The new Nedis smoke detectors also work (image atached). To pair, use the pin in the packaging to push the reset buttin in the little hole on the side until the LED starts flashing green. It should show up in the HA Zigbee pairing screen then.
This popped up on DuckDuckGo when searching for what smoke detector to use with Home Assistant. I had to create a forum posting account just to ask: Am I the only one that thinks 30 smoke detectors is outrageous?
For me, the Nest Protect is almost perfect EXCEPT that it canāt trigger a signal on the hardwired signal line, which means it cannot be used with remote monitoring services (and thereby reduce your insurance cost). One other VERY useful feature of the hardwired (not battery) versions of the Nest Protect is that they have a built-in motion sensor for that room which works with Home Assistant. No additional sensors needed or cluttering up the room.
Every time I look for smart detectors, it seems like there isnāt quite a viable alternative. Iām on my second round of Nest Protect detectors in one house (after 10 years they hard stop and no longer work per NFPAās 10-year recommendation on smoke sensor lifetime). Iām about to buy new detectors for another house and would love to have it remotely monitored.
Even if Nest just came out with an auxiliarry device that connected into an existing hardwired system (like the Zooz Bridge) that synchronized with the Nestās wireless signal, that would rock. Obviously, you can setup HA automations for this, but that puts a semi-reliable intermediary in that path which for a critical safety device isnāt ideal.
Am I missing something in 2024?
I like āFrientā (Develco) smoke alarm. Itās European based company.
Device have temperature sensor, that helps me see if the device is working and in range.
May I ask if youāre using Z-wave JS? If yes, did you manage to include them without issues? Iām asking because Iām considering to buy some but I see they are not officially supported in Z-Wave JS supported devices DB: https://devices.zwave-js.io
Thanks!
Yes, using Z-Wave (Aeotec USb-Stick) and these Smoke Alarms since Years with no probs.
If I would buy new, I would go for an RJ45 POE Z-Wave Device, rather than an USB Stickā¦
Allright, thanks they do work indeed. Including them in Z-wave JS was a breeze.
I did notice though they there is no actual sensor entity that changes state when smoke is detected, just a switch entity and a light entity which both seem to do the same thing (turning the siren on and off).
Does anybody know if this is expected with smoke detectors? I would love to have a sensor entity that I can expose to Homekit so that I can be notified if the alarm go off when Iām away from homeā¦
Has anybody reading this managed to achieve this with any smoke detector?
The Frient/Develco and Bosch I mentioned before have a binary sensor with type smoke that will trigger on detection.
Hey du you know if the Bosch ones also have the binary sensor in ZHA currently available?
Yes, I have them connected to ZHA now.
And these are the options for the Develco/Frient Smoke and Heat detectors:
I just buy First Alert ZCOMBO z-wave version from bestbuy.com
I am able to add it into my HA. it is abit tricky thou.
put in batteries and leave the battery caddy out then go to your zwave intergreation
click to add deviceā¦ press the test button and hold test button as you push in the battery caddy. HA should find it and add it.
I would never buy anything on aliexpress or temu for safety stuff.
These two seem great, and I was very excited to learn about them, especially cause I canāt go with hardwired options. Bosch is a trusted brand and it having an mqtt controllable siren is cool too.
But Iām finding a lot of unfavorable (1-2*) reviews on them on Amazon.de, either complaining about frequent false alarms, or Bosch support not responding or not meeting the expectations one would expect from their brand (mind you, all my kitchen and laundry appliances are Bosch s6).
For the develco/frient, at least one review says it didnāt go off when it was critical I could look past connectivity issues, cause of range/obstacle issues and people struggling with tech, some are smokers and scented humidifiers and insense are popular nowadays so Iād think that could explain some false alarms, but it not triggering is an instant deal breaker.
Kinda leaning towards ordering 1-2 Bosch just to try, but theyāre not that cheapā¦ @danieldeni , could you comment on the number of false alarms with Bosch? How long have you had them? Howās the battery holding up?
I have three Bosch in the house and had one in the garage outside. The ones inside have never went off yet, so no false triggers. Batteries are still at 100% after 14 months of use. They are supposed to last 5 years, which is half of the lifespan.
With the original SHC II and Z2M you can set the sensitivity and have more options. With ZHA itās a more basic implementation. When I have time will try to make a Quirk for it to add features.
The one in the shed/garage did have false triggers, but the shed/garage gets up to 99% humidity in the winter as itās ventilated. Something no optical smoke detector is made for. It eventually died after 6 months as it triggered every night and when I moved it inside it still did. I had to RMA it, which was replaced by Tink without issues. Mind you, the specifications donāt say itās meant for in a shed.
So I switched that one for the frient Heat Detector, so it will only trigger with a sudden temperature rise. The frient in the shed did āeatā the batteries due to the cold temperature in the winter, but apart from that itās functioning fine. Have put a rechargeable battery in it so I just recharge it.
Need to find a proper tool to test both models though. You can press the button on it and it should do a self test, but thatās not the same as actual smoke / heat test.
I chose the Bosch over the frient, as I had the frient Smoke Detectors before and they are tiny, so didnāt fit the holes of the old wired Smoke Detectors I had. Had to make a makeshift cover with some plastic and screwed the frientās mount into that. But it looks off.
The Bosch are standard size and fit on normal European ceiling holes for lights and such. So I could put them on the exact same spot as the old ones.