programmable outlets

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

They do make filters for offending appliances, but it's a lot of work finding them and you have to keep doing it.

[The Daring Dufas]

He may be referring to the coupling capacitors used to send the signals across the phases.

TDD

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

And you need smart capacitors, that can block extraneous signals at around 121KHz while passing the 121KHz X10 signals.

BTW, I know someone who had a house fire of Christmas 2008 (possibly casuse by faulty wiring done by a former owner). It still smells smoky.

[The Daring Dufas]

I haven't played around with X-10 stuff in years but I distinctly recall signal coupling units made by the manufacturers to send the X--10 signals across the phases/hot legs in the main electrical panel. I don't think the things were "diodes". You can make your own with a 0.1uF,630v polyester capacitor, 18uH inductor and a 0.25A in-line fuse (optional, but recommended) connected in series across the hot legs. The safest way to do it is to install a 2 pole breaker and hook it up there or slip the leads under those already hooked to a 2 pole breaker (uh, first turn the breaker off). I would install the small fuse in series with the components because I've seen voltage spikes short capacitors and let all the magic smoke out.

TDD