This is the third part of our 8-part Deep Dive Series into the LiteTouch system. At TSB we are committed to educating people through our own independent research about automation systems. However, we are not perfect, so if something appears wrong in our research, please contact us or leave a comment below for us to address.

While LiteTouch was a reliable system, after some years things started to break down. In this blog we’ll go over some common issues you’ll encounter if you have a LiteTouch system and what you can do to fix them. Some of these can be fixed relatively easily but others will require a specialist or replacement of a module or even replacement of the entire system. Some of the fixes here have come from the following blog: Should You Repair Your LiteTouch Lighting System? Or Should You Upgrade?

A common but easily fixable issue with LiteTouch systems is a blown fuse. If you’re pressing a button on the keypad and nothing is happening then you can begin troubleshooting the fuse.  Start by finding your LiteTouch automation manual and use either a small flat head screwdriver or some tweezers to flip DIP switches. Use the manual to locate the light circuit and it’s installation location an dpanel. Then open the correct panel that has the right lighting module inside of it. Once you open it you will typically see 4 modules, find the correct module and locate the DIP switches on the far left of that module. You will see appropriate labels for the dimmer channel from which you will flipping to test if the circuit works. Once you flip a DIP switch you will see the LED next to the DIP switch turns on if your fuse is okay. If it doesn’t turn on, you can replace the fuse, try the DIP switches and the button to see if this fixes your issue. The 8-channel dimmer uses a 15A slow-blow fuse and the 8-channel relay uses a 12A fuse. If you’re still having problems with your dimmer or relay, it could be a problem with the circuit of the module itself, the programming in the CCU or a mechanical component of keypad.

If you’ve checked your fuse is intact, you can try opening the keypad to see if the issue is with the buttons themself. Just take the keypad off the wall and use a small screwdriver to remove the face plate. Then, remove two screws holding the keypad to the switch junction box and make sure nothing falls out as you flip the cover plate. You will see little metal domes that are what you press to activate the switch. If these are out of place, you can use a little piece of tape to put them back. This also might be a good time to make sure the contacts in the keypad are clean and dusting it or blowing some compressed air on there.

If you’ve determined your fuse is not blown and your keypad is working but you still have a problem with your lighting or fan circuits, you will probably have to replace the module entirely. At this point homeowners should not service their equipment and should consult a trained electrician or LiteTouch specialist for repair. The voltages being controlled and running through the LiteTouch system are enough to cause serious harm, please take caution. To find a new module, you have to go online to Ebay, or find a local supplier of the LiteTouch module and then get your electrician to replace it and then update the CCU. A trained electrician can also easily bypass the control system all together and just place manual switches in the panels, removing it from the LiteTouch automation system all together. However, this latter solution means you would have to go to your panel to turn on/off your light or have a separate system to wirelessly communicate with those by-passed switches in your panel.

LiteTouch CCU Diagram

Issues with the CCU are even more severe and could compromise your entire system. The CCU can become damaged from voltage variation, shorts or the programming can become corrupted by voltage surges from something like a lightning strike, though this is rare. When this happens the CCU cannot be salvaged and will need to be replaced.  If the CCU is not communicating with keypads and control modules it might be locked up. On the 5000LC CCU model, you can troubleshoot LiteTouch by checking the status indicator on the CPU card. If you see a solid “8” figure on the status indicator that means either the CPU card or the entire CCU is locked up so first try resetting the CPU card by pressing the reset button on the populated side of the CPU card. If your system is still not working, then try resetting the CCU. Press the ON/OFF switch on the monitor card to turn it off and then after a few seconds turn it on. This essentially does a power cycle for the brain. If after these steps the LiteTouch CCU is not fixed you would need a new CCU from a local or online dealer and you will need to get a LiteTouch specialist to service your system.

This would likely be the ideal time to look at replacing your system with a more modern and capable automation system that can easily replace LiteTouch, while having the same reliability as LiteTouch did. One system we recommend for replacing the LiteTouch automation system is with the Loxone automation system. Remember, although our first recommendation is to not replace, you may be negatively affecting your home value and increasing risk to you and your family if your system is starting to fail randomly. You can decide for yourself when to replace but from our perspective after you have had to replace a few modules and the CCU is starting to act up, or if you want to sell your house, it’s time to replace the entire system.