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Nest Protect (Smoke alarm/CO2 detector) (1 Viewer)

I recently got a z-wave Smoke / CO detector to put in the center of the house for the sole purpose of getting alerts when no one is home. It's the First Alert zcombo $40 full price at Lowes. I'm waiting on my Vera z-wave hub to release an update to support the device in order to enable the alert functions.

 
Bucks said:
I recently got a z-wave Smoke / CO detector to put in the center of the house for the sole purpose of getting alerts when no one is home. It's the First Alert zcombo $40 full price at Lowes. I'm waiting on my Vera z-wave hub to release an update to support the device in order to enable the alert functions.
Click to expand...
tell me more about the Vera. I am looking at security systems and thinking of an integrated smart home solution instead.
 
ragincajun said:
Bucks said:
I recently got a z-wave Smoke / CO detector to put in the center of the house for the sole purpose of getting alerts when no one is home. It's the First Alert zcombo $40 full price at Lowes. I'm waiting on my Vera z-wave hub to release an update to support the device in order to enable the alert functions.
Click to expand...
tell me more about the Vera. I am looking at security systems and thinking of an integrated smart home solution instead.
Click to expand...
What do you want to know?

Mi Casa Verde was the company that made Vera. They recently changed their name to Vera Control. They are one of many makers of z-wave hubs which are the central contoller for a home automation system. Unlike many controller makers they only charge an upfront purchase fee, no monthly service fees. They have a 3rd party plugin development community to extend the controller functionality for more advanced capabilities which can also add some costs similar to licensing inexpensive smartphone apps. It is definitely a DIY hobby type of thing. Registering new devices to the controller can be frustrating. Defining simple things is easy. More advanced programming like building scenes, timings, inter-dependencies can be challenging. They are working on making improvements to the UI to hopefully make it easier for the masses.

They have a hub integrated to also provide a home wifi router and a cheaper product call Vera lite without the router. I have the lite plugged into one of my existing home network ports. PM me for a good price for the hub. Thru the same source also can get two motorized deadbolts for a very good price.

Z-wave is a standard so in theory any z-wave device should be able to be added to any z-wave controller. I started with some Schlage Nexia deadbolts. Some of devices I have integrated are light switches, a z-wave thermostat, some water leak detectors, several door/window sensors, an indoor siren, some Foscam outdoor cameras, and some D-Link indoor cameras. Each device participates in forming a mesh wireless RF network. AC powered devices are beamers which repeat the signals to/from the vera controller. Battery devices RF radios are mostly asleep to conserve power and only wake when they have something to send so they don't repeat signals. So you do have to have beamers within range of at least one other beamer to keep the network in tact which can be an issue when you first start building it out.

Basic devices are definitely higher than x10 or alarm system components for simple things like switches and security sensors because they all require z-wave licensed radios. Normal prices for sensors and switches are $30-$50. Locks and thermostats are $75+. Lowes has a competing hub called Iris. They sell several z-wave sensors under their Utilitech brand for a good value. But Iris supports more than z-wave devices so you have to be careful to research which ones are compatible.

 
Bucks said:
ragincajun said:
Bucks said:
I recently got a z-wave Smoke / CO detector to put in the center of the house for the sole purpose of getting alerts when no one is home. It's the First Alert zcombo $40 full price at Lowes. I'm waiting on my Vera z-wave hub to release an update to support the device in order to enable the alert functions.
Click to expand...
tell me more about the Vera. I am looking at security systems and thinking of an integrated smart home solution instead.
Click to expand...
What do you want to know?

Mi Casa Verde was the company that made Vera. They recently changed their name to Vera Control. They are one of many makers of z-wave hubs which are the central contoller for a home automation system. Unlike many controller makers they only charge an upfront purchase fee, no monthly service fees. They have a 3rd party plugin development community to extend the controller functionality for more advanced capabilities which can also add some costs similar to licensing inexpensive smartphone apps. It is definitely a DIY hobby type of thing. Registering new devices to the controller can be frustrating. Defining simple things is easy. More advanced programming like building scenes, timings, inter-dependencies can be challenging. They are working on making improvements to the UI to hopefully make it easier for the masses.

