X-10 module relays chatter when switching LV xfrmrs

J

jay

Active Member
This occurs both in turning on and off low voltage output landscape transformers. These are reasonably cheap Intermatic units.
Sometimes they won't accually turn on/off but there's a lot of chatter in any case.

My vacation home came with "professional grade" xfrmrs and I have no chatter and perfect reliability.

In both cases, I'm using X-10 Appliance Modules and X-10 Super Sockets.

Am I hearing inductive kick-back on the cheaper xfrmrs? I have a lot of them.
What to do? Shunt the AC with a capacitor or ...?
 
Can you temporarily plug something else in (match the amperage as close as you can if possible) to those modules and test them again? I thought an "appliance module" could easily handle these type of loads.

Also, do the modules chatter without anything plugged into them when turning on and off?
 
Funny, I was just going to try that and decided to check back here first.
Thanks BSR, will advise.
 
A capacitor may kill the X10 signal when you turn it on and then can't turn it back off as the X10 signal was absorbed by the capacitor.
You may also want to try a small incandescent light bulb on the switched outlet along with the transformer. If that helps then it could be an inductive spike.

Are the Appliance Modules new or older ones? X10 recently designed them for better CFL operation and my tests show that they are much better with CFLs. Maybe also inductive loads.

Older Insteon ApplianceLincs are very susceptible to some inductive loads as I have had problems with them myself.
 
BLH. You're probably right about the capacitor. The only time I used one with X10 was for a quick phase bridge before I went to a passive coupler and finally to the X-10 coupler/amp.
I haven't had a chance to play today because I've had a real estate open house and I'll try BSR's and your suggestions tomorrow.

I did have a chance to throw in a new (?) appliance module to replace a Super Socket for a chattering circuit that refuses to turn on. It chatters too and won't turn on the xfrmr. If I plug it in to a socket directly, it works.

Funny I never heard this before until recently. I use HS2 and used to use a laptop or Nokia 770 when I wanted nightscaping. Although, nightscaping has been unreliable shutting off for months.
I recently went to palm pads when I installed a V572AB Whole House Transceiver with PSC05. Hmm. This is when I noticed the chattering. But, I haven't been outside to hear the relays this year until I installed it. So, more variables. On top of this, all my nightscaping was on 1 GFI circuit that kept tripping so I split the circuit up into many parallel GFI-protected ones in an attempt to isolate the problem. I believe I've found it on a circuit that powers a water feature and a super socket for another nightscape xrmer.
I'll try a Web client outside to listen first, then follow both of your suggestions.

Thanks again to both.
 
Partial update. Finally had some time.
Tried the SuperSocket again and it still chattered. Unpluged the xfrmr and hit ON again. Even with no load, it chattered. But this time at least a hundred ants came streaming out of the enclosure, many carrying eggs.

Sprayed insecticide all over, in and out.

Plugged a 2nd appliance module in the unswitched outlet and it worked. Apparently the first one I tried was bad and the chattering came from the (now unloaded) SuperSocket, not either module.

I'll try the supersocket again when the insecticide dries.

I now remember that several weeks ago, I had an electrician over to fault-trace another line that also powers SS-connected xfrmrs (one of which was also chattering, btw). He showed me how the recepticle was full of ants and sprayed them. I hadn't told him about the chattering. Anyway, that one doesn't chatter any more.

I'll report.
 
Funny as I just had to replace a relay in my air conditioning unit outside because ants crawled into the contacts and got fried. This was preventing the relay from releasing. What is it about electricity and ants?
 
I don't know. My electrician says they love to get into electrical boxes outside - at least in this area.
As I think back, I've seen this many times here but it just didn't register as a potential problem.

What blew me away was that I never saw them until I pulled the xfrmr plug out and activated the socket with NO load.
Then, they came streaming out of the enclosure. :)
 
Funny. I opened a transformer before that had a mouse nest inside. Yes I freaked. not because I was affraid just unexpected. Another one is finding black widow spiders inside open bottom fixtures.
 
I spray around the outside perimeter of my house and always make sure I spray around the outside air conditioning compresser (mounted on the ground) and the contactor box for it mounted on the outside wall.
 
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