Expensive? Yes. But, I'm sure I can swing replacement of all six of my smoke detectors over a period of a year without breaking too much sweat. I'm definitely looking forward to no more chirping or false alarms, especially when a spider decides to make a nest near the sensor.
Expensive? Yes. But, I'm sure I can swing replacement of all six of my smoke detectors over a period of a year without breaking too much sweat. I'm definitely looking forward to no more chirping or false alarms, especially when a spider decides to make a nest near the sensor.
Then, in 7 years from the date of the first one you installed, they'll start alerting you one by one that you're about to spend another $903 over the course of that year. And so forth and so on every 7 years.
Similar to how it works here in the US. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Assocation) publishes the most widely accepted standards in the US. Most people don't know or even need to know who they are, but these are the folks that publish NFPA 70 - also know as the "National Electrical Code". They publish the standards that affect electricity, gas, fireplaces, chimneys, cooking equipment, heaters, smoke detectors, alarm systems, wiring, fire trucks, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers - pretty much anything you can think of that has to do with anything fire or safety related.
NFPA says about smoke detectors:
One in each each bedroom AND
One outside each sleeping area AND
One on each level
Hardwire interconnected so they all go off if one goes off
Installed by a qualified electrician (this does not include homeowners unless they are qualified electricians)
Replace every 10 years (or sooner if they fail a monthly test or recommend by the manufacturer)
Most jurisdictions adopt NFPA 72 National Fire Code standards as part of their code requirements. Detectors that are not AC powered or hardwired together are not permitted in new construction! It appears there is NO MODEL of Nest detector that meets current requirements for smoke detectors in new construction. Certainly, Nest is aware of this - you'd think!
But you probably won't spend nearly as much time admiring your smoke detector as you do your car. You probably also won't be driving it often. Cars are status symbols. Smoke detectors are not. Cars are driven and used daily. Smoke detectors are not. Your comparison is invalid.
I admire neither my car, my toaster, nor my thermostat but I have a nicer one than the bare minimum one can buy with all of them due to features that make them more enjoyable products to own.
My car, which I chose not to mention by name, is clearly not a status symbol. it offers features I like. Your argument that only what you perceive as a "status symbol" makes for a valid reason to buy a product that isn't the bare essentials is invalid.
Will Nest Protect offer me something that my current smoke detectors can't? Is something I think is worth the money? That's what's important, not your pathetic view of status symbols as the only reason innovative and quality products should exist.
I've read the above comments and will simply say that I will be starting out with two. One for each occupied bedroom. Then, as extra cash becomes available, I will purchase more until they are in all the other rooms. While this will not have the full convenience of setting up the entire house all at once, I will get there. I also noted the comment about wireless. While they will need to communicate, I do not believe for a moment that the amount of information communicated will come anywhere close to what is required to stream audio and/or video. Don't you already have a modern, dual band wireless router?
I've read the above comments and will simply say that I will be starting out with two. One for each occupied bedroom. Then, as extra cash becomes available, I will purchase more until they are in all the other rooms. While this will not have the full convenience of setting up the entire house all at once, I will get there.
I would do ground floor location and master bedroom. Next one goes in or near the furnace room. Then fill in the gaps thereafter.
If there is a fire on the ground floor or a CO problem you want to know before it triggers in your bedrooms.
Boy, some of the comments in this thread act are pretty devoid of reading...like the manuals..and interviews with Nest executives.
First, read the Wired article interviewing Tony Fadell. One of the things he mentioned is that he had to assign two of his people full time to working with Underwriters Laboratories just to wrap their brains around the regulations surrounding smoke alarms. It's a highly regulated industry, much like health care and building codes...don't think that Nest didn't think about all the regulations of this class of products before shipping. Not to mention it looks like Nest is launching this product in Canada, the UK and maybe elsewhere. And I'm sure that all of those countries have similar regulations.
Second, the whole thing about using the red wire for smoke alarm synchronization was a big deal...in 1985. Wireless communication makes this pretty obsolete. And its not like the Nest Protects need a lot of time to communicate an emergency around the house...say, milliseconds over WiFi? Once the specific emergency is transmitted, those Protects are going to be screaming for you to get out, and unlike old fashioned detectors, it will say where the fire is. And if WiFi is down from the start of the emergency, Protects use the 802.15.4 "ZigBee" low power wireless mesh standard which means they can do their job regardless.
