Insteon device reliability

[tome]

I have a smallish network (20) of Insteon devices which I installed in Nov 09. I have an ISY-99 that controls them. In early June this year I had an IOLinc fail and Smarthome promptly replaced it. In late July I had an Access Point and PLM go bad and once again Smarthome replaced them. After fixing the PLM I realized I also had two bad ApplianceLincs and a bad IOLinc (2nd IOLinc failed in a different way then it did first time). Once again, Smarthome is replacing them, no (unreasonable) questions asked. Perhaps my power line took a lightning strike or surge, I don't know...

 

I have to say that I am happy with SmartHome's warranty and return policy and they have been great. Before deciding on and installing Insteon I had read accounts of people having reliability issues with Insteon and had Smarthome not had a good warranty and return policy I wouldn't have purchased Insteon.

 

In my reading I concluded that Smarthome seemed to have quite a few reliability issues early on (early in Insteon's life anyway) but that they had addressed those problems and were making amends in terms of customer service and support, etc. as Insteon has progressed. It seemed that fewer and fewer people were having issues, or at least fewer and fewer people were complaining publicly and loudly about it.

 

Now that I have had nearly 30% failure rate in less than a year I am just wondering what the long term prospects are? Are other people seeing device failure rates this high? Perhaps this was just an anomaly?

 

Thanks

Tome

[Brian H]

Some of the newer revision devices maybe redesigned with possible new quirks.

 

My old rev 1.0 Access Points and older PLMs use a power transformer in the power supply.

The new 2413S PLM and V2.0 Access Points now use a power line derived switching power supply. Better or worse. Time will tell.

 

I have old revision 1.3 ApplianceLincs running for years no problems. Well after the recall for smoking modules. I actually had one go and smoke when turned off.

 

Yes the SwitchLinc tact switches getting intermittent was covered very well by Smarthome. So they do stand behind their products. Even if a gentle prod is needed every once and awhile.

[apostolakisl]

I have only had one problem with inteon, the micro-switches. And I have had 100% failure on them (maybe 200% as several of the replacements failed). All of the replacements from the last 2 years seem to be fine. I have had nothing else insteon fail out of about 100 pieces. I will say that I had the IR tx of theirs, and while it didn't fail, I returned it because it was pathetic.