Low energy light bulb problems

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  • sooty7
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Oct 2007
    • 20

    Low energy light bulb problems

    I have recently started playing around with X10 again after abandoning a previous attempt with it a few years ago due to reliability problems.

    I am now only using low energy bulbs in my house. I have read of problems with some of the older X10 modules (non dimming types) and low energy bulbs. It seems that when these modules are switched off they still pass a voltage, which the low energy bulbs don’t like.

    I have a number of different modules including Plug in, DIN rail, AM12W and a couple of the Chinese so-called X10-2 micro modules. I have 2 AM12W’s setup, one is switching 2 x 7W low energy bulbs and seems to work fine, the other is switching 2 x 11W low energy bulbs and when in the off position the bulbs are flickering away nicely. After testing the offending AM12W with a multimeter, in the off position there is about 125 volts between the neutral and switched live which is probably why the bulbs are flickering. I also have 2 of the Chinese X10-2 micro modules installed within 42W smart flood enclosures and they work fine. When testing with the multimeter, they only read about 0.2 volts between neutral and switched live when off.

    This activity has prompted me to ask the following questions of the more knowledgeable here.

    1. Why do some modules have this characteristic? Do the relay terminals not open far enough?

    2. Which modules ( in line type) have you found the best with low energy bulbs?

    Regards Sooty.
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    The AM12W aren't that reliable. I've had several that have died after a couple of months of use, but I've also still got some that have been working for over 2 years. You may have a faulty unit. Is it possible to swap the bulbs around and see if the problem moves or stays with the same X10 module.
    There is also the problem of the older units auto sensing when a load was switched on. Basically if you connected a switch to the switched load wire and switched this on the X10 module would turn itself on. This sense system was taken out of the newer X10 modules. So have a look at the module serial number. Modules with a production code higher than 04Dxx don't have Auto-sense. The label should mention "Low energy lamp compatible. It is possible to disable this by cutting the link to pin 7 of the IC.
    Have a look here http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/
    and http://www.machomeautomation.com/article.php?story=CFL1 Part 1
    http://www.machomeautomation.com/article.php?story=CFL2 Part 2


    I try not to use low energy bulbs with X10 as the bulbs can generate noise on the power line. The X10-2 modules have some built in filtering which helps. Also the older the bulb gets the more noisy they can get, though the newer bulbs seem to be better in this respect.
    Last edited by toscal; 5 December 2007, 11:52 AM.
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

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    • sooty7
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Oct 2007
      • 20

      #3
      Thanks for the comments and the links toscal.

      After further investigation it does appear to be related to the bulbs rather than the AM12W. Changing to a different make of bulb seems to have resolved the problem. I found that using the AM12W to trigger a 2-pole contactor instead of directly powering the bulbs also worked. The offending bulbs were 11W spiral type made by Ring. I have a few of the X10-2, 1 load micro modules from Hong Kong which seem much more reliable and quieter in operation. Not sure how long they will last though.

      In the end I stripped the guts out of one of the new type plug in appliance modules, re mounted it in a new enclosure and all seems well so far.

      I have played with X10 before and I am not a lover of the older breed of modules with their noisy switch gear and reliability problems, so this time around I have tried to attack the set up properly from the start. I have installed an FD10 filter at the main board and tried to use only the newer type modules. For larger loads (mainly 2 air con units) I have used the micro modules coupled with a contactor and everything seems to have been running ok for the last couple of months. I have no signal problems anywhere in the house or outbuildings even though I am using all low energy bulbs.

      Sooty.

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