They have a hub integrated to also provide a home wifi router and a cheaper product call Vera lite without the router. I have the lite plugged into one of my existing home network ports. PM me for a good price for the hub. Thru the same source also can get two motorized deadbolts for a very good price.

Z-wave is a standard so in theory any z-wave device should be able to be added to any z-wave controller. I started with some Schlage Nexia deadbolts. Some of devices I have integrated are light switches, a z-wave thermostat, some water leak detectors, several door/window sensors, an indoor siren, some Foscam outdoor cameras, and some D-Link indoor cameras. Each device participates in forming a mesh wireless RF network. AC powered devices are beamers which repeat the signals to/from the vera controller. Battery devices RF radios are mostly asleep to conserve power and only wake when they have something to send so they don't repeat signals. So you do have to have beamers within range of at least one other beamer to keep the network in tact which can be an issue when you first start building it out.

Basic devices are definitely higher than x10 or alarm system components for simple things like switches and security sensors because they all require z-wave licensed radios. Normal prices for sensors and switches are $30-$50. Locks and thermostats are $75+. Lowes has a competing hub called Iris. They sell several z-wave sensors under their Utilitech brand for a good value. But Iris supports more than z-wave devices so you have to be careful to research which ones are compatible.
Click to expand...
good info, thanks. do you know who the competitors are, that they mention as Competitor, A,B,C? http://getvera.com/

 
Fennis said:
good info, thanks. do you know who the competitors are, that they mention as Competitor, A,B,C? http://getvera.com/
Click to expand...
Don't know but with those upfront installation service fees and such large monthly subscription fees they really aren't direct competitors. I'd never consider any of them. Some of Vera's main competitors are Schalge Nexia, Lowe's Iris, Staples connect, Smartthings, Homeseer, Revolv, etc.

 
Otis said:
Anyone here have the Nest thermostat? I haven't gotten that yet because our thermostats are hooked into the home automation system I set up when we moved in, but from what I've read, I'd really love to switch over.

That said, I today had delivered 2 of the Nest Protect smoke alarm/CO2 units. Totally awesome. They setup in a flash -- the design and attention to detail in these things is great. It was high time to replace our 40 year old smoke detectors, and I'm glad we did. Pretty cool the way they set up online etc., and the different units talk to each other over your wifi network. The Android app is nice too.

So far we have one in our downstairs main area and one in our upstairs hallway -- I read something that suggests you're supposed to have one in every single bedroom too (seriously???), but that seems a bit overkill. Our house isn't huge, and it's a pretty open layout, so a fire anywhere is likely to trip off both of our detectors. I think we're good.

In any event, highly recommend. Great product, impressive company, looking forward to whatever they come out with next.
Click to expand...
That's building code in a lot of states. You need to check that out. Most I see that have been renovated have an integrated system through the house that has wires alarms upstairs and down, then independent alarms in each bedroom. Most new builds are completely wired.

 
First thing I think of when I hear "network" on these devices is the network card....are they replaceable/upgradeable? Never seen the point in one of these things if you have the attention span to set up a schedule on a programmable one. My last house we lived in, I bought one for each system, set it up and never touched it again. Same with the house we're in now. One button to turn on vacation mode and away we go. What happens to one of these things if you power (and router) go out?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Commish said:
First thing I think of when I hear "network" on these devices is the network card....are they replaceable/upgradeable? Never seen the point in one of these things if you have the attention span to set up a schedule on a programmable one. My last house we lived in, I bought one for each system, set it up and never touched it again. Same with the house we're in now. One button to turn on vacation mode and away we go. What happens to one of these things if you power (and router) go out?
Click to expand...
If I lose power the thermostat settings stay where they were last set until the power comes back on and the programming resumes.

I can set the house to vacation settings remotely in case I forget before leaving. I can also change the settings back shortly before I return from vacation. Sometimes I want to change the AC while in bed so I can just grab my phone and adjust it without getting out of bed. I have baseboard heat that relies on valves that have sometimes got stuck open or closed. So I now have alerts set up to let me know remotely if extreme temperature points are hit indicating a stuck valve needs service. The biggest feature is that my wife can change the wall thermostat all the way up or all the way down, then in five minutes it goes right back to my program (the concept of setting a thermostat evades her).