Yes, some people have a lot of smoke alarms in their house. Good for you. If buying 6 detectors at once is too rich for you, buy two now, and more over time. If its not worth the cost, at least make sure the ones you have are active and functional.
But this product launch made me (and I suspect a lot of people) to take stock in their detectors. In my case, I have three. One battery operated Kidde that I installed six months ago. The other two 120v models probably came with the house 20 years ago...and are well past the date they ever worked. Which means I really only have one working detector in a two story house...and none are located in the bedrooms (and I was wondering why the one near the kitchen never went off!). Just getting me to think about it will result in getting a sale or three out of me. It's too important not to act.
One more feature...the Protect's motion sensors will communicate whether or not someone is home to Nest Thermostats. This is important since some Nest Therm owners have the problem that their Themostats aren't in traffic areas where the motion sensors will pick up traffic for the Auto-Away function. The Protects can increase the surveillance net of the house and make Auto-Away more efficient for those home owners, which helps to decrease energy costs.
The Nest manual specifically mentions that all smoke/CO detectors have a specific operating life before they must be replaced. And that includes the Protect.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure the firmware of these things can be upgraded for future tricks. How cool is that? It may be useful later on since the Protect's temperature sensors could be used to communicate back to the Nest Thermostats for more specific temperature control room to room.
So it's about double the price of a mid grade model. Big deal. The protect has wifi status and interconnectivity with the thermostat.
Weirdly these don't have escape lights.
The Protect does has a light which is designed to light the way in the dark as you bump around your own house at night. I'm sure it probably lights up in a nighttime emergency, especially since people will be scurrying past it anyway trying to get out.
Pointless to shut off one gas appliance if not also shutting off all others!
Not pointless at all. Gas furnaces are the leading cause of CO leaks in a house. And the point of the device is to get you out of the house first. Shutting off the furnace is a bonus.
Let's hope apple buys Nest, a perfect fit into the future
Actually, Nest as an indepedant is pretty cool. Although the founders are former Apple, many of their senior management are former Google and other companies, which gives it a nice cross platform vibe. Even the Google Security team did work at Nest to strengthen the overall platform as a side project.
The Protect does has a light which is designed to light the way in the dark as you bump around your own house at night. I'm sure it probably lights up in a nighttime emergency, especially since people will be scurrying past it anyway trying to get out.
Sorry, that was poorly written. I meant the $60 Kiddie ones. There are $20 Kiddie ones with escape lights but no CO monitors. I tried to find a wireless Smoke/CO detector with voice and light equivalent but my Amazonfu failed me.
Comments
Expensive? Yes. But, I'm sure I can swing replacement of all six of my smoke detectors over a period of a year without breaking too much sweat. I'm definitely looking forward to no more chirping or false alarms, especially when a spider decides to make a nest near the sensor.
Then, in 7 years from the date of the first one you installed, they'll start alerting you one by one that you're about to spend another $903 over the course of that year. And so forth and so on every 7 years.
Quote:
Similar to how it works here in the US. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Assocation) publishes the most widely accepted standards in the US. Most people don't know or even need to know who they are, but these are the folks that publish NFPA 70 - also know as the "National Electrical Code". They publish the standards that affect electricity, gas, fireplaces, chimneys, cooking equipment, heaters, smoke detectors, alarm systems, wiring, fire trucks, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers - pretty much anything you can think of that has to do with anything fire or safety related.
NFPA says about smoke detectors:
One in each each bedroom AND
One outside each sleeping area AND
One on each level
Hardwire interconnected so they all go off if one goes off
Installed by a qualified electrician (this does not include homeowners unless they are qualified electricians)
Replace every 10 years (or sooner if they fail a monthly test or recommend by the manufacturer)
Most jurisdictions adopt NFPA 72 National Fire Code standards as part of their code requirements. Detectors that are not AC powered or hardwired together are not permitted in new construction! It appears there is NO MODEL of Nest detector that meets current requirements for smoke detectors in new construction. Certainly, Nest is aware of this - you'd think!
Uh, the hardwired model is compliant with this.
Starting to feel unsafe that my house has only 1 smoke detector...
Me too.
Traditional thermostats are rectangular and the Nest is round.
Traditional smoke detectors are round and the Nest Protect is square.
We see a trend here - be different.
