Hey,
My dad passed away suddenly leaving my stepmom with an x10/Insteon system with a couple pieces that we can't figure out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Here's what I know:
He is using the Universal Devices admin app (java) with an ISY-994i box (on home network) and a PowerLink Insteon modem (Connected to ISY with ethernet). It's powering a few lamps and lights as well as the landscape pumps that activate some waterfalls in the backyard.
Here are my big questions:
1) We know that he would change the pump "programs" throughout the year: summer, anit-freeze in the winter, etc... But in the UD Admin program I can't see any way of changing programs. Am I missing some way he could have been doing that?
2) There is another program on the PC called SmartHome Manager, which has different programs that can be loaded, but it doesn't appear to be able to communicate with with the ISY box. Am I missing something there?
3) The five landscape pumps are hooked into five wall switches in the house. I expected them to be Insteon switches like the ones that control the lights are. But when I took the faceplate off, they are just standard light switches. So the ISY is telling something to turn off and on, but I have no idea where that thing is. I've followed the signal chain as far as I can, but I can't find anything. Does anyone know what I should be looking for? Also, if it helps narrow anything, there is also a, x10 "MAXI Remote" that plugs into the wall socket that can also turn the pumps off and on. And also strange, the wall switches are always left in the "on" position... Turning them "off" will kill a pump when it's on, but flipping back to "on" will not activate it again, which doesn't make sense to me.
I just need to accomplish one of two things:
a) be able to figure out how he was switching "programs" so my stepmom can continue doing that.
b) be able to understand the system well enough to be able to switch her over to a more user friendly system to control it. My plan was to do that, but without knowing how those pump switches work, I don't want to start replacing controllers or switches... You know...
Anyway, I would appreciate any help or insight you could provide.
Thank you.
jb
My dad passed away suddenly leaving my stepmom with an x10/Insteon system with a couple pieces that we can't figure out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Here's what I know:
He is using the Universal Devices admin app (java) with an ISY-994i box (on home network) and a PowerLink Insteon modem (Connected to ISY with ethernet). It's powering a few lamps and lights as well as the landscape pumps that activate some waterfalls in the backyard.
Here are my big questions:
1) We know that he would change the pump "programs" throughout the year: summer, anit-freeze in the winter, etc... But in the UD Admin program I can't see any way of changing programs. Am I missing some way he could have been doing that?
2) There is another program on the PC called SmartHome Manager, which has different programs that can be loaded, but it doesn't appear to be able to communicate with with the ISY box. Am I missing something there?
3) The five landscape pumps are hooked into five wall switches in the house. I expected them to be Insteon switches like the ones that control the lights are. But when I took the faceplate off, they are just standard light switches. So the ISY is telling something to turn off and on, but I have no idea where that thing is. I've followed the signal chain as far as I can, but I can't find anything. Does anyone know what I should be looking for? Also, if it helps narrow anything, there is also a, x10 "MAXI Remote" that plugs into the wall socket that can also turn the pumps off and on. And also strange, the wall switches are always left in the "on" position... Turning them "off" will kill a pump when it's on, but flipping back to "on" will not activate it again, which doesn't make sense to me.
I just need to accomplish one of two things:
a) be able to figure out how he was switching "programs" so my stepmom can continue doing that.
b) be able to understand the system well enough to be able to switch her over to a more user friendly system to control it. My plan was to do that, but without knowing how those pump switches work, I don't want to start replacing controllers or switches... You know...
Anyway, I would appreciate any help or insight you could provide.
Thank you.
jb
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