I have the Insteon "starter kit" installed. It consists of the computer interface, wireless/wired signal bridge units, several lamp modules, 2 wall switches and a table-top controller. It has the ability to be backward compatible with X-10 addressing and the new Insteon protocol is actually a 2-way protocol that uses each node in the net as a repeater to ensure commands are delivered and acknowledged. Bottom line is that it works. It works in places where old X-10 modules didn't. And it is MUCH faster than
It's not as easy as it sounds. First of all, finding an electrician that is familiar with the old homes and the intricacies of the wiring used 80+ years ago isn't easy. If they're not, they tend to make weird assumptions about what's there. Second, just running the wires is a monumental task - you've got plaster walls, stone walls, old wood that's as hard as cement, studs aren't standard distances apart, and tearing into a wall with 95 yrs+ worth of paint and wallpaper on it a nightmare all by itself - y
First of all, finding an electrician that is familiar with the old homes and the intricacies of the wiring used 80+ years ago isn't easy.
As someone who's job is remodeling houses, I'd recommend not worrying about the electrician's familiarity with knob-and-tube wiring. If you are going to upgrade an ancient electrical system, you should be running all new wiring anyway. The old stuff has certain fire issues you just can't get around, and is likely under-sized for the load produced in a 'modern' lifestyl
If they ever invent wireless power transmission, sign me up!!
Tesla did this a long ass time ago. You can do it with a tesla coil. Your receiver is an antenna, a capacitor, and a diode. It's not especially efficient, though, because it's not directional.
New drywall isn't necessarily a big deal either. Rip down whatever's up there (you can be graceless) and screw in some sheets of drywall. Apply tape/joint compound and paint. This approach will probably also save you a lot of electricion time/cost, since he doesn't have to worry about snaking wires through walls.
I take it you have paint still sitting around for every room in your house, so ripping out switches of wall, replacing them, retexturing them and painting them is a snap.
But for some of us, it isn't so easy. Paint matching is very good nowadays, but you still need to paint an area larger than a few feet with the edges right at eye level. Basically, you end up painting an entire wall.
I was assuming you'd probably be doing an entire room at once, not just one chunk of the wall. If you're going through all of the effort, why not refurbish the whole room? Most of your up front time is going to be spent preparing for and cleaning up/finishing.
I guess I'm going to answer several replies by just replying to my own post... I know that the wiring is a mess, and we'll need to replace the old stuff. I just want a guy that knows what he's doing in the old houses. I've seen younger guys walk in, look around and shrug their heads as if they're lost. That gives a homeowner a baaaad feeling...
There's more to it than just ripping out walls and replacing everything. First of all, I'm not made of money. I am aware of the issues of remodeling - I'm in the
And I don't have neutrals on most of my switches either. I even have ground in every junction box (even switch boxes), but no neutrals in some switch boxes. Why? Because you don't need them. There's no safety issue or anything.
The neutral runs straight to the light, and only the hot is switched. That's 100% safe, and all that is necessary. Go to home depot and find a light switch. It has 3 terminals. 1 is ground. The other two are interchangeable, but we'll call one "hot in" and the other "intermittent hot o
To the systems programmer, users and applications serve only to provide a
test load.
Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:5, Informative)
Bottom line is that it works. It works in places where old X-10 modules didn't. And it is MUCH faster than
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:2)
you want to keep that house, bring the wiring up to code
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:1)
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:1)
Next time you are outside during the day, take a look up.
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:2)
As someone who's job is remodeling houses, I'd recommend not worrying about the electrician's familiarity with knob-and-tube wiring. If you are going to upgrade an ancient electrical system, you should be running all new wiring anyway. The old stuff has certain fire issues you just can't get around, and is likely under-sized for the load produced in a 'modern' lifestyl
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:2)
Tesla did this a long ass time ago. You can do it with a tesla coil. Your receiver is an antenna, a capacitor, and a diode. It's not especially efficient, though, because it's not directional.
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:2)
and paint... (Score:2)
I take it you have paint still sitting around for every room in your house, so ripping out switches of wall, replacing them, retexturing them and painting them is a snap.
But for some of us, it isn't so easy. Paint matching is very good nowadays, but you still need to paint an area larger than a few feet with the edges right at eye level. Basically, you end up painting an entire wall.
This stuff isn't a snap.
Re:and paint... (Score:2)
With some help you could do this over a weekend.
Re:Insteon works and it IS better than X-10 (Score:1)
I know that the wiring is a mess, and we'll need to replace the old stuff. I just want a guy that knows what he's doing in the old houses. I've seen younger guys walk in, look around and shrug their heads as if they're lost. That gives a homeowner a baaaad feeling...
There's more to it than just ripping out walls and replacing everything. First of all, I'm not made of money. I am aware of the issues of remodeling - I'm in the
my house is 40 years old... (Score:2)
Why? Because you don't need them. There's no safety issue or anything.
The neutral runs straight to the light, and only the hot is switched. That's 100% safe, and all that is necessary. Go to home depot and find a light switch. It has 3 terminals. 1 is ground. The other two are interchangeable, but we'll call one "hot in" and the other "intermittent hot o