Which smoke detector?

[manjh]

I am planning to replace the existing (and rather old) smoke detectors in my house by a set of five or six interlinked detectors. Have been reading on the internet for a reliable model, but am lost.
It seems like Heiman or X-Sense is good quality, but I also read good things about Alecto and several other makes.

What's important to me is the possibility to receive the signal in Domoticz, and then act on it in a script. Since I have RFLink, but not ZIgbee or Z-wave, this limits to 433 Mhz.
Also, I would like to have a model with a ten-year battery, so I donot have to buy a box of new batteries every year to replace the old ones.

Any hints?

[niki_lauda]

I have the same question. As of next year smoke detectors are mandetory in the Netherlands so I like to have tips on which smart smoke detectors to.

[wkossen]

I'm in the same process. I bought a few heimans so far, but - apart from being regular smoke detectors that show up in domoticz - i haven't been able to do smart stuff with them. Maybe they just don't support it, or I can't figure it out.

i would like them linked (via domoticz) to all sound if one triggers
i would like to be able to suppress them via domoticz
i would like to test them remotely, which would also allow me to use them as a siren replacement.

just don't know how to do it.... maybe heiman isn't the way to go, but what is? and is it even possible?

[manjh]

I'm in the same process. I bought a few heimans so far, but - apart from being regular smoke detectors that show up in domoticz - i haven't been able to do smart stuff with them. Maybe they just don't support it, or I can't figure it out.

i would like them linked (via domoticz) to all sound if one triggers
i would like to be able to suppress them via domoticz
i would like to test them remotely, which would also allow me to use them as a siren replacement.

just don't know how to do it.... maybe heiman isn't the way to go, but what is? and is it even possible?

Which Heiman model did you get?

[EddyG]

For instance this zigbee device https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/JTYJ ... 1lm%252Fbw
It has selftest functionality, sensitivity can be set, You can monitor battery. Zigbee is 2-way communication, so you know for sure that the device is 'connected to the zigbee network and working. You cannot tell that with 433 Mhz devices.
When I look now at my smoke detectors, I can see that the longest time that 1 of those devices send info was 12 minutes ago, and that battery levels vary between between devices from 90% to 100%, so I am good for at least the next year or even much longer.
With 1-way devices you never know for sure that they work until you test them physically.

[manjh]

For instance this zigbee device https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/JTYJ ... 1lm%252Fbw
It has selftest functionality, sensitivity can be set, You can monitor battery. Zigbee is 2-way communication, so you know for sure that the device is 'connected to the zigbee network and working. You cannot tell that with 433 Mhz devices.
When I look now at my smoke detectors, I can see that the longest time that 1 of those devices send info was 12 minutes ago, and that battery levels vary between between devices from 90% to 100%, so I am good for at least the next year or even much longer.
With 1-way devices you never know for sure that they work until you test them physically.

OK, so the message is to go for Zigbee and stay away from 433, if you want a secure setup.
With that said, it limits the available models somewhat but it is still a jungle.
For instance, the functions that are described in the link you gave, are usually not mentioned in the product descriptions (for instance, KlikAanKlikUit).
I think I will start making a requirements list...

[heggink]

For instance this zigbee device https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/JTYJ ... 1lm%252Fbw
It has selftest functionality, sensitivity can be set, You can monitor battery. Zigbee is 2-way communication, so you know for sure that the device is 'connected to the zigbee network and working. You cannot tell that with 433 Mhz devices.
When I look now at my smoke detectors, I can see that the longest time that 1 of those devices send info was 12 minutes ago, and that battery levels vary between between devices from 90% to 100%, so I am good for at least the next year or even much longer.
With 1-way devices you never know for sure that they work until you test them physically.

I have a couple of these Xiaomi smoke sensors and quite like them so far. They replaced multiple zwave devices that kept dropping off the network (incl the heiman devices).

Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk

[wkossen]

I bought two zwave and two zigbee detctors to try both techs via aliexpress

I'm in the same process. I bought a few heimans so far, but - apart from being regular smoke detectors that show up in domoticz - i haven't been able to do smart stuff with them. Maybe they just don't support it, or I can't figure it out.

i would like them linked (via domoticz) to all sound if one triggers
i would like to be able to suppress them via domoticz
i would like to test them remotely, which would also allow me to use them as a siren replacement.

just don't know how to do it.... maybe heiman isn't the way to go, but what is? and is it even possible?

Which Heiman model did you get?

[manjh]

Any experience with the KlikAanKlikUit Zigbee smoke detectors?

[manjh]

OK, I've dived into the deep and simply purchased a KlikAanKlikUit ZSDR-850 smoke detector to experiment with. Since it is Zigbee (and I did not have any Zigbee stuff yet), I also bought the Conbee II stick.

It took some doing, but after a few hours of installing various software and plugins, I found myself with Zigbee2MQTT running on my R-Pi 4B.

The ZSDR-850 reported a list of details when I paired it, and it tells me it is really a Heiman HS3SA detector. So KAKU simply bought and rebranded the unit...

Data flows into Node-Red via MQTT. Again took a while to find out that the specified MQTT topic is actually extended into separate topics for the hardware, the router/coordinator, and the detector. This can all be seen on the Zigbee2MQTT log in the Raspberry.
It also means a bit of work for the additional four smoke detectors that I need: it will take an addditional block of Node-Red nodes for each detector. Plus a couple of virtual devices in Domoticz.

