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Home Automation Tips and Tricks Archive
October 1998

While a high water level alarm in your sump pump is great to warn you of a impending disaster when you are at home, it doesn't do 

much to alleviate your worries when you are away. I ran across a Personal Assistant System (Model PA 5800) at a very good price and modified it to alert me via my numeric pager. I soldered two small wires to the activation switch on the call pendant and ran them to the normally open contacts of a relay. The coil of the relay was then connected across the alarm horn on the high water alarm. I programmed the Personal Assistant System to call my pager number and recorded a series of DTMF tones to be played back that I would recognize as a water alarm.

I then further modified the system by placing a relay across the power line to the pump and wired the contacts into the system as well. The system could be further modified to accept any normally open signal such as that from a burglar alarm system, fire alarm system, high temperature alarm, etc.

If I get a page while away from home I have the chance to return home if nearby or call neighbors who may be able to help.

It also has the advantage of flashing lights connected to my x-10 system to alert you if you are at home or neighbors if you are away. While it won't stop water from rising, it does give one peace of mind and a chance at returning home before damage is great.

Parts List & Approximate cost:
Personal Assistant $100
High Water Alarm $15
Two relays $5

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I have X-10's Mini Controllers all over my house. They're a cheap and easy way to control X-10 equipment and provide input to my 

system. Now and then one would quit working and I'd throw it in a box to deal with later. After all, I had spares because I had picked up a whole pile of them on sale for less than $5 each at Radio Shack a couple years ago. They were hardly worth fixing.

But not too long ago I had a power surge take out almost every Mini Controller in my house. With all of the spares now gone it was either start repairing or spend the money to replace a whole house full. What I found out was that all of them had failed in the same way and the repair only took a few minutes and 34 cents in parts.

Mini Controllers are available under a number of different brand names. I had a variety with some being X-10 brand, some Stanley, and others Radio Shack. They're all built by X-10 and are basically the same inside. The one exception was my One For All IR Command Center. The circuitry was quite different, yet still similar enough that the same parts had failed.

Here's how I repaired mine:

1. Turn the controller so the back side is up then remove the four screws. Remove the back cover being careful not to spill the parts inside.
2. In all of my controllers, a diode and zener diode were both blown. They were easy to find because there was a slight dark brown burn area around them. The parts needed are an 18V zener diode and a 1N4002 diode.
3. Remove the circuit board from the case. Be careful not to spill the buttons and switches resting in the front of the case. It's not a big deal to put them back if they fall out, but it's easier to not have it happen.
4. Before unsoldering the parts make a note of the direction they are installed. There is a stripe near one end of each diode to show the orientation. Install the new parts, reassemble everything in the reverse order, and test it out.

It sure is nice to have my house operating again. Even though I'm the gadget freak of the house, the rest of my family certainly made it known how much they missed the controllers.

While you're working on the controller, there are other modifications that could also be made. I thought about installing a MOV (the device used in surge suppressors) across the incoming power wires to potentially stop the controllers from being damaged by another surge. But at a couple dollars each it seemed out of proportion to the cheap controller and a 34 cent repair. Maybe I'll do it later if I get tired of constantly fixing them, but I think I'll invest in a whole house surge supressor first to protect all of my electronics.

The X-10 FAQ also contains information on Mini Controller modifications that might be of interest. The FAQ covers instructions for momentary operation and changing the range of unit codes available.

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Description: Most older homes have forced air heating ducts. If these heating ducts are no longer in use you can run all your 

cables and wires through them, from floor to floor or room to room with just a little bit of the cables and wires showing.

All you have to do is run a stiff electrical wire from the duct you want to use to whatever duct where the connections are to be made. Attach (tape) the wires and/or cables and fish them through. No need to put holes in the walls and try to fish through joists no drilling.

List of components:
stiff electrical wire: .75/foot x 30 feet = $22.50
strong tape:$2.50

total cost: $25.00

NOTE: both tape and wire may be used for other projects

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With the benefits that X-10 devices can bring to the home environment, I was looking for a way to better control the window air conditioner that I have in my home. Some of the reasons were to automate them to learn more about remote controlling devices, the other reason was to reduce the operating cost of the units. It was not uncommon to leave the units running when we were not at home to have a cool house when we returned. This was great except for the associated cost. (Electric Bill at the end of the month)

Previously, I had installed setback thermostats to help reduce the heating cost in the winter. These units have the ability of controlling both a heating system and a cooling system. All I had to do at this point was to interface these devices together. PLEASE NOTE. This setup involves making connections to your heating system. You also will be working with AC and neither I nor HTI or any of their affiliates can be held responsible for any accidents. You the user assume all liabilities of implementation in your installation. If you are not ready to make these connections, your local HVAC contractor or Electrician should be called.

