Loses connection when light turns on?

[tflores]

I'm new to the automation club and I have an odd problem.

 

Whenever I turn on my Insteon dimmer switch, the ISY loses the connection, thus continuing to read the word "off" even though the light is on. When I refresh the unit while the light is on, it gives me a failure to communicate message. When I manually turn it off, it is again pickled up by the ISY. This switch has been interchanged with other Insteon switches with the same result. The lights it controls is the two front door lights and the garage exterior lights. This plug is also the furthest away from my central controller in my master closet.

[LeeG]

When communication is lost when the load is turned it that usually indicates an issue with the load. Noisy CFLs, low voltage transformer, etc.

 

Disconnect the Red load wire and see if the switch can be turned On and Off with correct status received by the ISY.

[Brian H]

You are not trying to use a dimmer style device with a load that is not rated to be on a dimmer?

Like a low voltage light, CFL or LED Bulbs not rated for a dimmer.

[tflores]

Thanks LeeG, I will try that tonight when I get home.

 

The switch is a switch linc with no dimming. They are CFL's.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

[tflores]

Disconnecting the connection to the light sources allows control on/off of the switch. Must be the cfl fixtures I assume?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

[LeeG]

Yes. Try a different brand of CFL and make sure they are dimmable. Even at 100% On Level an Insteon dimmer is chopping off a small porting of the AC sine wave. Can cause problems with devices that are not meant to be dimmed.

[apostolakisl]

Just to be clear. I gather from your earlier post that you have a switchlinc on/off (no dimming). These are fine to use with non-dimming bulbs.

[LeeG]

Thanks apostolakisl, I jumped back to the initial post, not looking at the interim posts where it went from dimmer to relay.

[mrmilt]

I too am having this Problem, i have the 2477s that is turning on my 3 out door lights.

[LeeG]

mrmilt

 

By the same problem you mean that when the Red load wire is disconnected device response is correct?

[mrmilt]

i remove the load and test. it turned on and off once then lost communication

[LeeG]

mrmilt

 

That is the problem when a post starts off with 'I have the same problem'. Clearly you don't have the same problem as the original poster device works when the Red load wire is disconnected. Until the clarification that your device does not work after disconnecting the Red wire my suggestion would have been to replace the existing lights.

 

When the Red wire is disconnected what is the symptom? Device comm errors, device does not respond to commands but does not show any errors? Device responds with comm. errors? etc

 

Let us know what the symptom is so suggestions aimed at that symptom can be suggested.

[mrmilt]

Sorry for hijacking this topic...

Let me start from the top, I installed this 2477s dual band switch a week and a half ago and programmed it to turn on by time of day.

it has been working up until today. The switch did not turn on by the program and when i check on the administrative console i got a message cannot communicate with 1E.3D.96 please check connection.

so that is the problem i have, thanks for the help

[LeeG]

mrmilt

 

Okay, thanks. Run Tools | Diagnostics | Event Viewer with Level 3 selected. If there is a Red ! to the left of the SwitchLinc node in the My Lighting tree right click the node and select Query. That my produce another error or remove the Red !. If another error occurs post the event trace. If the Red ! goes away cycle the SwitchLinc On and Off through the Admin Console until the error message is received. If the On Off operations work now then there is some form of time dependent interference or perhaps the phase coupling does not exist or is not working.