On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:43:33 +0000 (UTC), (Dave
Martindale) wrote:

"Marilyn & Bob" writes:
In this special case that
requires very little current for very short periods, can I safely connect
the neutral terminal on a switch to the ground? As an analogy, lighted
switches use the ground as the "return" circuit, but the current demand,
while longer term is very low.

First, I don't believe you that lighted switches use ground as the
neutral return for the pilot light. All of the lighted switches I've
seen do not have a neutral connection at all, and the internal pilot
light is simply wired in parallel with the switch contacts. When the
switch is open, the pilot lamp is in series with the load. The lamp
current is so low that effectively full line voltage appears across the
pilot lamp with nothing across the load.

Regular X10 switches almost certainly use the same trick of using the
controlled lamp as a "neutral" when they are in off mode. This may not
work with a CFL lamp, since it may have a high impedance instead of a
low impedance with only a few volts applied. The special X10 switch
has a real neutral connection so it doesn't need to rely on current flow
through the load. And it probably puts current into the neutral
*continuously*, not just "for very short periods".


X10 also has a "feature" that can be really annoying with some loads
(including some fluorescents), where the load causes the switch to
turn itself back on a few seconds after you turn it off. This can also
be corrected by adding a small incandescent light to the load.

Can you just arrange to have *one* incandescent lamp controlled by this
switch, in addition to the CFLs? Even a very low-wattage incandescent
should provide enough load for a normal two-wire switch to work.


Have you seen any 120V incandescents smaller than 5W? You can use
small (C7) holiday lights in night light fixtures and they use 5W. A
string of those lights will cost a lot less than an equivalent number
of "night light" bulbs.

Dave
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