2876DB Manual (Rev 5.0 and above)
From Smarthome
ICON Dimmer - INSTEON® Remote Control Dimmer Switch
- Rev 5.0+
(Models: 2876DB)
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What is INSTEON?
Since its inception in 2005, INSTEON® has become the
best-selling wireless home-control networking technology, offering more
reliability and flexibility than any other home management system on the
market. Developed by SmartLabs®, INSTEON technology relies on
its dual-mesh network to send signals both through the air (RF, or radio
frequency) and over the existing electrical wires (power line) in the
home. Reliable
How INSTEON WorksWhat makes INSTEON the most reliable home automation network is its
dual-mesh network. INSTEON devices use both radio frequency signals and
the home's existing wiring to talk to each other. Every message is
confirmed as it is received, and if any errors are detected, the message
is automatically resent. Technology Comparison
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Key ICON Dimmer Switch Features
Tools You Will Need
A Helpful Tool – Voltmeter or Voltage TesterDuring the installation of INSTEON devices, it may be necessary to
identify the wires inside the junction box. Knowing for sure which wire is
the LINE (sometimes called HOT) can reduce the guesswork when installing a
single switch, and it is absolutely necessary when working with multi-way
lighting circuits. A voltmeter is ideal for this application. Many of the
digital models can also read current so you can measure how much power is
being drawn by the switch’s load. |
Preparing to Install ICON Dimmer Switch
Read and understand these instruction before installing, and retain
them for future reference.
If you are not knowledgeable about and comfortable with electrical circuitry, you should have a qualified electrician install ICON Dimmer Switch for you. Additionally, ICON Dimmer Switch requires the presence of a NEUTRAL wire in the installation location. You will not be able to use ICON Dimmer Switch without a NEUTRAL wire. If there is no NEUTRAL wire available, or if you are unsure if you have a NEUTRAL wire, please contact Smarthome Tech Support for information and assistance. 1-800-SMARTHOME (800-762-7846) |
Installing an ICON Switch
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Installing an ICON Switch in a Multi-Way Circuit
Understanding Multi-Way CircuitsIf more than one switch controls a single set of lights (called a
"load"), the switches are part of a multi-way circuit. A 3-way circuit
uses two switches to control a load, a 4-way circuit uses three switches,
and so forth. Most homes have one or more 3-way circuits, with two
switches located in hallways, stairwells, or two different entrances to a
room. Less commonly found are circuits that are 4-way or above. A wired-in 4- or more-way circuit (with three or more switches) has additional switches added in the middle of the circuit. In the diagram below, the additional switch is shown in one position in the upper box and in the other position below: To learn more about multi-way circuits, go to Google.com or another
search engine on the Internet and enter the search terms "3-way switch" or
"4-way switch." Using an ICON Switch in Virtual Multi-Way CircuitsIn a virtual multi-way circuit, only one ICON switch, called the
ICON Primary, actually controls the load in the multi-way circuit.
Any additional ICON switches, called ICON Secondaries, are not
connected to the load, but only to the power line (by being wired to the
LINE and NEUTRAL wires). All of the ICON switches can communicate with one
another using INSTEON networking on the power line. After wiring in the
ICON switches, you can create the virtual multi-way circuit by setting up
all of the switches to control each other. See Cross-Linking
More Than One INSTEON Device. The diagram below shows how you convert
a wired-in 3-way circuit into a virtual 3-way circuit using two ICON
switches.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Installing Multi-Way ICON SwitchesWhen replacing a 3-way mechanical switch, each switch will have three wires connected to it from the wall box. Four-way or greater circuits will have four wires connected to the switches in the center of the circuit. For this tutorial, we will follow the most commonly used wires for homes in North America.
Special Treatment for 4- or More-Way CircuitsIf your lighting circuit includes more than two switches controlling a single set of lights, those extra switches will have four wires connected to them. Two of the wires are TRAVELERS from the preceding switch and the other two are TRAVELERS to the next switch in the chain. You will be converting the black TRAVELER wires to the LINE wires and replacing the old 4-wire switches with ICON Secondaries.
