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power line lighting controls
Last Post 20 Jan 2009 01:07 PM by Brock. 2 Replies.
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buddenUser is Offline
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17 Jan 2009 11:14 PM
I have a couple awkward switch locations in the house ... comes as a byproduct of 1) fixing the mess the previous owner left and 2) remodeling.

One (from #1 above) is a light switch at the wrong end of a room -- away from the doors.
Other (#2) is a kitchen that used to have two major entries into it (and a 3-way circuit) that now has four. 

Of course the story wouldn't be any good if all the locations were easily reached with fishtape.  But they're not. 

Don't want to rewire the entire house; just fix a couple rooms.

I've checked several web sites:
    - some X10 sites look, er, cheap.  And some of the lighting controls seem to have 'no CFL' caveats.  These rooms do indeed have fluorescents of >1 type. 
    - HAI and Leviton have flashy stuff, but it's both expensive and apparently proprietary.
    - Home Depot and OSH etc, don't seem to have anything on the shelves ... just how niche is this stuff?

But I have no hands-on experience with ...   is there someone on the board who does and can save me having to learn the hard way?
dmaceldUser is Offline
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18 Jan 2009 01:58 AM
I think I'm safe in saying that any type of electronic control module will be incompatible with CFLs and other florescent lights that use electronic ballasts. That is unless they are specially made to handle electronic ballasts. Leviton does this with its motion sensors by incorporating a relay in the sensor unit. That cranks the price up from ~$20 at Home Depot for the every day model to ~$60 at an electric supply house for the compatible model.

In the house I'm finishing up my choice was florescent with toggle switchs, or incandescent with dimmers and motion sensors. Nothing like two energy smart products being exclusionary to each other!!

A solution to your problem would be Wiremold products. That's conduit like stuff, tubing and boxes. that mount on the surface of the wall. Run it from one switch box to the other on the walls and ceiling. It would be tacky looking, but at least it wouldn't be ugly and it would work.
Even a retired engineer can build a house successfully w/ GBT help!
BrockUser is Offline
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20 Jan 2009 01:07 PM

I am not sure what you have seen but we had x-10 switches that look exactly like modern decor switches.  Touch them once (on the top) to turn on and tap the top again to shut them off, or control them remotely from any x-10 compatible control.  They even make remote switches that look just like that same modern decor switch, but don't have to be physically wire to the other switch; I used them in garage lighting essentially adding 4 way switches without messing with wiring.  They do make some that are on/off with no dimming, they cost a bit more which is funny since they don't need to dim.  The thing I didn’t like about them was sometimes the remote control was just flakey, sometimes working sometimes not, but it was easy to add and wire up.
Green Bay, WI. - 4 ton horizontal goethermal, 16k gallon indoor pool, 3kw solar PV setup, 2 ton air to air HP, 3400 sq ft
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