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Appliance Modules
By
Whome
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Appliance modules are designed to switch `heavy-duty' loads like fans, pumps and motors. The simplest type (e.g., AM12U) plugs into a three-pin electrical outlet, and provides its own three-pin outlet for the appliance to be controlled. There may be a manual switch on the housing; there will certainly be provision to select the unit code and house code that the device responds to. The advantage of this kind of appliance module is that it can be used with no wiring changes at all; the module just plugs in.
Alternatively, you can replace a standard three-pin double or single mains outlet with an X10 version. It will work the same in all particulars apart from allowing control by X10 codes as well as by a local switch. It will also be slightly bigger than a standard double socket. For a permanent installation this may be better than a plug-in module, because it can't be removed by accident and looks less unsightly.
For a new installation, or a significant rewire, you may prefer to use X10 appliance modules that plug directly into a consumer unit (fuse box), e.g., AD10; this, however, is a job for the expert. It is also possible to get (dimmable) lamp modules for consumer unit mounting (e.g., LD10).
Note that some appliance modules allow a suitably-equipped controller to determine their on/off status. This feature may be very important, because X10 has no built-in error checking; the status report feature may be your only way to determine whether the device really switched or not.
Although heavy-duty heating loads (e.g., immersion heaters) can be switched on and off using any appliance controller with a suitable current rating, specific X10 devices are available for varying the output of these heaters (e.g., TS194). They usually operate by switching the mains supply on and off for extended periods of time, and are thus unsuitable for lamps and motors.
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