My thermostat also has a humidstat that I'm hoping to figure out how to leverage to set limits based on a combination of temp and humidity so, for example, the AC will turn off at 76* only if the humidity is below a certain level otherwise it will continue cooling down to 72* or when the humidity drops below the target.

 
Bucks said:
The Commish said:
First thing I think of when I hear "network" on these devices is the network card....are they replaceable/upgradeable? Never seen the point in one of these things if you have the attention span to set up a schedule on a programmable one. My last house we lived in, I bought one for each system, set it up and never touched it again. Same with the house we're in now. One button to turn on vacation mode and away we go. What happens to one of these things if you power (and router) go out?
Click to expand...
If I lose power the thermostat settings stay where they were last set until the power comes back on and the programming resumes.

I can set the house to vacation settings remotely in case I forget before leaving. I can also change the settings back shortly before I return from vacation. Sometimes I want to change the AC while in bed so I can just grab my phone and adjust it without getting out of bed. I have baseboard heat that relies on valves that have sometimes got stuck open or closed. So I now have alerts set up to let me know remotely if extreme temperature points are hit indicating a stuck valve needs service. The biggest feature is that my wife can change the wall thermostat all the way up or all the way down, then in five minutes it goes right back to my program (the concept of setting a thermostat evades her).

My thermostat also has a humidstat that I'm hoping to figure out how to leverage to set limits based on a combination of temp and humidity so, for example, the AC will turn off at 76* only if the humidity is below a certain level otherwise it will continue cooling down to 72* or when the humidity drops below the target.
Click to expand...
So, what you're saying is if the power goes out there's not much one can do if you're away from the house, power goes out and something happens to the router? Best it'll do is go back to the settings it was on previously. Seems like any other thermostat. Genuine question.....I understand the other things it enables you to do. How many of those things do you actually have to do and how frequently? I wasn't aware that a nest has the humidistat feature either.

 
The Commish said:
Bucks said:
The Commish said:
First thing I think of when I hear "network" on these devices is the network card....are they replaceable/upgradeable? Never seen the point in one of these things if you have the attention span to set up a schedule on a programmable one. My last house we lived in, I bought one for each system, set it up and never touched it again. Same with the house we're in now. One button to turn on vacation mode and away we go. What happens to one of these things if you power (and router) go out?
Click to expand...
If I lose power the thermostat settings stay where they were last set until the power comes back on and the programming resumes.

I can set the house to vacation settings remotely in case I forget before leaving. I can also change the settings back shortly before I return from vacation. Sometimes I want to change the AC while in bed so I can just grab my phone and adjust it without getting out of bed. I have baseboard heat that relies on valves that have sometimes got stuck open or closed. So I now have alerts set up to let me know remotely if extreme temperature points are hit indicating a stuck valve needs service. The biggest feature is that my wife can change the wall thermostat all the way up or all the way down, then in five minutes it goes right back to my program (the concept of setting a thermostat evades her).

My thermostat also has a humidstat that I'm hoping to figure out how to leverage to set limits based on a combination of temp and humidity so, for example, the AC will turn off at 76* only if the humidity is below a certain level otherwise it will continue cooling down to 72* or when the humidity drops below the target.
Click to expand...
So, what you're saying is if the power goes out there's not much one can do if you're away from the house, power goes out and something happens to the router? Best it'll do is go back to the settings it was on previously. Seems like any other thermostat. Genuine question.....I understand the other things it enables you to do. How many of those things do you actually have to do and how frequently? I wasn't aware that a nest has the humidistat feature either.
Click to expand...
I don't take advantage of any of these very frequently. Half the time I go on vacation I forget to dial back the thermostat until after I've left. Unsure about the AC adjustments while sleeping because I haven't had the thermostat over the summer yet. Before I would usually just continue to sleep but uncomfortably rather than get up to manually adjust. Even waking up to grab my phone sounds unappealing that's why I'm hoping to leverage the humidistat info to more intelligently auto-adjust. The sticking valves was a problem I had twice before deciding to add the thermostat. Once a valve was stuck open, another time stuck closed. I replaced the valve and decided to add the thermostat so I would get alerts if it happened again.

