Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Reliability Factor Of Insteon?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Reliability Factor Of Insteon?

    I have X10. But the reliability is hit and miss even with all the enahncements I have made to the circuit. Is Insteon a viable cost-effective alternative i should investigate?

    #2
    Sure the hardware has gotten a lot better quality wize. A few years ago everyone was dumping Insteon as the hardware quality was lacking. The newer Insteon hardware communicates both wirelessly and on the powerline for a more stable signal. One warning. The more Insteon devices you add your existing X10 devices will nearly cease to work. Don't rule out Z-Wave and UPB devices either. These both work equally as well and each offers devices the other protocols do not have.
    💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

    Comment


      #3
      Yes it is viable. WAF is as high as it gets because things work all of the time. Because many/most insteon devices can be x10 at the same time, it makes conversion more controlled. I installed 9 inline insteon devices for a low voltage lighting project in 2006 using them purely as x10, and then cut them over to insteon 2 years ago.

      Rupp's caution is true as well, but i can add more. It comes down to how many insteon devices you put on a single electrical circuit, that circuit becomes "numb" to x10. ~ more than 4 devices on one circuit you'll start noticing it x10 getting flakier to completely dead.

      So the caution is, plan on converting everything on a single circuit if you are adding a lot to that circuit. Not ideal, but contain-able.
      Paul

      Comment


        #4
        Reliability Factor Of Insteon?

        As Rupp notes, early hardware was a real problem with many warranty claims. More recent hardware has been much better, but I still find failures from the Icon line, which I will no longer purchase. And the new "dual band" equipment is much better at signalling. If you spend the extra $$ on the higher end (non Icon) eqpt, you are likely fine. However, I still plan on replacing a switch or two each year (out of about 50). Most automation eqpt is more fragile than plain old mechanical switches.
        Madcodger

        This would be a lot easier if I knew what I was doing...

        Comment


          #5
          I concur that Insteon hardware has generally gone from poor (in the early years) to excellent in overall quality at this point in time. I'd still beware when they come out with "new technology". The recently introduced Insteon hub (which looks very promising) has had decidedly mixed reviews. There have been quite a few similar instances of "premature product introduction/ growing pains" even up to the present.

          Bob M

          Comment

          Working...
          X