Re: Do X10 modules degrade over time?

["Jeff Volp" <JeffVolp@xxxxxxx>]

"Joerg" <notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:69jPg.2222$GR.1029@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> FWIW, yesterday we had another lamp module croak. Oh man. Sometimes I
> wish I had never had the idea of installing X-10. Now my wife has gotten
> used to the comfort it provides but the stuff keeps failing. From what I
> have read some of the Pro version modules probably aren't different in
> circuitry so I guess that wouldn't help. My impression is that five
> years may be some kind of expiration time frame for these modules. Or to
> say it a bit arrogantly, maybe I ought to be designing my own, something
> I'd really hate to do just for 15-20 units.

We've been using X10 for almost 30 years.  Yes, we have had some failures
over the years.  The wipers on the early thumbwheel switches often had to be
repaired.  Over the years we lost an occasional lamp module triac due to a
"flashbulb" lamp failure.  A switched outlet broke the little plastic lever.
And I recall one module with an unidentified failure.  Perhaps a dozen total
failures, half of them the early BSR module wipers.  Most were easily
repaired and put back in service.  I don't recall any real X10 wall switch
failures, although I did swap one out perhaps 10 years ago.  The replacement
also was intermittent, and the problem was eventually solved with a Leviton
6201 repeater.

Considering how cheap the X10 modules are, they have been remarkably
reliable.  Even those old brown BSR modules are put back in service every
year for Christmas decorations.

I do remember a post of yours saying you re-tune all your X10 modules.
Since your failure rate seems to be much higher than what most others
report, could that possibly be a factor?

Jeff