Currently i have a combination with Fibaro controller and several z-wave devices. I would like to start over and switch to Home Assistant later this year. For now i need to replace my smoke detectors (Fibaro Smoke detectors) and would like to know what is recommended to use with HA.
I would like if the smoke detectors are able to connect to each other and are fully operational withouth Home Assistant for dectecting fire.
What is recommended? I looked at the Nest smoke detecotrs, but it seems that they do not work out of the box with HA, is it a lot work to get them working? Or are there better options available?
Iâm currently using the First Alert Battery Powered Z-Wave Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide Alarm, 2nd Generation with HA. East setup, loads all the entities, even loads some button where I do not need to reach the detector to reset the alarm, I can do that from HA dashboard.
I have about a dozen and while Iâm perfectly happy with them as smoke detectors (got them years before HA), the integration with HA is lacking and doesnât seem to really be actively maintained (plus itâs not local). I donât plan to ever replace them though, until they âexpireâ.
I have Nest Protect but considering how Google has basically left them on life support only when they expire in 5 years (replace your smokes every 10 years. The detection media does have a end of life) Iâm not putting in more protects. Instead Iâm putting garden variety Wired CO/smoke detectors and Adding a ZWave relay to the wired detector loop. (most of the vendors that make ZWave smokes also make relaysâŠ)
Hardwired with battery backup, cross alert capable ND HA gets the signals.
I definitely agree with Nathan. Someone posted this device on another thread recently that connects to the common communication wire of standard hardwired detectors to make them smart, and it looks interesting.
Thanks for all the answers. I am stil in doubt. I do not want to hack into the smoke detoctor, so for me i am looking into the first alert smoke detectors. And i found some others from XSense and Netatmo i am looking into.
if there are more suggestion, please post. Thanks again.
I have a zwave smoke/CO alarm listener which is a battery-powered device that sits next to any alarm and will listen for the unique smoke or CO alarm and provides a binary sensor for each that you can trigger automations off.
The positives:
it doesnât physically connect to your smoke/CO alarm and therefore canât interfere with their function
you can use any smoke/CO alarm you want, wired or wireless
The negatives:
some have said it isnât 100% reliable, although I have never had an issue during testing or when smoke has actually been detected. To enable reliable CO sensor listening you have to change a setting on it, and I suspect some people who complain havenât done that.
That said, now that Zooz offers the detector listed above, I may add that to my setup just for an extra bit of reliability/redundancy.
The downside to the wired options (either the Zooz option or using relays with dry contact sensors) are:
it requires hardwired and interconnected smoke/CO detectors
it only works when power is available to the smoke/co sensor. When power goes out, your smoke/co sensors will function on their backup battery but the relays and Zooz sensors wonât function.
If Zigbee is an option, I can share that I recently bought two Schneider Wiser W599001 smoke detectors. These met all of my requirements:
Connect to Home Assistant
Work perfectly even if Home Assistant is offline (by this I mean that both alarms sound if one is triggered, without depending on Home Assistant running - they have an independent radio connection)
Donât need a special hub to configure or use (they connect directly to Home Assistant via Zigbee/ZHA, without the Schneider Wiser hub)
These are battery powered, but there exist some similar ones that run off mains power.
Itâs from the smartesthouse. US and UK/EU zwave frequencies are different though.
They do list EU frequency devices for sale
Not sure if this detector addon is available in EU frequency- you can try emailing thir support if you donât see it on the website at [email protected]
âHack into the smoke detectorâ? Look at how you hard wired devices are alredu installed. There should be a box ath AC power and the third wire. Then there are wire nuts and a plug that is custom to your brand of detector. Thisis they way it has been done for 40+ years, at least here in California and it has beed required by code in all new construction.
The Zooz z-wire gets place inside the ectrical box and is wired in parallel to the existing setup. It is installed electricaly as it it were o=another detector in the same box. You remove those wire nuts and all the zooz box then replace the wire nuts.
Theyâre available from many suppliers here in Sweden⊠m.nu, elbutik.se, Hornbach, Bauhaus, Amazon.se ⊠If youâre in the UK, perhaps theyâre not certified for the UK market?
Did you find a UK supplier in the end. Iâm interested in these. Thanks @mwav3 for suggestion!
There is s a Schneider Wiser W599002 smoke detector available on amazon uk for ÂŁ90(!) with ÂŁ40(!!!) deliveryâŠthinking there must be a more cost effective source!