Making the X10 wall switch locally dimmable, and/or disabling the slide switch

By Rick LaBanca

Out of the box, the X10 standard wall switch can only be dimmed via X10 commands, not from the switch itself. If you're handy with a soldering iron, you can change that.

Once modified, pressing the switch quickly will toggle on and off as before. Holding the switch will make the light cycle between full dim and full bright, you let go of the switch when it's at the level you want.

This mod is of value if you already have these switches, since X10 now sells a psuedo-rocker type switch that does this for only a little more money. This mod has documented elsewhere, I decided to document it again to make the process a little clearer.

Advisory: You'll be fiddling with an AC electrical device, do so only if you're familiar and follow safety procedures, turn off that power to the device! Do this modification at your own risk.

• Small Phillips screwdriver
• Soldering iron
• Standard X10 wall switch (The one with the "chiclet" button)

Open it up

To open the back of the case, stick a small screwdriver in each corner tab to gently pry it off. The side with the metal and screw may be harder to pry, don't go snapping things now!

Once off, it looks like this. Remove the screw, lock washer and nut on the side, holding the metal shield on. Then, get the circuit board out by prying the case out at each of the four tabs shown holding it in.

This is tight, and once again a good tip is to not crack anything, it would be bad. Gently pulling up on one of the wires while prying will help it along. The wheels, a metal chunk, a small spring, and brass pin will probably dislodge, save them.

Dimming mod You're going to bridge two points on the board. The picture shows the solder already there. The correct place is three pins from the bottom left of the IC as shown, and the other point is going to the switch connection on the left. My blob is a bit bigger that it should be, just make sure you don't connect anything extra! Slide switch disable mod The reason for the slide switch is to shut the power off all the way while changing a bulb. When the switch is off without the slide, there is a little voltage still running through the bulb. So do this at your own risk, not officially recommended. I have found that this switch gets dirty and makes the light flaky after a long time, so that's my reasoning. Just put solder between the two contacts shown. If you do this, then you can toss the little metal chunk used for this. It's a pain getting that back in right anyway!!

You probably can guess how to put it back together, just reverse the process. The one snag is that metal chunk used for the slide switch. If you modified the switch to be disabled, you can skip this.

Take off the metal plate, just pry the tab on the part where the screw was. With that off, you can push the tabs on the slide switch, from the back so the plastic switch comes out.

Then put PC board back in, and turn the front toward you. Put the metal chunk into the switch, so the slots set into the metal you see on the circuit board, centered under the switch. It will pivot on the slots.

Now, you have to make sure the spring and brass pin are inside the plastic slide switch. The brass pin is hollow, the spring goes right in, and the spring into the switch, as shown.

Now, carefully snap that switch back on. Test the slide, if it moves OK, and parts aren't on the desk, you did it! Bolt the shield back on to the transistor, make sure it's tight, it's probably also acting as a heat sink. Then the case.

That's it! Wire it back in, and no smoke means good job!