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Linking an ICON Switch to Control an INSTEON Device
To use an ICON Switch as an INSTEON Controller, follow these steps to
Link the ICON switch and an INSTEON Responder (the device you wish to
control with the ICON switch) together. Refer to your Responder's Owner's
Manual for more detailed instructions on how to properly install it and
Link it to the ICON switch. The following will work for the most common INSTEON devices:
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Unlinking a Controlled INSTEON Device from an ICON Switch
If you are no longer going to use an INSTEON device that has
previously been Linked to an ICON switch, it is very important that you
Unlink it. Otherwise the ICON switch will retry any commands intended for
the unused INSTEON device, thus slowing down your system.
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Linking an INSTEON Controller to an ICON Switch
To use an ICON switch as a Responder to an INSTEON Controller, follow
these steps to Link the ICON switch and the Controller together. Refer to
your Controller's Owner's Manual for detailed instructions on how to
properly install it and Link it to the ICON switch. The following will work for the most common INSTEON devices:
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Unlinking an ICON Switch from an INSTEON Controller
If you are no longer going to control an ICON switch that has been
previously Linked to an INSTEON Controller, it is very important that you
Unlink it, because otherwise the Controller will retry any commands
intended for the unused ICON switch, thus slowing down your
system. The following will work for the most common INSTEON devices:
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About On-Levels and Ramp Rates
The On-Level is the brightness that the light you are
controlling will go to when you turn it on. The On-Level is adjustable
from off to 100% brightness. The default is 100%. The Ramp Rate sets the time it will take for the light you are
controlling to go from off to the On-Level brightness, or from the
On-Level brightness to off. This time is adjustable from 0.1 seconds to
ramp between full-on and full-off. The default is 0.1 seconds (or 0.5
seconds for SwitchLinc models only).
A single INSTEON device is capable of storing multiple On-Levels and
Ramp Rates. If you'd like, you can Link different On-Levels or Ramp Rates
for each Controller (or each button if it is a multi-scene Controller).
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Setting the On-Level
Setting the Ramp Rate
Creating an INSTEON Scene
INSTEON scenes let you activate dramatic lighting moods with the press
of just one button. For example, you can set all your lights in a scene to
dim to 50%, or turn certain lights on while turning others off, all with
one tap on a Controller. INSTEON scenes are very easy to set up - just Link more than one
INSTEON Responder to the same On/Off or Scene button pair on an INSTEON
Controller. Then, when you press any of the Linked buttons on the
Controller, all of the INSTEON devices Linked in the scene will respond as
a group. |
Using the Paddle
The paddle top makes your light go on and the paddle bottom makes your
light go off.
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Using the Air Gap
The "air gap" can be useful for replacing bulbs or any other time you
want the controlled circuit to be unpowered without turning off the
circuit breaker. To disable power, pull the Set button at the bottom of the switch out
as far as it will go (about 1/8 inch). This will open the mechanical
contacts and will remove all power from the INSTEON device and the load
that it controls until the Set button is pushed back in. However, because
the INSTEON device's settings are stored in non-volatile memory, setup
information will not be lost when the unit is unpowered. |
Multi-Linking and Multi-Unlinking
Multi-LinkingMulti-Linking Mode allows you to Link multiple INSTEON devices to a
single Controller, one after the other. Once in Multi-Linking Mode, you
can Link any number of Responders without having to press & hold the
Controller's On button for 10 seconds for each Responder. Using
Multi-Linking Mode is the fastest way to create
an INSTEON scene.
Multi-UnlinkingMulti-Unlinking Mode can be used to quickly remove devices from an
INSTEON scene. You may remove as many of the Linked Responders from the
scene as you would like.
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Cross-Linking More Than One INSTEON Device
Cross-Linking in a 3-Way CircuitCross-Linking switches allows you to track the on/off status of the
load on all Linked INSTEON switches. For this example we will use a
primary switch controlling the load and one secondary in a virtual 3-way.
They will be referred to as: Primary Switch (load-controlling) and
Secondary Switch.
