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REMOTELY CONTROLLED LIGHT PROJECT ON A WALL SWITCH
This is the detailed version --- Link to succinct version
Why would you want to use a remotely controlled wall switch?
Three possible scenarios
1. You may find that the conventional light switch is in an inconvenient place. Maybe you want to put a bookcase in front of the switch or your couch is in front of it and climbing up on your couch is not your idea of easy access. Since the light is connected into the house wiring, you can not simply use a simple plug in module.
2. You want access from two or more locations. Maybe you have a hallway at your house entrance and only a light switch at your front door. You can turn the hall light on when you enter but then you have the choice of turning the light off and walking down a dark hallway or leaving it on and wasting electricity.
3. You have a light switch at the base of a stairway but your electrical contractor forgot to install a three-way circuit so you can turn the light off at the top of the stairway. As hard as it is to believe, I've seen this happen even in new construction.
This project is very similar to the remotely controlled lamp project with dimming feature except that it uses a wall switch module instead of a lamp module so that a regular wall switch can be replaced with an X-10 component.
There are several wall switch modules available and any of the units are suitable for this project. Most of these units must be used with incandesent lamps (under 500 watt) or special compact fluorescent lamps. Do not try to use them with the standard type of fluorescent lamp. If your lighting fixure is fluorescent you must select a special wall switch labeled for fluorescent use. The standard x-10 wall switches differ from regular wall switches in several ways:
1. They do not remember their state (on or off) in case of a power outage. When the power comes back on, they will not turn the lamp back on.
2. They operate by toggling the light on and off, ie. press once to turn the light on and press again to turn it off.
3. They have a lock to keep the light off in case you want to make sure it is not turned on accidentally.
4. They allow you to dim the light with an X-10 remote control.
Now we have limited the field and can go to a supplier (see our resources page) type "Wall Switch Module" into their search engine. You should be able to find a basic unit for under $15. The more expensive units are certainly more attractive but often require special face plates or other accessories. A basic one like pictured above should do just fine. Each module has two addressing dials that are initially set to A1. For simplicity leave them at A1 unless you already have another X10 project using A1. If so see our article on addressing.
Now we need a controller to be able to switch the lamp from another location. There are, of course, a great variety of controllers available but for an inexpensive, simple system there is really only one choice: THE X10 MINI CONTROLLER. This unit plugs into any outlet and provides convenient control of up to four modules. The specifications say it can control 8 but access to the other four uses an awkward selector switch. If you are going to want to control more than 4 modules independently it is better to buy a second mini-controller or the more expensive maxi-controller. This unit also has an all lights off control that turns all units on the house code off and an all lights on control that turns all lamp modules on the house code on. It can also adjust the brightness of lamps connected to a lamp module. To summarize: we choose the mini-controller for this project because it is:
- Inexpensive
- Versatile (we can expand the project to control up to four items)
- Simple and convenient (just plug it into any outlet near where you want to use it)
- Has a small light that flashes to confirm that control signals have been sent
The mini-controller does have some disadvantages.
- It does have to be plugged in. If you don't have an outlet near where you want to use it, you may have to choose a more expensive and complicated battery operated remote.
- You need a horizontal surface to set it on (night stand, shelf, etc.). If you need mount your controller on a wall you should consider either a battery operated remote or a controller you can mount in place of a standard wall switch.
Even if you decide on a more complicated system, I suggest you may want to buy at least one mini-controller as a backup and testing device. If you have problems with a more complicated system, you can always use the mini-controller to test the system with a known test signal. That little flashing light is very reassuring when you aren't sure whether a signal is going out from your controller or is not being received by the module.
Installation is somewhat more complicated than the simple plug in installation of projects one and two becasuse you must remove your old wall switch and replace it with the X10 wall switch. If you aren't familiar with house wiring, it would be wise to find some friend who is or hire an electrician. If you do it yourself, be sure to turn the electricity off at the breaker panel before proceeding. Unscrew the faceplate and the old switch and disconnect the old switch from the two wires. Connect the two wires to the new switch and place it in the location of the old switch. Reset the breaker after the faceplate has been re-installed. Plug the mini-controller into any convenient wall outlet. That is all there is too it. Press the #1-ON switch to turn your light on. Press the #1-OFF switch to turn your light off. When the light is on you can dim it by pressing and holding the dim button until you get the desired light level. Once it is dimmed you can increase the brightness by pressing the bright button. If it works (and it should) you are done. If it doesn't, check troubleshooting below.
Now that you've succeeded in installing your this system, you are probably ready to try something a little more advanced. Perhaps you would like to try one of these variations:
- Add a second mini-controller to control your light from another location. There is no limit on the number of controllers you can have set to the same address. Thus you can have a mini-controller on each side of a couch if you wish or at both doors to a living room.
- There are controllers that fit in the location of a conventional light switch. You may have an unused switch near where you want to place the controller and can replace it with one of these. Many electrical contractors leave a blank space in a gang of two or more switches for just such an expansion. If you decide to use this suggestion, be sure to check that the switch box has power wired into it as these controllers require 110 volt power and some switch boxes may not have the necessary wiring.
- Finally you can upgrade to more advanced control. Some of the items below are links to an article on advanced systems.
- A battery-operated controller can be placed anywhere (even mounted on a wall).
- A motion detector can be used in addition to the wall switch to turn the light on when you enter the room.
- A computer can be used for more elaborate control or advanced timing.
TROUBLESHOOTING
What! You set up your new system and it doesn't work? It does happen but not very often. Check our troubleshooting page before you toss it all in the garbage.
ORDERING THE COMPONENTS
To order from Smarthome (or just see their description of these devices) click on the Smarthome X10 affiliate link below:
OTHER LINKS
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Starter Project --- Select a Project --- Alternatives to the Mini-Controller -- Battery Operated Remotes -- Help with Troubleshooting -- Help with Addressing -- Deal Finder -- Resource Page - Affiliate Information -- The Newbie Club
(C) Donald Scouten 2003
How to choose an X10 address