I tried the deConz plugin, but found that the current release of Phoscon (delivered by the maker of the Conbee II) has a rather limited list of supported devices. The helpdesk tells me that there is a new release coming out that will show virtually all Zigbee devices, but I did not test that.
Another problem is the fact that the deConz plugin for Domoticz needs an extended load function that is currently only available in the Domoticz Beta. I don't want to migrate to the Beta just for this...

So, for now I am OK with the current setup. The KAKU smoke detector can stay, and will get company of four more this weekend..

For those of you that are interested in buying this particular detector in The Netherlands: at the moment Bol has a good price offering!

[manjh]

I'm happy to report that I got the four additional detectors and installed them. Since there is one on every floor, plus the garage and attic, the detectors form a really nice Zigbee backbone throughout the house! Since the detectors also report linkquality level, I can keep an eye on how good the mesh works.

As for software: it took me a while to get the Node-Red setup in place. Since I did not want to use the zigbee2mqtt plugin for Domoticz (it requires Domoticz Beta), I had to do everything in Javascript in Node-Red. The biggest challenge was the fact that the message from the smoke detectors donot always contain the same fields, so there is no straightforward way to copy the data into Domoticz devices.
I found a way to do it, by using "msg.payload.hasOwnProperty()". It returns true if the field exists, false if it doesn't.
For instance:

Code: Select all

msg.payload.hasOwnProperty("smoke")

will be true if the message contains a smoke alert. I can handle that by sending a device-update into Domoticz for the smoke alert device.

After a few different approaches I managed to get all message handling from all five detectors into one Javascript node.
Once the data gets into Domoticz, it was easy: a couple of LUA scripts to handle alarms, and also do some maintenance.

It was a bit of work, but I am now happy with it!

[manjh]

.... Since the detectors also report linkquality level, I can keep an eye on how good the mesh works.----

I was wrong. The Heiman HS3SA smoke detectors are pure end-devices, and donot perform as router.
Since my house is a little too big for a single router network, I've ordered a CC2531 stick which will be an additional router in the house.

I've also considered buying a cheap Ikea Tradfri lamp, just for the purpose of having an extra router, but I read somewhere that the lamps are not very reliable as router. They donot always connect to end devices.

[EddyG]

In my zigbee network Ikea bulbs do an excellent job by connecting several end devices per bulb. I see no problem there.
If you let enddevices connect only to the controller you will also get linkquality. The enddevice that is the most far away still has a linkquality of 30 and functions good.

[manjh]

In my zigbee network Ikea bulbs do an excellent job by connecting several end devices per bulb. I see no problem there.
If you let enddevices connect only to the controller you will also get linkquality. The enddevice that is the most far away still has a linkquality of 30 and functions good.

My remark about Ikea lamps not connecting to end devices is not my own experience, but rather something I read somewhere. Apparently, based on your post, they were wrong...

Of course in my case I would be getting an Ikea lamp only because I need an extra router, and at €6,99 or €7,99 this looks like a good deal. So I guess I'll get a bulb and see.

Meanwhile I have moved my R-Pi, plus Conbee adapter and RFLink to a more central place in my house. All RF devices still work OK, and the ZIgbee smoke detectors are now all at good link quality between 211 and 255. So I guess this is the right setup.

On to the next level: what exiting new options do I have with my new Zigbee net...

[Thorgal789]

Since I did not want to use the zigbee2mqtt plugin for Domoticz (it requires Domoticz Beta)

I did not want to use the zigbee2mqtt plugin for Domoticz (it requires Domoticz Beta)

What are you talking about ? both are working on stable, I never use beta on my side.

[EddyG]

The latest version of the plugin works only with Domoticz beta, because of the import of DomoticzEx.

[Thorgal789]

Ha yep, since 1 month, haven't see that before.

[manjh]

Ha yep, since 1 month, haven't see that before.

I think the new version of the Zigbee2MQTT plugin should have been called Beta, in parallel to Domoticz.
The way it is now, the "default" Domoticz version does not work with the "default" plugin version.
I know I can get around it, but since I am totally ignorant on Git, I don't want to take any risks. Would appreciate a simple and straight-forward install for the version that will work with non-Beta Domoticz...

[manjh]

A small status update.
Since last week I added an IKEA bulb. Trust me to pick one that is not (yet) supported, so I had to make an external converter, after that the light works and functions as router.
The five smoke detectors work OK, although one of them gave me a few false alarms, of course in the middle of the night. The shop sent me a replacement, which is now in place.

So far, so good.

There is one question: from these five smoke detectors, one behaves a bit different. In the list of devices, it shows a green battery icon, saying "battery OK, power level 100%". The other four detectors show a black icon, saying "Battery, power level 100%". Why the difference?
Also, I notice on the dashboard only two devices show up: the IKEA bulb, and the smoke detector with the green battery icon.
It all looks like it works OK, but I am puzzled about this difference!

[msnep]

Is anyone able to sound the alarm of the smoke detector from Domoticz? (by "switching it on")

I just bought 4 kiku smoke detectors and added one of them to Domoticz. It shows up as Heiman SmokeSensor-EM, so a bit different because not as HS1SA like with others.
There is nothing that I can do with it, except trigger some action when the alarm is activated/tested. Battery level is also available.

I have a ConbeeII zigbee dongle in a RPi on which Domoticz runs.