Upon successful completion, each switch in the above scenario will now track the on/off status on the LED of the other switches it has been Cross-Linked to. Cross-Linking in a Multi-Way Circuit Using Multi-Link ModeWhen you have more than two switches controlling a single light, you
can use a feature called Multi-Linking to Link one switch to
multiple others in one step. But remember, for Cross-Linking, all
non-load-controlling switches need to be Linked to the load-Controlling
switch in a complete Link (meaning the load-controlling switch to the
controlled switch, then from the controlled switch to the load-controlling
switch).
To finish the Multi-Linking process between all your switches, you must
repeat steps 1 through 5, using each secondary switch as the starter
switch. These instructions are universal to all INSTEON devices. However, responses of the individual devices may vary, depending on the revision of the product (i.e., LED color, beeper, etc.). Refer to each device’s Owner’s Manual for specific responses during Linking procedures. |
Restoring Power to an ICON Device
This ICON device stores all of its settings in non-volatile memory, so
the settings are not lost even when power is removed. In the event of a
power loss, this device will automatically return the local load to the
level it had before the power was interrupted. |
Resetting an ICON Switch to Its Factory Default Settings
The factory reset procedure can be used to clear an ICON switch’s memory and restore its factory default settings. This procedure will clear the unit of all INSTEON Links and any programmed X10 Addresses.
NOTE: Unless they have been Unlinked, INSTEON devices that have been
previously Linked to the ICON switch will still respond to paddle presses,
even after a factory reset. The reason is that the INSTEON devices
themselves have not been Unlinked from the ICON switch. See Unlinking
a Controlled INSTEON Device from an ICON
Switch. |
Setting the X10 Address
Most INSTEON devices are X10 ready, meaning that they can respond to
X10 commands from any X10 Controller. However, to operate an INSTEON
device in X10 mode, you must first set up an X10
Address. As it ships from the factory, or after a factory reset
procedure, INSTEON devices will have no X10 Address set up. You must do this before any INSTEON device will respond to X10 commands.
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Changing the ICON Switch Paddle
You can change the color of your ICON switch paddle to match the décor
of any room.
The ICON switch comes standard with a white paddle assembly. You can optionally purchase ivory (#2400I), almond (#2400AL), black (#2400BK), brown (#2400BR), or gray (#2400GY) ICON switch Color Change Kits from Smarthome.com. You can remove the paddle assembly before or after the ICON switch is
installed. During the changeover process, the power and the load may
remain on and operating. There are no dangerous voltages or unsafe areas
under the paddle.
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Understanding Why an INSTEON Network Is Reliable
INSTEON messages travel throughout the home via power line on the
existing house wiring, or wirelessly via RF using Access Points or other dual-band products. As the
messages make their way to the INSTEON devices being controlled, they are
picked up and retransmitted by all other INSTEON devices along the way.
This method of communicating, called a mesh network, is very reliable
because each additional INSTEON device helps to support the overall
network. To further ensure reliability, every INSTEON device confirms that it
has received a command. If an INSTEON Controller does not receive this
confirmation, it will automatically retransmit the command up to five
times. |
Further Enhancing Reliability
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Using Dual-Band INSTEON Products to Upgrade Your INSTEON Network
Dual-band INSTEON products, such as Access Points, are
ideal for improving signal strength and network coverage throughout your
home. Dual-band products simultaneously transmit INSTEON signals to both
power phases in your home (RF and power line). Without a reliable method
for coupling opposite power phases some parts of your home may receive
signals intermittently. With at least one dual-band product plugged into
one of the power phases, and at least one more plugged into the opposite
power phase, INSTEON signals will be strong everywhere in your
home. Dual-band products also translate RF signals into power line signals,
allowing communication between RF-only and power line-only INSTEON
devices. While only one properly installed dual-band product is needed to
translate signals between the two phases, it is recommended to have at
least two dual-band products for the best INSTEON network
performance. |
About INSTEON and X10
Possible BoosterLinc Interference with INSTEONIf you have installed older SmartLabs Plug-In BoosterLinc™
X10 Signal Boosters or certain other BoosterLinc-enabled products, the
older BoosterLinc technology may interfere with INSTEON communications.
