SwitchLinc Timer quality/reliability issues

[Mark Sanctuary]

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the SwitchLinc Timer?

 

I am working with a friend to install a large setup in his house for a pilot program with our local power company. In his setup he wanted to go with SwitchLinc Timer, because first he was not going to have a controller in his setup but later when his requests for functionality beyond the standard linking, so he gave-in and listened to me about having a controller... anyways I digress.

 

Now we are experiencing a high level of failure/lockup rates with them, at first it was only 3 of them but now we have had a total of ten 10 failures out of 7 switches. We are passed the 30 days and Smarthome is giving us a hard time.

 

Then I find this post over at Smarthome Forum and wonder if they are just locking up, but I have never had this kind of issue with any of the standard switches.

 

When my friend called Smarthome and had the first three swapped they mentioned that the last revision of the switch had some resistor swap done and that this should not be and issue. That there must be voltage spikes in the house causing the issue. {Sigh} If that's the case why the heck does the 30+ other kind of switches not have any issues like this?

 

All we want to do is return them and buy SwitchLinc Timer instead, but Smarthome however is being difficult now that its past 30 days. Not sure what to do, don't really want to add filters to all these things either because now the are overly sensitive to noise.

 

We even shared with Smarthome that if we can't get a reliable install we can't recommended their products in the power company pilot white paper we will be submitting. I am shocked that Smarthome is not moved by the idea that we may be bringing them a bunch of sales their way if they take care of us and support us in building a good test case. Going to try again to get the switches to work but we are currently confused.

[LeeG]

There have been some forum items regarding the TimerLinc where the TimerLinc would lock up. One was on a hot water circulator pump. I remember this one as I have an ApplianceLinc controlling my circulator pump with no issues. Suggested moving the TimerLinc to a circuit away from the hot water heater and pump and have the TimerLinc control an ApplianceLinc which controls the pump motor. Seems like the timer circuitry may be sensitive to noise/emf spikes (?) and it would lock up. Unplug the TimerLinc for a minute or so and see if it is not fully functional when power is restored.

[Mark Sanctuary]

The frustrating thing is these devices are being used on things that generally make noise on the line... ie. 3 bathroom fans, 2 whole house fans, and 3 bathroom lights... all are either near or connected the the noise makers.

 

We are planning on isolating the products that have the lease headaches that we can suggest to the power company and the SwitchLinc Timer is not going to make it on that list. Its too bad because the original idea was to have two types of installs standard and advanced... being the standard install that would not have a controller and having timers in the switches really would have help in this goal.

[Mark Sanctuary]

I went around and factory reset each SwitchLinc Timer that would come to life, and the rest that are LED dead got marked to be pulled. We are going to be watching the reset devices closely, if they keep acting up we will be sending them back and exchanging them for standard SwitchLincs.

[Brian H]

Mark; Doesn't sound very good for the SwitchLinc Timer

Too bad as it sounds like they could have been used in many installations if the tests panned out.

 

If the ones where the LEDs are off don't reset when power cycled. It may point to spike damage from the power line.

 

I know my early revision 1.3 ApplianceLincs where more prone to power line spikes than my later revising ones.

 

In fact I have what I call my "Module Killer Light".

It is a low end under counter light with a inductive ballast and starter.

It is my tester in a way.

[Teken]

I wanted to add some more feed-back with respect to the switchlinc timer. I purchased two of them on November 29, 2010.

 

Installed one for the basement lights, and another for the central exhaust fan. Tested both units to ensure the 15 minute timer did in fact operate as advertised and that the lights would blink to notify the user of the impending turn off of power.

 

After about two weeks of testing all was well. Untill I linked one switchlinc timer to a 8 button KPL.

 

Engaging the central exhaust fan linked to the KPL would not turn off at the 15 minute mark. After some forum replies at Smarthome I was told that IF the switchlinc timer was linked to another device the timer would be deactivated.

 

So, after some consideration and thought I decided to unlink the switch linc timer from the 8 button KPL.

 

Results, the timer still doesn't operate?

 

So, I decided to do a full reset of the device and the results were still the same!

 

My current solution has been to add a program via the ISY to enable the timer function.

 

Which was the whole point of spending the extra $20.00 freaking dollars for this switch so I didn't have to use a controller to do this simple task !!

 

Currently I am not sure why the timer does not operate even after a full hard reset, so far this has been my only problem with the Insteon product.

[Brian H]

If the factory reset didn't fix the timer function.

Call Smarthome and talk to a technical service representative.

If it is busted you do have a two year warranty and they should replace it.