How many of you are closet X-10 users.

[Photon]

KenM said "My main beef with X10 was that sometimes random noise would turn on lights. There is no bigger reason for tearing out a system than if it turns your lights on unexpectedly (especially at 3 AM on a Sunday)."

I bought my first X-10 stuff more than 25 years ago, and I've had little trouble. However, I don't trust it enough to use it to control anything critical that might burn the house down or cause a flood if the system switched on an appliance module by accident. That would be even worse than having the lights go on at 3 AM.

 

[CollinR]

Open x10 user here, I have no higher technologies at this time.

Oddly enough and to my surprise I am satisfied aside from the crappy x10 software (old ActiveHome).

I have never had a random light turn on, I have only had a couple of missed commands. I have probably 40 wall switches, 10 apllicance modules, 10 filters, 1 phase coupler and a CM11a. I use the sommand line interface with the cm11a and thats where every problem I have had is rooted.

I do not have x10 fire alarms, if they even make those.
I do not have x10 burglary anything.
I do not have x10 CCTV anything.
I do not have x10 notification devices.


I also have 3 x10 remotes, 1 of CC automation type that pretty well sucks but does it's job. 2 of the entertainment type (Nvidia cinema remote and SnapStream FireFly) which I am very happy with. Especially the FireFly, I think thats the best hard button remote ever!

 

[mdesmarais]

I'm almost all X-10. Smallish house, about 1900sq ft.
17 switches, some appliance modules, motion detectors, remotes. 2 insteon switches. I have one room and two switches that gives me grief. I have a cap across the phases, and no filters at all.

 

[nsisman]

Strictly X10 here in my small 1100 sq ft bungalow.

WGL800 receiver and HCA02 coupler at the electric panel made this system rock solid.

No reason or desire to switch out my X10 stuff for a boatload of $35-$40 devices.

I think the key word would be "frugal".

Neil

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I think the key word would be "frugal".

Exactly!

 

[roussell]

Okay, so along the lines of being frugal... can anyone recommend an x10 dimmer - decora or toggle - that does preset dim? The biggest beef with my existing x10 switches are that they turn full-on and then dim...

Terry

 

[nightwalker]

Okay, so along the lines of being frugal... can anyone recommend an x10 dimmer - decora or toggle - that does preset dim? The biggest beef with my existing x10 switches are that they turn full-on and then dim...

Terry

Most of the x-10 switches that i still have are all Leviton 6381's. They allow me to specify a dim level that they go right to, as opposed to going to 100% first. They also have the soft start fade on feature. What i don't know is if they are still available.

 

[JeffVolp]

We have been using X10 since the early BSR brown module days. For this house we upgraded to Leviton X10 compatible wall switches throughout. We use X10 for lighting, irrigation, and supplemental ventilation. The low cost and wide selection of X10 compatible devices makes it the obvious choice for us. However, the proliferation of electronic devices throughout our homes can cause problems for X10 communication. I originally designed the XTB to boost the output of our TW523 line interface. That worked so well that I made it available to others. With a few filters added to particularly nasty devices, I expect the combination to work well for another couple of decades.

I wrote a series of troubleshooting tutorials that may be of help to others with X10 systems:

http://jeffvolp.home.att.net/x10_info/x10_...bleshooting.htm.

Jeff

 

[cliffs]

I have used X10 for about 8 years now. They are not perfect, but I have had
very little problems. I have tried Insteon,UPB and etc. and none of them have worked
very well, if at all. Insteon was the worst, the linking never worked. The switches
quit after about a months use and I have 5 on the shelf now the the paddle won't turn
the switch off and on. Smarthome won't replace them. Seems as though the more expensive
ones have the highest failure rate. None of the original X10 ones have ever failed.

It might be noted that many of the swimming pool companies use X10 for pool controls. They
say they have very little problems with them.

For some reason the higher priced systems have serious quality control problems.

Cliff s

 

[Digger]

I have used X10 for about 8 years now. They are not perfect, but I have had
very little problems. I have tried Insteon,UPB and etc. and none of them have worked
very well, if at all. Insteon was the worst, the linking never worked. The switches
quit after about a months use and I have 5 on the shelf now the the paddle won't turn
the switch off and on. Smarthome won't replace them. Seems as though the more expensive
ones have the highest failure rate. None of the original X10 ones have ever failed.

It might be noted that many of the swimming pool companies use X10 for pool controls. They
say they have very little problems with them.

For some reason the higher priced systems have serious quality control problems.

Cliff s

You can replace the tact switches in the dimmers and relay switches if you want to salvage them. It voids the "warranty" but as you know.... that means nothing.

 

[carry15+1]

For my small HA install I use x10 exclusively. For security I have an M1G. That said, none of my x10 devices are from X10, there is a mix of PCS, ACT and Lightolier, mostly ACT. I use Jeff's original XTB and an ACT CR234. I have zero problems in a small house with 1500 sf up and 1500 sf down. For lamp modules I use Smarthome Lamplincs. When Dave gets his roZetta up and running I may tinker with some UPB or Insteon, but I have no plans to invest in a total conversion. Currently I do not use any X10 RF devices.

 

[linuxha]

Insteon and X10 here, I'm replacing the X10 with Insteon. I also have Z-Wave (one module). I've numerous problem with X10 and Insteon though I doubt that my setup qualifies as anywhere near normal. Right now I really like the Insteon products and they're working really well.

 

[htsource]

I'm still using all x10 based switches and plug-in modules, although I have swithed from X10 branded to SmartHome. SmartHome has some great products for X10 (I'm talking few years ago as now everything is Insteon/X10). They make good switches with scene control and I paid too much so I better make use of them.

I do have a ACT phase coupler/repeater installed by the panel, as well as X10 filters throughout the house for all electronics that could inject noise in the powerline.

I'd say my system works 99%, the 1% contributes when someone else comes in and try to hit so many buttons at once.

Get some good filters and install phase coupler/repeater, that's half the battle right there for X10.

 

[huggy59]

I'm frugal. Well, ok, I'm cheap. I'm a DIYer and I won't pay $40 or more for a light switch. I believe the more complex you make something, the more you add places for it to go bad or wrong. I also know that the power line is a harsh place electronically, so unless something is built like a tank (read very expen$ive), it is likely to fail sooner or later. So ease of and cost of replacement is a major factor. And now that I'm using more CFLs that cannot be dimmed, I'm going to more of a lighting-by-design approach and instead of dimming a light, I use different or multiple lights to get various lighting levels (scenes), but I don't use many of those, either.

I have no X-10 in closets. ;-) I use them for a few things here now. Smallish house (well, 2000 sq ft on 2 floors but some of that is under low hip walls), rural setting (but I am on my own transformer), and a separate garage. Oh, and a chicken coop. I use X-10 for a driveway street light, porch lights, chick coop lights and heat lamp, area light, bedroom and living room lamps, and motions sensors for most of those. I even have an X-10 controled light in the crawl space to check the oil tank level via a remote camera.

I also use X-10 for the odd item like small fans and little appliances. I have them on my de-icer wires on the roof overhangs to keep the ice dams from forming as a temporary measure this winter, and they are working fine there. Holiday lights are naturally X-10, too. The HA system also has temp sensors and weather stuff, but we're getting away from X-10 there. I also have X-10 RF remotes all tied to my HA system.

I used to have a lot more stuff - cameras and ninja bases and such - and while I still have a lot of that gear, I'm not using it here yet. I still have some noise issues with X-10, but for the most part it works prety well here. As someone mentioned above, don't use them where you have critical needs. I have more reliable methods for those really critical items, but most of that is not automated through the HA system at my home.