Home Automation

One of the most popular types of technology for home automation is that of X10.  There are many brands of product on the market that you can use, and by no means is this e-book saying that X10 is the best.  But, it is one of the most popular and the most likely that you’ll begin using.  For that reason, you should look into the benefits that it can offer and understand what it means to use these products in your home.

X10 is a type of communication.  It’s the language that your devices are talking with and therefore doing the things that you ask them to do.  It’s what makes the two products compatible.  Consider it the translator between two people that speak different languages.  Without it, automation simply can’t work because the units can’t tell the other way to do.

X10 uses the electrical outlets and wiring devices that you already have set up in your home.  This means that you don’t have to tear down walls to get the benefits that it can offer to you as you would if you were to hardwire the devices to work.

Of course, not having to use hardwire devices means that the product is also quite affordable to use.  The actual purchase of X10 products is also affordable.  The combination of these two elements makes X10 so important to the world of home automation. 

Installing this communication tool in your home is simple.  You simply need to install the transmitter, which plugs right into outlet in your wall and sends out a control signal to the device.  The device is plugged right into a receiver and then into the wall.  When the device receives a signal from the receiver that the transmitter is sending, it performs the task that’s being asked of it.  Really, its pretty simple to understand.

You can program your X10 units with one of up to 256 different addresses.  The address identifies which product is to be used to make the change that you are requesting. 

Using this technology, you can also assign two products with the same address so that you can turn them on or off at the same time.  This allows you the ability to control many units at once, if that’s what you need and want to do with your X10 product.

The good thing about X10, in addition to these things, is that all X10 products can be matched together.  No matter the brand name, you can mix them together to get the desired effect.

Breaking It Down

To show you just how easy it is to use X10, take a look at this simple, five step procedure to installing home automation (Using a plug in product.)

Here we’ll say that we are looking to work with your music system. 

Step 1:  Using a module, which we discussed earlier as a tool that allows you to communicate, plug your music system into it. 

Step 2:  Now, plug that module into the outlet that the music system would have been plugged into to get the power it needs.  Usually, this will be a 110 Watt receptacle.

Step 3:  Create the address.  You’ll use a small screwdriver to make the decision based on the House And Unit Code dials that you receive.  There are up to 256 of these to use.  This tells the transmitter what the address of the module is for use.

Step 4:  Now, plug the transmitter into a wall outlet, again a 110 Watt receptacle is best.

Step 5:  Set your house code and the transmitter so that they match what you put into the receiver. 

All that’s left to do is to test the prdocuts to make sure that they are working the best they can for you.  Remember, that all of the different X10 products you purchase and use in your automation will work together, making your job that much easier.

Now that you’ve got your music system ready to go, you an use it just as easily as you would any other device with a remote control. 

If you were using a product that had a light switch that turned the unit on and off, you should replace that switch with an X10 compatible wall switch so that the two can work together well. 

Disadvantages Of X10

Even X10 is not oblivious to some disadvantages.  Most of the time, you’ll find that you have little to no problems with these units.  But, sometimes things can be a bit more difficult to handle.

For example, you may have problem using some of these devices with products that generate noise over the electrical outlets.  

Products like your dryer, your vacuum cleaner and other loud appliances will create enough noise over the electrical line that the X10 product will have problems with this.  These noise related problems also happen a lot with laptops and very large television sets.  In any case, by simply using a noise filter with your X10 product, you still gain all of the function and the noise is filtered out.

Another problem that you may have with X10 has to do with its phase.  If your transmitter is located on one phase of your home and your receiver is on the other, the two may have problems. 

Most of the time, your signals will bridge to the other location by the transformer or even through some large appliances in the home.

When this doesn’t happen on its own, you may need to install a phase coupler that will make it happen.  This is an inexpensive add on, just as the noise filter will be and it puts the process back on track for you to use without any problems.

Why Use X10?

We’ve gone over the benefits of using home automation in general, but what about X10?  Why should you invest in this product over others or even over doing nothing at all?  There are many reasons to do so, actually.

For starters, it’s inexpensive.  Unlike other types of home automation, it is just cheap to do.  Most of the appliance hook ups that happen as in our example really do cost under $100 to make happen.  It’s also inexpensive because you don’t have to rewire your whole home to make it happen.  You don’t have to do any type of wiring at all actually, making it even cheaper.

When you use X10, you also get the benefits of having a vast system that can fill all of your home automation needs.  There are hundreds of X10 products that will work together to provide you with these services.  And, you’ll be able to control up to 256 different appliances, devices and tools in your home using this technology.  That’s a good amount and more than most need to use.

Another benefit of using X10 is that is proven to be a well deserved and trusted product.  Not only is it simple to install, it also is easy to rely on.  These products have been around for over 20 years, after all! 

You can purchase X10 products right online, if you so choose.  There are several dealers that provide you with options and can help to answer your questions.

But, you’ll want to take into consideration a bit of research first.  You don’t want to be sold more than you need or want for that matter.

X10 isn’t the only product on the market for communication between two different types of technology.  As we mentioned, there may be other types of products that are more ideally chosen for your specific needs.  But with so much to offer to you, you should look into what X10 can provide.

To learn if a product you are considering for home automation is available or compatible with X10, simply look for the symbols that come on these products.  Generally, it is a rectangular shaped box that is white and purple in design.  It tells of the type of unit it is, such as a receiver, a transmitter or both.  Or, you may be able to find X10 Wireless compatible products instead.