Ol APplianceLincs not controlling LED christmas lights - flashing when off

[brockp]

Ok I first though my ApplianceLinc was bad, but I found I had another one, both are older revisions of the 2456S3  V4.2 and V1.3

Both behave the same with these lights which is when on it's fine, when off they pulse every few seconds.  I have newer on/off insteon outlets and have the same brand of lights in them and it works just fine.  So it's confined to these old ApplianceLinc modules.

I tried them both with a classic incandescent 60W bulb, and works as expected, just the LED Christmas lights do this.

I put an multi-meter in the controlled outlet and I see voltage, when on ~ 121V,  when off 118V,  but why on the 60W would it actually shut off correctly?  I would expect it to be on if it was stuck contacts, both make solid clicks.

I thought it might be 'load sense' feature but following the manual

https://www.electricbargainstores.com/v/vspfiles/PDF_spec/Insteon/plugin_modules/manual-2456S3.pdf

Using the 60W bulb it doesn't work as expected, That is when I 'turn it on' with the tripple tap I never get the load going on and off (no clicks). 

Thoughts?  Are these just to old and probably have some issue? I really don't understand seeing 118V when off but the 60W bulb goes off. That's why I started looking at the load sense, being unsure how that worked.

[Brian H]

The 2456S3 has local control sensing and the later Rev 4.0 have a snubber network across the relay. Both will cause flashing or dim glow when off. Putting a small incandescent load or old wall wart. On the string with a outlet tap. May times will correct the issue.

The disabling the load sensing does not turn off the sensor voltage. Just the 2456S3 ignores the load changing. So the small current is always there. Even when disabled. The 118 volts is through a high resistance and most meters with a high impedance will see the voltage but the low resistance of the bulb will load it down and the meter will be close to 0 or 0 on the meter.

Do they click with no load? Not too often seen but maybe the load is sucking up the power line signals.

Edited December 27, 2024 by Brian H

[paulbates]

As Brian suggests I put an old phone charger block on several of my Christmas LEDs to get rid of the glow or pulse. Sometimes it takes 10 seconds or more to finally have it stop.

[brockp]

No it doesn't click without me pressing the button or controlling it from ISY. It was a comment that the relay is clicking and sounds right.

 

So why do I have no issue with the on/off outlets?  Do they not have these features are be more what you expect where the relay cuts all power to the outlet?

[brockp]

Testing results,

The LED lights don't have a plug on the end to dazy chain, so I took a small 5w Apple wallwart, and the wart from the eisy (I'm upgrading today from polisy)  and used a splitter so the wart was in parallel with the LED lights the flashing remained.  It ook a heavy resistive load, in this case a heating pad and in parallel with the LED's the flashing stopped.  So I think that confirms it and that it works in parallel but the wallwart isn't sufficient for these lights.

I took the multi-meter to one of the on/off outlets and when off they show 4-5V,  not the 118V of the appliancelinc, I just assumed these were the same device just different form factor I guess now.

So it looks like if I want to control these specific LED's wtihout having some other large load in parallel I need to not use the appliancelinc but replace the outlet with another on/off outlet which I have just I only need it seasonally.

I do have spare outdoor on/off boxes I could try those nothing says you can't use them inside.