From Issue #1 , Page #68 | By Edward Driscoll Jr.

Flipping on lights from far away seems like a burden. After all, in the automated home of the future, who wants to get off the couch? You can retrofit a three-way switch, but who needs that headache?

X10 technology can help. It uses your home's existing powerlines to do the trick. But then again, there are times when a remote or a tabletop controller isn't exactly appropriate either. Leviton has a nice solution for this problem—the 16400 in-wall transmitter.

The 16400 can often be installed in a standard junction box—just like the one that's currently housing your wall switches. It's modular too, so you can add onto it (see "Compatible Control Faces") and use it to control up to three lights with dimming, or four without dimming.

Do Your Homework
When a 16400 is used to control multiple lights or devices, the switches on the wallplate follow the X10 codes sequentially, beginning with the first code input into the wall switch.

The remaining two or three lights controlled by each switch will follow from that initial code, so it may be necessary to renumber the other X10-controlled devices in your home. Having several 16400 controller units provides lots of flexibility, with sufficient planning.

Different Uses
There are a slew of ways to use the 16400—and I should know. In the den, we have one where a traditional switch would turn on and dim two halogen torchères in the far corners of the room, as well as the wallbox air conditioner.

Wallboxes and the 16400 go together very well; they make it easy to turn the air conditioning on and off when entering the room. For smaller homes, having an air unit on X10 helps save a few bucks with the use of timers, such as X10's ActiveHome.

In our bedroom, a 16400 is mounted next to the doorway of the master bath. It can remotely turn lights on, as well as dim them—which can be very handy in the middle of the night. It can also turn on and dim the bedroom's overhead light.

The living room has a 16400 switch on the wall near the foyer. This provides instant light when we're walking in the home. In the winter, we even hook our Christmas tree lights up for some holiday fun.

The Installation
Adding one of these units to your junction box is relatively simple if you have a basic knowledge of electrical wiring. If you don't and attempt this project, you might get a few jolts—and we're not talking about from excitement.

Begin by turning the breaker off. Keep the instructions that come with the unit handy; they will be your primary guide for this installation.

When replacing a hardwired switch with the 16400, you'll need to determine how the outlet or light will be controlled. If it's an outlet, you'll want to plug in an X10-compatible light or appliance module or replace it with an X10-compatible wall outlet, such as Leviton's 6227. If it's a hardwired light, an X10-compatible dimming fixture module (Leviton's 376) will need to be hardwired into its circuit. (Follow the 376's instructions for installation.)

Once the light or outlet is X10-enabled, then the 16400 is relatively simple to install. Using a wire nut, attach the white cable of the 16400 to the neutral wire in the box, and the black to the hot wire. Cap the outlet's ground wire with a wire nut; ideally, if the box is grounded, attach the wire to the box's grounding screw.

If you're starting from scratch or replacing an existing junction box, try to get the deepest boxes possible. The 16400's transmitter body is fairly thick, and it helps to have a little extra room behind it for nuts and wiring. Otherwise, just try to keep it neat and the wires short. Also, avoid the large wire nuts, which can take up a lot of room.

A Little Help
If you can't follow Leviton's instructions or doubt your electrical skills, you can hire a pro to install these units. There's no shame!

A word of advice: Even though this person is a professional, gently remind him/her to turn the breaker off. This should be a given, but Leviton told us that they've seen a lot of units shorted out with burn marks due to people trying to wire them up with the power hot. But professional or not, no one will know what appliances and lights should be controlled by which unit. You are the only one that can do all of this planning.

Finish The Job
Using a small flat-bladed screwdriver, program the base module with your home's alphabetical house code. Then set the adjacent numeric dial on the module to the number of the first device you wish to control. Attach the controlling 16450-series faceplate, and screw the wallplate onto the junction box. Turn the power back on to check that each switch is working properly. You should be all set!

Helping Hand
While you may become familiar with which devices or lights each Leviton unit controls, most likely your guests won't get it. Labeling each switch can be a big help.

Whole-House Protection
Before the installation you might want to have an electrician who's familiar with powerline control install a whole-house surge protector if you don't already have one. A repeater-coupler can help boost signal performance, making it useful for bridging electrical signals across multiple phases in the house.

Project Snapshot
Estimated Time to Complete: A few hours

Estimated Cost: $75 to $90 (per controller/faceplate)

The Problem
We wanted to provide greater control of the lights and air conditioning without running all of that extra wiring. An in-wall powerline device gave us the flexibility to add control without having to locate a handheld or tabletop remote.

Parts Needed
A Leviton 16400 base, an accompanying 16450 controller switchplate, a junction box and a faceplate—one of each for each controller; standard lineman's pliers, and screwdrivers.

Project Steps

• Determine what you want to control.
• Do your homework.
• Find a professional.
• Install the unit.
• Set the module.

About The Writer
Name: Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.
City/State: San Jose, Calif.
Occupation: Freelance journalist
One thing people would be surprised to know about me: I play a mean electric guitar.