Hello. Pretty new to smart systems, and looking to expand my set up. I want to add a humidity detector to trigger the bathroom fan, and have spend all day looking for a humidity sensor. Many of these humidity sensors (Samsung,Iris, etc) are sold out at the local Best Buy, Home depot, Lowes. There are a few recommendations on this forum that suggest Konke, Aqara, and some no-name brand ones. I am a bit worried that none of these suggestions are FCC, UL, CSA, cUL, etc compliant, or certified. Is this something to be concerned about? I would like to stay with certified equipment for safety.
I recently found the Zooz 4 in 1, and it is apparently FCC compliant according to the box.
What is everyone's thoughts on using uncertified equipment that is may not be compliant?
What is your specific safety concern? If electrocution, I don't think that falls under the FCC, who cares only about whether the device will cause interference with other radio signals. A humidity sensor is just going to tell a switch (say, one that controls a bathroom fan) whether to turn on or off based on logic you establish (via a Rule). The switch should have the approval of an appropriate body (e.g., UL) to show that it has undergone testing, but I don't know that most mfrs would seek that safety approval for something like a battery-powered humidity sensor. Others may have alternative thoughts on this, but I'd be concerned with the switch far more than the sensor.
Actually, they are. For example, the Aqara Temp/ Humidity sensor carries the CNAS (Chinese National Accreditation Service) mark. Both the FCC and UL recognize that entity as an accredited testing organization and accepts their results for certification.
I would avoid this model. I have 4 of them in storage, since they don't work well with the C7. No S2 capabilities means these will pair S0, and they are ultra-chatty and clog up the network with aggressively frequent traffic. Include more than one 4-in-1 sensor and you're likely to take down your entire network. All of my z-wave issues went away as soon as I stopped using this sensor model.
That's correct, AFAIK. FCC's primary concern is that consumer devices that emit radio waves do so at power levels and frequencies that do not interfere with other regulated equipment. If a device doesn't have the FCC part 15 compliance statement in its manual or specs documents, then it presumably isn't legal to use in the US.
Agreed, I also can't say with certainty, but I'm not sure that most small, battery powered sensors routinely get certified by safety testing labs like UL either. Battery powered smoke detectors would be one notable exception. In contrast, anything that either plugs into a socket, or is wired directly into house mains wiring, absolutely should be certified by a reputable, independent safety testing lab.
I believe UL, CSA and Intertek are the most well known in the US, Canada and Europe respectively. The "CE" logo is related to safety, AFAIK, but is a voluntary/self-certification, which seems somewhat pointless to me, from the consumer's perspective at least.
I can't personally speak to the CNAS. @bjcowles Is it a safety testing lab? Or is it analagous to the FCC here, meaning their mandate is to ensure that devices play nicely in the electromagnetic spectrum (but no assurance re: your house catching on fire, electrocuting someone that touches the device, etc)? Or maybe both?
You can pair them with no security if you use a secondary controller like a Z-Stick or UZB. It's a pain to do but it should cut down on the chattiness.
I must admit, the research I did a long time ago was superficial and ended with browser security warnings .
From what I remember, CNAS is an organization (government body?) that sets and enforces the standards for the various testing labs. Some ISO certification means that the standards are accepted worldwide. If a Chinese manufacturer feels the need to get a UL mark, they apply with testing documentation from a CNAS certified lab, and are granted "UL Certified" or "UL Listed".
I was curious about the safety of the Chinese branded wall switches and plugs that where being released in the US. Many labs do both safety and radio testing. After going down many different internet paths, I felt the process was just a blind rubber stamp thing. A device with a 3V button cell doesn't concern me as much as something on mains power.
They transmit at the same max power, no matter the power source. All these levels are way below what is put out by your wifi. And doesn't even hold a candle to the power of your cellphone that you place against your head..
One of the motion sensors that also does humidity is the Iris 3rd generation motion sensor (Iris Motion Sensor IL07). You can find them on eBay on and off for around $20 to $25. They are small and if you need the motion sensing do that very well. They also provide temperature.
FYI - There is what looks like an excellent community app to manage bathroom fan based on humidity below,
also consider how often he would want reporting. Some sensors only report in certain blocks of time, others have a threshold in % change for reporting, like my Iris sensor reports in what seems to be 1% change increments
They can be had for 12.99 on ebay from alex_sari(great seller BTW)
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