Plug-In BoosterLinc X10 Signal Boosters, SmartLabs (#4827) shipped after
February 1, 2005, with V3.0 or later firmware, are fully compatible with
INSTEON.
Try unplugging the older BoosterLinc X10 Signal Boosters to see if this
helps with INSTEON interference, If it does, please call Smarthome Tech
Support at 800-762-7846 for help with replacing your older BoosterLinc X10
Signal Boosters with newer INSTEON-compatible ones.
How INSTEON Effects X10If your existing X10 devices seem to be working less reliably after
installing INSTEON devices, remember that INSTEON devices can absorb X10
signals just as X10 devices do, and that INSTEON devices do not repeat X10
signals. Installing INSTEON-compatible BoosterLinc X10 Signal Boosters
(#4827), or a SignaLinc™ Plug-In Coupler-Repeater (#4826), can
increase X10 signal levels. |
Troubleshooting ICON Dimmer Switch
If you have tried these solutions, reviewed this Owner's Manual, and still cannot resolve an issue you are having with ICON Dimmer Switch, please:
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ICON Dimmer Switch Specifications
See ICON Dimmer - INSTEON Remote Control Dimmer Switch Specifications on Smarthome.com. |
Certification
This product has been thoroughly tested by ITS ETL SEMKO, a nationally
recognized independent third-party testing laboratory. The North American
ETL Listed mark signifies that the product has been tested to and has met
the requirements of a widely recognized consensus of U.S and Canadian
product safety standards, that the manufacturing site has been audited,
and that the manufacturer has agreed to a program of quarterly factory
follow-up inspections to verify continued conformance. ![]() |
Limited Warranty
Seller warrants to the original consumer purchaser of this product that, for a period of two years from the date of purchase, this product will be free from defects in material and workmanship and will perform in substantial conformity to the description of the product in this Owner's Manual. This warranty shall not apply to defects or errors caused by misuse or neglect. If the product is found to be defective in material or workmanship, or if the product does not perform as warranted above during the warranty period, Seller will either repair it, replace it or refund the purchase price, at its option, upon receipt of the product at the address below, postage prepaid, with proof of the date of purchase and an explanation of the defect or error. The repair, replacement, or refund that is provided for above shall be the full extent of Seller’s liability with respect to this product. For repair or replacement during the warranty period, call SmartLabs customer service to receive a RA # (return authorization number), properly package the product (with the RA# clearly printed on the outside of the package) and send the product, along with all other required materials, to:
LimitationsThe above warranty is in lieu of and seller disclaims all other
warranties, whether oral or written, express or implied, including and
warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Any
implied warranty, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for
a particular purpose, which may not be disclaimed or supplanted as
provided above shall be limited to the one-year period of the express
warranty above. No other representation or claim of any nature by any
person shall be binding upon seller or modify the terms of the above
warranty and disclaimer. In no event shall seller be liable for special,
incidental, consequential, or other damages resulting from the possession
or use of this product, including without limitation damage to property
and, to the extent permitted by law, personal injury, even if seller knew
or should have known of the possibility of such damages. Some states do
not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and / or the
exclusion or limitation of damages, in which case the above limitations
and / or exclusions may not apply to you. You may also have other legal
rights that may vary from state to state. INSTEON Technology PatentU.S. Patent No. 7,345,998, International patents pending TrademarkINSTEON, ICON, Plug-n-Tap, ApplianceLinc, BoosterLinc, ControLinc,
FilterLinc, HouseLinc, In-LineLinc, I/O Linc, IRLinc, KeypadLinc,
LampLinc, OutletLinc, PowerLinc, ProbeLinc, RemoteLinc, SignaLinc,
SmartLinc, SocketLinc, SwitchLinc, TempLinc, TesterLinc, TimerLinc,
ToggleLinc, TriggerLinc, Smarthome, SmartLabs, and SmarthomeLive are
trademarks of SmartLabs, Inc. |