Smart Home

[FISHMANPET]

Our main floor smoke alarm is actually just outside the kitchen, above the wall opening connecting the kitchen to the dining room. Keeps the nuisance alarms very low (we've only had one in 2.5 years, despite a number of cooking disasters). I think the only other time the alarm went off was when our roommate set something on fire in the basement with the laser cutter.

[amiller92]

That's why it's not recommended to have a smoke detector in your kitchen. And upgrading to a photoelectric alarm will reduce cooking alarms. From what I've read in fire journals, photoelectric alarms are preferred by the experts rather than dual-mode photoelectric/ionization alarms.

I'm impressed that you read fire journals.

The alarm(s) (prior owners seems to have gone a little nuts) aren't in the kitchen, but that doesn't mean I can't generate enough smoke to set them off, although it's not a regular thing.

[David Greene]

So linking doesn't require "smart" alarms.

Correct. Modern electrical code requires all smoke and CO alarms to be on a single branch circuit with an extra wire (usually the red conductor in 14-3 romex) connected to each alarm station. Then one alarm that sounds sends voltage across the red wire and all alarms sound. It's been the standard for at least a few decades. Any standard plug-in alarm will allow for this functionality, though it usually works best for all alarm stations to be from one brand.

On old houses, it is required to upgrade to this standard anytime there's remodeling or other projects. The only exception is when remodeling or other work does not remove the finished wall surface, in which case it is not expected for buildings to upgrade to interconnected alarms.

You're talking about wired alarms. I'm talking about wireless/battery powered. I'd love to do wired alarms in our house but it seems like a big job.

[mister.shoes]

Oh, and we have a smart baby monitor. That's pretty cool.

What's a smart baby monitor? Is it more then the ones that detect (lack of) motion and sound an alarm? The motion-detecting stuff could certainly provide ease-of-mind.

The one we have is just internet connected, so we can check on him from wherever. This is particularly nice for mrs.shoes, as she leaves for work before anyone else is up and she can see and say hi to us once we've awakened. It does alert us to high/low temp and humidity and can notify on sound and movement, but the last two are pretty flaky and we never use them. It also can do white noise (useful!) and a night light (less so!). Unfortunately, the most important part (camera) is going to hell. Probably buy a new one for baby #2 coming soon.

I have heard of ones that claim to detect breathing and other vitals via sensors in the bed (under the sheets maybe?) but that seems a bit much.

[mister.shoes]

I have ... a [smart] garage door opener..

Which one? Is it HomeKit compatible? It's incredible how hard it is to find one that plays nice with Apple.

[dbaur31]

It's this one, which is not HomeKit compatible out of the box.

https://www.chamberlain.com/garage-door ... l-wd1000wf

But! You're in luck there, though of course, not for free.

https://www.chamberlain.com/apple-partnership

The idea of spending another $50-70 to add HomeKit bugs me, but if I get any further into this stuff I'll probably do it because I am a sucker looking to have his money pried from his fingers in exchange for marginally useful shiny doodads.

[mister.shoes]

Ah, yes, Chamberlain. I've been keeping an eye on their site for a while because they keep promising HomeKit compatibility "soon."