Aug 162012
Intermatic HA01C Home Settings Wireless Wall Receptacle
- Two receptacles one live and the other controlled by wireless
- Z-wave technology
HOMESETTINGS ZWAVE RECEPTACLE HA01Replaces standard wall receptacles One receptacle is controlled LED shows feedback from controller during setup and that the controlled device is working Use with decora wall plate
List Price: $ 39.99
Price: $ 23.49
Pleasantly Surprised,
I purchased a group (5) of HA01C receptacles to allow remote control of my lighting fixtures in my primary living space. My family resides in a mid-1920′s structure and unfortunately some of the rooms were not wired for switched overhead lighting. To prevent from having to cut into the walls and install new conduit, we decided to utilize ZWave technology to provide us with switched control of our lighting. We could have opted to use an appliance module versus the receptacles and skipped electrical installation altogether but we desired a cleaner look.
The HA01C is a fairly straightforward installation if you are comfortable replacing standard household receptacles and switches. The rear of the unit is fully sealed, however 3 leads are provided allowing the connection of your hot, neutral and ground wires. I have an older electrical circuit and had to use my conduit as the ground and this has not affected performance in any way.
One item to be aware of is the size and depth of the receptacle. If you are retro-fitting an existing single gang box, installation is much simpler if your box is deeper than the standard. The receptacle fills almost the entire cavity of a standard size box and things get snug once you add in a couple of wire nuts. If you have the ability to swap out your box for a deeper model I suggest doing so ahead of time.
To utilize the ZWave functionality of these devices you must also have a Master Controller; as this was our initial test of the technology we opted for the simple Intermatic HA07C though many others are available (www.zwaveproducts.com) The controller walks you through adding the modules to the network and from there operation is refreshingly simple.
Aesthetically speaking the outlets look like any other, and require a simple Decora faceplate (not included.) There is a small green LED that remains on when the outlets are live but this was not a concern for our application. Finally, there is an audible “click” when the outlet switches your device on or off; the sound is no louder than switching off a floor lamp but you’ll want to be aware that it exists.
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|Works very well but …………plan carefully before designing a system,
I have installed a lot of Z-Wave devices. The Intermatic line works very well. The only consideration in designing a system is to remember that the “wired” modules seem to transmit a slightly shorter range than the “plug in” modules. I have also had problems with the wired in units not working well when they are behind a bed or dresser or next to a large mirror like those on mirrored closet doors. The plug in modules work better behind objects or in rooms with bad range or heavy obstructions like huge mirrors or metal. In open area spaces where there are no large obstructions they work extremely well. I recommend to my clients and to anyone purchasing these to use the “wired in” modules where you can actually see the plug and where you can not see the plug (like behind a sofa or a tv) to use the “plug in” modules. The wired in modules look very streamlined and very much improve aesthetics.
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|$10 cheaper than competing brand and just as good!,
I just purchased two of these for installation in a fur down area in my entryway. Both work flawlessly and installed just like a normal wall receptacle. They integrated to my z-wave network the same way the GE ones do. Considering the comparable model costs $40 for other brands, $30 for this product is a great value.
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