I’m Deaf and looking for a setup that includes a base station that can send alerts to my iPhone. I need about six smoke alarms and two CO2 detectors, and it looks like X-Sense offers a system that fits my needs.
This package comes with 5 smoke detectors and 1 CO2 detector, and it mentions that you can expand the system with additional devices — even water leak detectors, which sounds really useful.
I’m curious if anyone here has experience using X-Sense products, especially integrating them with Hubitat. Also, how reliable and noticeable are the app notifications on the iPhone? Are they obvious enough that a Deaf person like me wouldn’t miss them?
That being said, I don't know if I would ever trust my home smoke and CO detectors to a system that relies on a base station and wireless interconnects. It's not clear to me what happens if the base station malfunctions or loses power. My preference is for hardwired, interconnected devices, which in my location are required by law.
Some of the other X-Sense listings have this as a warning, so you need to consider that as well:
Take a look at this:
If you have existing hardwired smoke and CO detectors, you can wire this in and add it to Hubitat. You should then be able to setup notifications for when your devices go off.
I don't see any way to integrate X-Sense devices directly into Hubitat.
However, you should be able to use something like an Ecolink Firefighter to integrate them into Hubitat. I've used the z-wave version of the Firefighter for a few years now. Works well.
You may already know this, but reputable smoke/CO detector manufacturers like First Alert or Kidde make models intended for use in homes with people that are deaf or hard of hearing. Usually with a strobe light in addition to the standard siren.
The Ecolink firefighter that @aaiyar mentioned could then be used to integrate with Hubitat.
Hubitat can send alerts to your phone, flash lights, turn off your HVAC, ect… why not use one that is on the compatible device list. I literally bought the zcombo via the link last night cause my nest smoke detector finally died and just finished installing it. $40 is $40 easy peasy, no additional apps needed.
149 for per unit .. and I would need 7 of those so it out of my price range plus most detector sensor only have a 10 year life range so replacing it all again in 10 years would be cost probative for me.
I will check it out and see if any come in a combo kits. I need about 6 smoke detector for each bedrooms and kitchen and two smoke/co2 detector basement furnace room and garage. It'll have to interconnect wirelessly because my house has a finished basement with ceiling sheetrock on.
I use Apple Homekit for everything in Hubitat so do you know if it send alert to Homekit if one of the detector goes off?
So the FF listen for the alarm and triggers Hubitat? If I get a X-Sense and set it up then I use the FF near one of the detector right? I am reading on it but I wanted to make sure I understood correctly.
I don't have the X-sense smoke alarms but I do have 3 of their temp/humidity sensors and a base station. Had it for about 2 months and the connectivity is rock solid.
When it comes to life safety, Hubitat will be the first to tell you they are not a life safety company, and at least X-sense is being directly marketed for that purpose. The HE hub is fantastic but has it's share of troubles and I wouldn't trust my life safety to it.
I went ahead and got the X-Sense kit I mentioned in my first post, and I have to say—it was super easy to set up and link everything together. I'm really impressed with the units so far.
I'm planning to grab a water sensor next, plus one more CO2 and smoke detector for the garage, and a couple more smoke sensors for the other rooms.
Also getting one of those FF modules to link it to Hubitat so I can have it trigger flashing lights in my room.
My 4 children are all hearing and they said the way it talk is freaky lol.
For future reference, Ecolink FF Audio detector works with X-Sense smoke alarm which I tested. I have not tested on CO yet.
But in default it only listen to Smoke alarm, it need to be set to also detect CO alarm too and to do that you need to press down and hold the tamper switch then next press down and hold zwave switch. Don't press both at time time or press zwave first.
Tamper switch need to be pressed and hold down first before the zwave switch to enable both smoke and co audio detector on Ecolink FF
