If it is on your property there may be a way to filter it. If not you have have to opt to a zwave type system. I suggest trying to find an x10 tech in your area who has the testing wquipment to fiugre it out. Unfortunatly Insteon is lacking in the tool testing dept. from what I have seen so far. The x10 test should give you an idea.

That is a new one. I have never heard of power line noise making it through the electrical utilities transformer. It would have to get through 2 transformers at that, the one from them to the grid and from the grid back to you. Unless you share a transformer. Not sure how they do that, but my house has it's own transformer, but I live on 7 acres, it might be different on a more convential size lot.

EDIT: come to think of it, I have heard of x10 signals going from one house to the next, so I guess that means noise would too. But I have to believe this would only happen if you were on the same transformer, which would limit it to your most adjacent neighbors.

 

[wuench]

I think there have been a couple of UPB horror stories about neighbors running stuff on the same transformer and causing issues. Those threads should be buried here somewhere. I think most houses share a transformer, usually two houses per transformer in suburbia hell.

 

[Del91574]

That is a new one. I have never heard of power line noise making it through the electrical utilities transformer. It would have to get through 2 transformers at that, the one from them to the grid and from the grid back to you. Unless you share a transformer. Not sure how they do that, but my house has it's own transformer, but I live on 7 acres, it might be different on a more convential size lot.
EDIT: come to think of it, I have heard of x10 signals going from one house to the next, so I guess that means noise would too. But I have to believe this would only happen if you were on the same transformer, which would limit it to your most adjacent neighbors.

I've heard and seen it a bunch of times, X10 was notorious for this. One install back in the day in the same neighborhood was able to work all of his neighbor's lights, same letter code from his plug in controller, drove his neighbor nuts until he fessed up.

I have a small integration install where I was controlling a few insteon switches from an EZ8, running in X10 mode and they didn't like certain letter codes and likewise, I found a couple of letter codes that were triggered "randomly".

 

[BLH]

Over in the X10 forums. One of the members had a noise problem on the power lines.
Was his neighbors outdoor CFL aging and near end of life.