Occupancy Vs. Motion

[KenM]

My (1958) house is wired without neutrals in the switch box. I wired in some neutral wires when I tried out 'brand-x', but thought that was messed up (and against local code), so I dumped that.

Hi Ken;

Slightly off topic, but I'm curious why something like that would be against local code? Did you get an explanation from your local authorities on this?

I did not add new Romex cable, I just added an additional wire of the correct gauge. In my locality, any new wire (as in with a neutral) needs to be added with the current code. That would mean a completely new wiring job at about $15k. No thanks.

k

Edit added:
just for clarification,
I do want to bring my wiring up to current code, as in grounded receptacles, and having a receptacle on each room/wall. I would also need to add a few more circuits (bigger than 15 amp). I am just not sure it would be worth the money at this point in time. I have the old two wire romex that would need to be completely removed/replaced. That would involve city permits and a lot of dry wall work. Snaking a new wire down like I did is technically ok, but an inspector would not sign off on it. I should have ran new romex with the correct mounting points and such (I do not have conduit).
k

 

[intozwave]

[I have been using HomeSeer's Z-Wave HSM100, that is able to reliably report motion/light level/temperature with the HomeSeer2 software, for some time now. I am currently using the first generation Vizia-RF Z-Wave stuff that does not require a neutral and will not support fluorescent lighting. My (1958) house is wired without neutrals in the switch box. I wired in some neutral wires when I tried out 'brand-x', but thought that was messed up (and against local code), so I dumped that.

A slight compromise that I discovered, is to use the 'plug in' wall modules for switching the fluorescent lights.

Just a thought.

Ken

PS:
By the way, the HSM100 has a user selectable (with HS2) motion detection level from something like 1 to 255. Set on 255, it makes a darned good occupancy detector.

k

I am also using HSM100's in the way you described - I am controlling outside lights based on motion in the driveway and controlling the turning off of lights indoors based on the light levels on the front of my house.

My house is a concrete block and stucco - flat roof(one small crawl space in center of house)- ceiling in bedrooms have/had radiant heat - inside walls are plaster not sheetrock(what I wouldn't give for sheetrock) - not into cutting into walls or ceilling unless absolutely necessary and have had to(replaced ceiling & insulation 2 bedrooms 10 years ago) - been there done that - don't want to do it again. The ODS10 doesn't require a neutral and will control the flourescent light in the laudry rm - it is lum adjustable - only thing I am still pondering is it's a 3-way - switch in laundry rm and garage

 

[tmbrown97]

They take 12-3, pull 220V (on two 120 breakers) to where it needs to go...then split one phase to one set of plugs, and the other phase to the other. GND and Neutral are then tied to BOTH circuits.

This is because...when one 120V line is positive, the other should be negative...so, the neutral SHOULD NOT EVER have more current on it then ONE line can supply. When you are pulling perfect FULL current from both lines the current cancels itself out, and you should not have any current over the neutral.

Just make sure your connections are tight! A friend of mine's kitchen was wired that way in a brand-new house that was just built, and just about 2 months ago, the neutral came loose in one of the boxes behind her fridge... Ended up destroying her fridge, the electronics on her gas stove, and a couple other things by shooting serious over-voltage through it. Luckily the builder covered it all.