I read through all of the suggested topics but they don't seem to be what I am looking for
I have a brand new hub and just linked three Z-Wave First Alert Smoke/CO Detectors. I setup the Safety monitor and I think its all correct, but I don't really know
Is there any way I can actually test the notifications and how it would work, but without actually lighting a fire in my home?
You can, depends on how things are setup, and as to how you do it. There is now a virtual smoke detector device on the hub. You can temporarily substitute your real smoke detect in HE for the virtual one. Then just trigger it.
No, there was no oversight.
However, if you don’t actually test your detectors and their ability to communicate with the hub and send you notifications, that will be a huge oversight on your part in my opinion.
Every single SMS, E-Mail and Push notification system I have ever used has a very simple "Test" button to test the notifications and simulate the action. In my personal opinion, not including one is an oversight
I'll see if I can add a virtual one and give it a shot. I am not yet at the point of either making real smoke or purchasing fake smoke, I just need to know that everything will notify properly
This hub doesn’t have a lot of those types of things. They have decided from the beginning to focus on automation and capabilities, which it has in spades. If you’re looking for a Wink type interface, you’re not going to find that here.
But testing the notifications with a virtual device is only going to tell you that you have notifications set up properly. Unless you actually trigger your smoke detector, you cannnot be sure that it’s going to send you a notification when you expect it to. So having a button on the hub to send a notification from a device that hasn't actually triggered is of no value beyond testing the notifications.
The virtual smoke detector did it, and I found out that It did not work, and I had to disarm and rearm for it to take effect on the alarm which is good to know. Even just some text saying a virtual one is included would be nice
I must have read 10 different reddit/forum posts and none of them suggested the virtual smoke detector, your post is the first I have mentioned it
Seems like if I need to take to the forum there is room for improvement on the usability of the device, but that's just my 2c
The virtual smoke detector was a recent addition and it was in the release notes.
Here is where you’re going to get the most accurate info.
Check out the docs too. The pace of updates on HE is very fast, so some of the docs need updating and some have not been created yet. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good place to start.
Probably not the right time of year to try it, but I tested my ZCombo's CO detector by holding near the exhaust port of my lawnmower (not sure my car would have been dirty enough to trigger it).