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Insteon 6 button Keypad (Re-assigning Keys)

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    Insteon 6 button Keypad (Re-assigning Keys)

    I am currently building a new house and planning my lighting system around Insteon. I am planning to re-locate a lot of switches to the basement so I can have cleaner walls with mainly Keypads in various locations. It has worked out so far in my planning that I can make the Main load (On/Off) button work for the lighting group, but I have a few areas where it will not work. I have 2 questions:

    Question 1:
    In the 6 button keypad, there are the following buttons , On, Scene A, Scene B, Scene C, Scene D, Off . Is there a way that I can change the Main load (On/Off) to be scene A, and change On / Off to event/scene (For instance, All Lights On)? I am putting this in a bathroom, and I would like the On/Off button to refer to turning all the lights on vs just the Load which would be a set of recessed lights.

    Question 2:
    For the 6 button keypad or 8 button keypad, is there a way I can install the keypad without a main load attached? For instance, in the example above, I would put all the switches for the bathroom in another location (basement closet), and I would have the keypad select scenes using those switches. That way for the button All On, it would turn on all switches in the basement, and for recessed light, it would just turn on that recessed. I didn't know if the On/Off button on the keypads had to be connected to a load or if I could re-assign them.


    #2
    No the Load does not have to be connected to anything. You can cap the Load wire and not have it control any local loads.
    The On/Off button set can be linked to other modules to control them.

    Are you using the manual linking between modules or a controller. Like a HUB or ISY994i?
    That may effect how easily you can link them in Scenes.

    Comment


      #3
      Congratulations on the build. We built our dream home not to long ago. Its a great feeling. As a word of caution, building your system the way you plan looks great but should you ever try to sell your home, it can cause you issues as many buyers see unnecessary complications. With that said, make sure that you have backup keypads on hand. Should any go out or have issues, you've just lost control of that particular room.

      As BLH said, the main load can be capped off so that it does not control anything directly and then linked to control other devices. If it is wired to a load, it will always control the load device when pushed.

      In regards to the 6 button, the on/off will always be tied to one another. If you are using an ISY, what I would recommend doing is putting the 6 button into 8 button mode, then create individual scenes. 1 combines the A & B buttons and the other combining the G & H buttons. That way you will still have the 6 button look but the buttons are no longer tied to each other.

      Comment


        #4
        lilyoyo1 makes an important point. Standard wiring is best throughout. In the event of a sale, you may need to reduce the price by thousands to close the deal. OTOH, if you can accurately predict the future, then you may want to go ahead with unusual wiring which may start out costing more.
        Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
        Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

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          #5
          Thank you for the multiple replies and tips! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you all. I am thinking that I will go with the ISY Hub. I have read similar concerns when it comes to wiring (Putting switches in the basement vs leaving it located near the actual location). Since i want to keep the walls clean with the 1 keypad (to replace 4/5 switches), where did you place the switches so you can keep standard wiring and not show the switches?

          Comment


            #6
            Standard wiring has one or more switches in each wall box, sometimes more. For example, it's not uncommon for the inside of an exterior door to have one switch for the room light and another for the exterior light.

            Most of my in-wall devices are Keypads. Some of the buttons control another keypad, creating a virtual 3-way configuration where none existed before. It makes more sense to have a wired 3-way configuration that can be changed to Insteon later. Others control Insteon wired-in or plug-in devices that have lamps plugged in. Where were you thinking a wall switch was not needed?

            In the bathroom? Near the entry to a room? In the kitchen? How would someone turn on a light it there was no switch nearby? How would a guest or friend who ran to the bathroom turn on the light? How do you intend to turn on the bedroom light? I do have a TableTop enclosure to control the light from my bed, but I'm not always in the bed when I want the light on.

            In fact, nearly every light has multiple controllers-for convenience, but a light switch in the standard location is always convenient for friends and guests. Unless you're a hermit ;)
            Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
            Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

            Comment


              #7
              There really is no good way to hide switches. If that's the path you're wanting to take then you'll also have to live with the downsides. It really comes down to what matters most to you.

              When I wired my house I put all switches where they would be naturally along with a keypad which allows me to control the room with scenes. The actual switches are never used.

              Some rooms such as my family room and dining room has multiple entrances. I put the switches in the front and kepads at the other entrances. This allows me to control what I want from anywhere without needing to cross the room or have additional switches everywhere. These areas are wired as multiway locations for the main lights. This way (should it be needed) I can remove all automation if needed and the house still be usable without a lot of work.

              For accent lights (such as under cabinet, and tray ceilings) I do have controlled outlets to control my lighting. While I don't specifically have a switch wired to them, they are fed a constant hot (the kpl would've controlled them directly) from the box.

              Comment


                #8
                Whatever you decide, I would recommend using extra deep work boxes. It'll make wiring in the switches much much easier.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Heh stusviews, you dont have a basket of ipads for guests when they enter?? I have 57 lighting/fan groupings, and i was planning to have about 60 keypads/switches. What i meant by not having a switch was in my master bathroom , i have 5 different lights set up (Recessed , Shower/tub light, wall light, exhaust fan, and exhaust fan light). I was going to have a keypad when you walk into the bathroom and the main load was going to control the Recessed light. The other groups (Shower/tub light, wall light, exhaust fan, and exhaust fan light) would have a insteon switch which will located in another area (maybe my hvac closet or basement). I didn't want to have 5 switches for the bathroom + a keypad always shown, but just the keypad. The obvious issue as lilyoyo1 pointed out is if i put those 4 switches in the closet, i would have to rerun those wires to the bathroom if i ever decided to remove the keypad and go to a simple system. It's a house that we are not planning on moving out for at least 20 years, so who knows what future holds then. Wasn't sure if there was an easy solution that others do, but doesnt sound like it. I appreciate the help!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    It's not unusual to mount a bank of DIN switches/dimmers on DIN rails for exactly the design you have in mind. Such switches are most often mounted in the attic or in an accessible crawl space if there's not a full sized attic. Fortunately, there are Insteon DIN switches and dimmers ;)
                    Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
                    Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I'm not planning on moving either but you never know. Different events (good & bad) could cause you to move. The closer you are to normal the less work it takes to adapt to change.

                      ​​​​​You could cut down on the loads as well. For example, do you really need a light for the exhaust fan? If so, depending on wiring, you could possibly wire a module to the fan and control it from the keypad.

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