As you can see by the drawing below, I made two (2) connections to the heating system. T-1 is the main transformer in the furnace this takes the 117 VAC and provides 24VAC for the furnace operation. I found the common wire that ran from the transformer to RLY-1 (relay installed in the furnace) and made a connection at this point, I then ran this wire to RLY-2 pin 2. Then , I connected the yellow wire from the thermostat to the new RLY-2 pin 7. This completed the installation to the Furnace system. I then connected a cable from RLY-2 Pin 8 and RLY-2 Pin 6 to the input pins on a Universal interface Module.

The standard color code for HVAC systems are: Red = 24VAC, Green = Fan, White = Heat, and Yellow = Cool. Please remember for every standard, there are exceptions. This is what I had in my installation, yours may or may not be different.

The RLY-2 relay is a Allen Bradley Model 700-HAL32A24 24 VAC relay, This is a plug in relay and you can obtain them from your local electrical supply house. This relay requires a socket, The cost of both of these items is about $15.00. The Pin numbers that I have referenced are clearly marked on both the relay and the socket.

The main reason that I used the RLY-2 relay was to isolate the furnace system from the Home Automation equipment. All that the RLY-2 does is when the thermostat makes a closure, the relay also makes a closure.

Thermostat’s that have a "Cool" function have a built in delay. If you raise the temperature setting to shut off the cooling system, and you now change your mind and want to reset it to a turn the cooling system back on again, the thermostat will delay the turn on between 3-4 minutes. This is a safety device to prevent damage to the compressors in the system. I raise this point as when you are building this project, you may trip over this and think you have not wired the system correctly.

On the Universal Interface module I have set the input to number 2 and the mode to 3. This will send out a turn on code with a contact closure from RLY-2 and a turn off code on the opening of RLY-2 contacts. You can use any house and unit code you wish for the module, however I used a unutilized house code so that the "all lights on/off" codes would not effect the air conditioners.

For the air conditioner I used the in wall X-10 outlet. I choose to use the 20 Amp version to ensure that I could switch the proper load as required by my air conditioner. Read the instructions and or the documentation on your air conditioner unit. This information will detail the voltage and currant draws of your unit and is critical to the proper operation of this project. Again if you have questions, contact a qualified contractor to provide you with this information. If you undersize the module that controls the air conditioner you risk damage to either the air conditioner or electrical system of your home. If your air conditioners require a greater load to be switched than 20 amps , you can purchase a "contactor" at your local electrical supply house. These units are available to switch just about and voltage or amperage you wish. If you need to go the contactor solution, choose a unit that operates on 117 VAC. With this unit you can use appliance module to activate it. Again depending on your level of knowledge, you may want to contact a qualified contractor. In all cases remember to follow the local electrical codes when doing your installation.

List of Components

• 1 ea X-10 Universal Module $19.00
• 1 ea Leviton Heavy Duty X10 Receptacle 120 V 20 Amp $49.00
• 1 ea RLY-2 Relay and Socket $15.00
• assorted wire and connectors

$83.00

If you made it this far you are ready to set your thermostat to "Cool" set your desired temperature and let the system keep you happy. This system has worked great for myself. We have better control over the temperature in our house, and have reduced the Utility bill at the same time.  

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Here's one thats really cool:

You see those high price electric deadbolts and wish you could use them in you HA system. The only problem is that they were not designed to operate with your HA system...Just the remote.

The units are the Powerbolt 3000 (http://www.powerbolt.com) by Weiser Lock. They are selling in many places for >$200, but HomeBase (http://www.homebase.com) has been blowing them out for $135. I bought FIVE of them!

They can easily be interfaced to your HA system. I have configured an Omni Aegis system expansion cabinet w/16 channels to lock or unlock the deadbolts on command. The unit is easily modifiable: You will need at least 6 conductors: 2 for power (why replace the 4 AA batteries every month?) 2 for the UNLOCK button and 2 for the LOCK button. Solder (carefully, of course) wires across the underside of the easily- accessible PC board (unscrew three screws first) and locate the pins for the microswitches. (They each have 4 pins. use the top and bottom on either side of the microswitch on the trace-side).

I was able top run the wire THROUGH a Foam-filled Stanley door, and create a nice, hidden connecton within the door jam.

Now, a Code Rotator unlocks the front door and turns off the alarm all at once. Or at night, Automatically bolt all doors of the house!

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