I don't have a Nest. Mine doesn't use WIFI. It is a z-wave thermostat that integrates with my Vera system. I got it for under $80

 
Otis said:
belljr said:
:lmao: OVERKILL MUCH :lmao:

FYI

Well, here is the text from the 2007 Residential Code of New York State:

[F] R313.1 Smoke alarms. Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:

1. In each sleeping room.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.
In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
When more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the individual unit. The alarm shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed.
Exception: Interconnection is not required where smoke alarms are permitted to be battery operated in accordance with Section R313.1.2 .
All smoke alarms shall be listed and installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly, that's what I read today and I was thinking about where I should put them. Pretty ridiculous.
Click to expand...
I know this is an old post... but I love the no problem spending money on these but not to buy enough to get my house up to code schtick.

 
El Floppo said:
Otis said:
belljr said:
:lmao: OVERKILL MUCH :lmao:

FYI

Well, here is the text from the 2007 Residential Code of New York State:

[F] R313.1 Smoke alarms. Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:

1. In each sleeping room.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.
In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
When more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the individual unit. The alarm shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed.
Exception: Interconnection is not required where smoke alarms are permitted to be battery operated in accordance with Section R313.1.2 .
All smoke alarms shall be listed and installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly, that's what I read today and I was thinking about where I should put them. Pretty ridiculous.
Click to expand...
I know this is an old post... but I love the no problem spending money on these but not to buy enough to get my house up to code schtick.
Click to expand...
I'm familiar at a basic level with the way smoke works. I'm also familiar with the layout of my house. I can promise you my hundred year old house likely has far bigger code problems than the fact that I don't have three other smoke alarms each spread 5 feet apart from my current smoke alarm.

 
Speaking of... did you buy that new house?

and fwiw- code was that you could have one in a hall outside of bedrooms, so that one could cover several bedrooms if they weren't too far apart.

 
El Floppo said:
Speaking of... did you buy that new house?

and fwiw- code was that you could have one in a hall outside of bedrooms, so that one could cover several bedrooms if they weren't too far apart.
Click to expand...
Otis's choices were to stay in the decent sized older home that he could easily afford or spend a lot more on a much larger newer house that would keep up with the Joneses. Which option do you think he chose?

 
GroveDiesel said:
El Floppo said:
Speaking of... did you buy that new house?

and fwiw- code was that you could have one in a hall outside of bedrooms, so that one could cover several bedrooms if they weren't too far apart.
Click to expand...
Otis's choices were to stay in the decent sized older home that he could easily afford or spend a lot more on a much larger newer house that would keep up with the Joneses. Which option do you think he chose?
Click to expand...
He better hope the Joneses don't put a Nest Protect in every room.

 
Google I/O is June 25/26. I am sure they will announce a new model if they are lowering the price of the original to $99.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
bump.

I have some clients who are interested in these.

How have they been working for people that use them? Thermostat delivering as advertised?

Have any of you had the Smoke/Co2 units do their talking bit (warnings of batteries or non-emergency smoke levels) and found it useful? What are your experiences with it.

You guys using the remote function?

fwiw- client can afford these, so money isn't an issue. For me, it's more about how it looks (since they all "work")- I'd prefer something flush to the ceiling... but these aren't terrible to look at the way typical smoke/c02 detectors are.

 
I have the thermostat and it's a neat toy. Been thinking about the smoke detectors (the feature I'm mostly interested in is that it emails you if it goes off -- which would be great for vacations) but Amazon reviews are full of false positive reports. Decided to hold off for that reason.

 
What are people reviews on the Nest system after having them for a year? Is the temperature control affected when you are out of the house by pets? Do they make it seem like people are home all the time?

I am looking to solve my problem with having the thermostat on the main floor and no way to react to temperatures in other parts of the house. I have been told that WallyWally works with Nest and helps solve this issue. Problem is it's $300!

Have any of you done anything with other devices with the Nest system? Locks, etc.?

 
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