DecisionalReview.info

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.

Update (2/6/2012):

The featured review for this product, Intermatic HA01C Home Settings Wireless Wall Receptacle Tools & Hardware, was written by Steve.

The average rating for this item is 4 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.