I'm having trouble getting Hubitat to pair with my First Alert Zsmoke smoke detector. It's a zwave device that worked with Iris. I tried the normal reset of opening the battery compartment, holding down the test button and closing the compartment but Hubitat doesn't find it. I have 2 and tried them both separately. Am I missing a driver?
I had issues with mine when I moved away from Smartthings. I had to be within arms length for it to pair. I also had to do an exclusion several times.
I bough another one last week and stood arms length and paired the first time.
Edit: I also had to change the batteries on my original one because it would not stop cherping.
I just did some of these a few days ago. I did exclude them from my previous setup. I did also do a reset and according to the manual, the reset is holding down the test button for 10 seconds. Don't remove the batteries first. I would also do an exclusion from the HE hub before doing an add, just to make sure. Once all that was done, mine included just fine and quite quickly.
INCLUSION
- Slide battery door open.
- Insert batteries checking the correct orientation.
- Press and hold the test button. Keep it held down as you slide the battery drawer closed. You may then release the button.
EXCLUSION - Slide battery door open.
- Remove and re-insert batteries checking the correct orientation.
- Press and hold the test button. Keep it held down as you slide the battery drawer closed. You may then release the button.
• The alarm will remain awake for 30 seconds on inclusion.
• The alarm supports one association group with up to 5 nodes, and sends its alarms to that group.
• The alarm supports configuration parameter #1, which has a size of 1, a
default value of 0, and when set to 1 causes the device to send double alarm messages.
RESET DEVICE
If the device is powered up with the test button held down for 10+ seconds, the device will reset all Z-Wave settings and leave the network. NOTE: The device will not remain awake after resetting and will go into standby mode.
So I'm adding mine to the system. How do these work? I added them to the HSM, do I need a rule to arm them, disarm them or if they detect smoke to start alerting? Right right i just have them in the HSM.
You should add it to HSM and it may auto arm, I don't remember. Here are a couple of images from my HSM.
You can't turn these smoke detectors off or arm / disarm etc. They will always set off their own internal alarm if they detect smoke or CO. Also, they do not interconnect so one device will not trigger the other if one of them is set off. You can set up rules for what happens when they do detect smoke or CO.
Please clarify...I have four of these now interconnected without the Hubitat. They all work together to provide joint alerts. I hoped to add in Hubitat to communicate an alert to me if not at home. Are you saying if I link one or more of these to Hubitat they no longer will coordinate?
Are you sure that you have the zsmoke or zcombo devices? Because AFAIK those devices do not have an interconnect feature.
They can function as dumb smoke (zsmoke) or smoke/CO (zcombo) detectors, but if they are not paired to a z-wave hub then there is no means for them to wirelessly interconnect.
First alert also makes other smoke and smoke/CO detectors that have wireless interconnects, but they do not have z-wave radios and cannot pair with a z-wave hub like Hubitat.
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They are First Alert Fire/carbon monoxide wireless detectors that are interconnected without a hub. I know they are supposed to work with Ring.
If you know the model number, that’s the best way to confirm.
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May I suggest the following, which obviates the "interconnected" issue:
(works as a firefighter!)
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I use one of those. Works perfectly, has never false alarmed, and works every time I test my detectors.
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I also use the ecolink firefighter for a dumb smoke detector that I recently installed with a 10 year sealed backup battery. Love the idea of not having to change the backup batteries twice a year, and I didn’t feel like splurging on a smart detector in this particular spot when this solution will work well.
I use two zcombo devices in my home’s bedrooms, where battery (only) power is the only option.
Before I had a ST hub, I had two first alert detectors that used their own, proprietary wireless connect. Can’t recall the model #s now, but that’s why I’m about 99% sure that @w5iua is confused re: which model devices he currently has. Wireless interconnect != z-wave.
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I will get you model numbers for what I have but all I'll say is, I have programmed my 4 First Alert wireless detectors per instructions, and designated each for a room (e.g., master bedroom) and if you push test button they all go off and announce the location, etc. They are INTERCONNECTED.
Understood. Those are probably not z-wave devices and cannot be paired with Hubitat, but if you find the model # we can confirm with certainty.
First Alert SCO500B Wireless Interconnected Photoelectric Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Combo Alarm with Voice and Location:
It says, "This easy-to-install smoke and carbon monoxide combination alarm connects with other Z-Wave compatible alarms and a Z-Wave hub (sold separately)".
It says "Certified for use with Nexia Home Intelligence or other Z-Wave systems ".
Yup, those are not z-wave devices. They can wirelessly interconnect with one another, but that’s it.
I’m not sure where you’re seeing the text you quoted, because I don’t see it in the amazon listing you linked to (I’m using the amazon app on my phone). That text would apply to the zcombo and zsmoke devices, but as I’ve said, those are different devices than the ones you have.
Edit: just noticed that it does say at the top this is amazon’s choice for “z-wave smoke and carbon monoxide detectors,” which is pretty stupid since it’s not a z-wave device. Can’t always trust the computer algorithms that select those “amazon’s choice” items.
However the item description that I can see says:
The First Alert SCO500B Wireless Interconnected Photoelectric Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Combo Alarm with Voice and Location detects smoke and elevated carbon monoxide levels and can work with compatible models to create a wireless alert system throughout your home.
That is an accurate statement.
Amazon represents these as Z-wave, but First Alert does not if you go to their website.
They say, "First Alert Wireless Interconnect smoke alarms operate on a "mesh network" to integrate smoke alarms for better safety and response in an emergency. All of the First Alert Wireless Interconnect alarms send, receive and resend the initiating alarm's signal. Why is this important? Let's say the signal is blocked from reaching the master bedroom alarm either by distance or some obstruction in the home. With First Alert Wireless Interconnect, the mesh network of alarms re-routes and re-sends the signal via the other alarms, providing a greater chance all alarms will receive the signal. The "mesh network" is a more reliable means of wireless communication.
Presume this is proprietary rather than standard implementation. In any case, I was misled by Amazon. The alarms are interconnected at my house, just cannot monitor them remotely.
I had something like this with Wink. The Wink hub supported the FA wireless interconnect and they paired up and could be used with robots etc. Using the Zwave Smoke/Fire alarm listening device would bring those somewhat into Hubitat for use with automations, HSM etc.
