I hope I have posted this request to the proper spot. I have installed 2 complete Insteon setup in two different houses, so I am fairly experience with the wiring and using Indigo, etc. By "complete" I mean that I have every switch in the house, Venstar AC Thermostats (2) and the irrigation done as well.

The problem I am facing is in my new house, where I have had Insteon installed for nearly a year. For reasons I cannot understand, some devices simply stop responding. They will work for weeks at a time flawlessly, and then will not respond to commands from Indigo. When this happens, I turn of the main circuit breaker in my panel, and everything recycles and seems to work perfectly. As you can imagine, I dont like the idea of killing the power to the whole house every few weeks, and and concerned about the potential for a power surge when do this as well.

As another couple of data points, the same decides seem to be effected - a few lights and the Venstar therm, but sometimes other switches are also effected. I have a ton of devices installed through out the house, so I feel like the communication network should be pretty robust. Any suggestions on why this is happening, and/or another way to fix the issue when it does?

Your advice is most appreciated!

Hi Rick,

The next time it happens, instead of powering off the house just try removing both of the Venstar thermostat adapters. It is rare (I've never been able to reproduce the problem), but there are reports of the adapters getting into a bad state and sending continuous bogus commands out which can cause all INSTEON modules to become inaccessible. Unplugging the adapter and reinserting it will get it out of that bad state (as would killing the power to the thermostats).

If that turns out to be the problem, then I suggest you contact Smarthome and make sure you have the latest version of the adapters. I believe they have made a couple of modifications to them which might help.

Thanks. I hadn't yet done the "house reset" this time, so I followed you advice. I think it is working, or at least the two Venstars seem to be working without showing errors communicating in the event log. I'll keep and eye out for issues with automated commands on other devices. They are V2.1 according to the sticker, so I may contact Smarthome and see if this is the latest and greatest.

Incidentally, I almost failed the IQ test when it came to removing the Venstar Insteon controller from the Venstar therm. There are THREE clips that hold it in place, with the third being the small phone jack type of clip at the front. I very small screw driver can be used to release that last clip if needed (just a tip for the next person who reads this).

Again, thanks, as this seems to have done the trick!

I experienced a bad 2441V INSTEON thermostat adapter a year or so ago, when I first started getting into INSTEON home automation. It, along with my current adapter, was firmware version 2.0. It would spew out bad data, once or twice causing things to not work quite right, but since I had very few INSTEON modules at the time, the errors were limited mostly to the thermostat adapter. However, resetting the power on the thermostat adapter, in my case anyway, didn't clear the problem. The adapter was just plain defective. The kind folks over at MacHomeStore.com (where I bought it) quickly replaced it. I haven't had any problems with the replacement since then.

All,

I figured I'd close the loop on this issue, as I just received a surprise email from Smarthome. They are prefacing the Venstar AC controllers due to the problem I was having. Here is the email:

INSTEON Thermostat Adapter - Free Replacement Program

Dear RICK,

Our records indicate that you own the INSTEON Thermostat Adapter that is in need of replacement due to performance issues. Please read the following information as your response is required to participate.


INSTEON Thermostat Adapter

Smartlabs has discovered a rare issue in the INSTEON Thermostat Adapter (Rev 2.1 or earlier shipped prior to 6/24/11) that can cause a thermostat lockup. This lockup prevents communications to and from the adapter and subsequently impairs INSTEON network communications. It has also been discovered that the thermostat set point can shift without user interaction.

The problem has been addressed and a replacement unit is available for you at no cost.

While most customers will not have experienced any issues, it is important that ALL customers use the new replacement adapter to avoid possible thermostat issues in the future.

How to Receive Your Replacement INSTEON Thermostat Adapter
Review the information below (make corrections to the shipping address if necessary) and reply to this email. Please reply no later than September 5, 2012.

Ship replacement to:

XXX Blah, blah


Number of INSTEON Thermostat Adapters purchased from Smarthome (prior to 6/24/11)*: 2

*if you have made additional INSTEON Thermostat Adapter purchases other than through Smarthome, please wait to be contacted by that distributor.

Your replacement order will be processed in 1-2 weeks after receiving your reply email confirming the above information. A pre-paid return envelope will be included in the shipment. Please put your old unit in the envelope and mail it back at your earliest convenience. Once your return is received and processed we will email you with a discount code good towards $75 off your next INSTEON purchase of $150 or more at Smarthome.com.

We look forward to your quick reply.

Sincerely,
Smarthome