I admire neither my car, my toaster, nor my thermostat but I have a nicer one than the bare minimum one can buy with all of them due to features that make them more enjoyable products to own.
My car, which I chose not to mention by name, is clearly not a status symbol. it offers features I like. Your argument that only what you perceive as a "status symbol" makes for a valid reason to buy a product that isn't the bare essentials is invalid.
Will Nest Protect offer me something that my current smoke detectors can't? Is something I think is worth the money? That's what's important, not your pathetic view of status symbols as the only reason innovative and quality products should exist.
Traditional thermostats are rectangular and the Nest is round.
You must be young enough that all your thermostats were programmable. Traditional thermostats have the exact same form factor as the Nest.
I also noted the comment about wireless. While they will need to communicate, I do not believe for a moment that the amount of information communicated will come anywhere close to what is required to stream audio and/or video. Don't you already have a modern, dual band wireless router?
Directly from the Nest Protect manual:
- Must be replaced every 7 years
- Residential use only - not for commercial or industrial use (can't use it at your office, unlike the Nest thermostat)
- Should be installed in accordance with NFPA 72 (specifies number, type, and location of detectors and how they are to be installed)
So, a typical 3-bedroom, single-story home...
5 detectors at $129 each installed in 2 hours by a qualified electrician charging $100/hr. will cost about $900 every 7 years.
This is how Nest attempts to protect themselves:
"Specific requirements for Smoke Alarm
installation vary from state to state and from
region to region. Check with your local Fire
Department for current requirements in your area."
$900 every 7 years. For some folks that's not a lot of money.
The onelink wireless 2 pack is $109.
http://www.amazon.com/Onelink-Wireless-Operated-Monoxide-SCO501B2/dp/B005FCA5W6
or $64 solo.
http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-SCO501CN-3ST-SCO500-Combination/dp/B000EVO7C2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1381235553&sr=8-5&keywords=smoke++and+carbon+monoxide+detectors
So it's about double the price of a mid grade model. Big deal. The protect has wifi status and interconnectivity with the thermostat.
Weirdly these don't have escape lights.
For $60 you get interoperability with the thermostat and motion sensors distributed through your house and a nifty night light feature.
Wanna bet a Nest security system won't tie into the installed Protects in the future?
I've read the above comments and will simply say that I will be starting out with two. One for each occupied bedroom. Then, as extra cash becomes available, I will purchase more until they are in all the other rooms. While this will not have the full convenience of setting up the entire house all at once, I will get there.
I would do ground floor location and master bedroom. Next one goes in or near the furnace room. Then fill in the gaps thereafter.
If there is a fire on the ground floor or a CO problem you want to know before it triggers in your bedrooms.
Woo! That exact model of Honeywell represent! Kids these days, growing up with square thermostats? Makes me feel as old as my hair says I am.
Boy, some of the comments in this thread act are pretty devoid of reading...like the manuals..and interviews with Nest executives.
First, read the Wired article interviewing Tony Fadell. One of the things he mentioned is that he had to assign two of his people full time to working with Underwriters Laboratories just to wrap their brains around the regulations surrounding smoke alarms. It's a highly regulated industry, much like health care and building codes...don't think that Nest didn't think about all the regulations of this class of products before shipping. Not to mention it looks like Nest is launching this product in Canada, the UK and maybe elsewhere. And I'm sure that all of those countries have similar regulations.
Second, the whole thing about using the red wire for smoke alarm synchronization was a big deal...in 1985. Wireless communication makes this pretty obsolete. And its not like the Nest Protects need a lot of time to communicate an emergency around the house...say, milliseconds over WiFi? Once the specific emergency is transmitted, those Protects are going to be screaming for you to get out, and unlike old fashioned detectors, it will say where the fire is. And if WiFi is down from the start of the emergency, Protects use the 802.15.4 "ZigBee" low power wireless mesh standard which means they can do their job regardless.
Yes, some people have a lot of smoke alarms in their house. Good for you. If buying 6 detectors at once is too rich for you, buy two now, and more over time. If its not worth the cost, at least make sure the ones you have are active and functional.
But this product launch made me (and I suspect a lot of people) to take stock in their detectors. In my case, I have three. One battery operated Kidde that I installed six months ago. The other two 120v models probably came with the house 20 years ago...and are well past the date they ever worked. Which means I really only have one working detector in a two story house...and none are located in the bedrooms (and I was wondering why the one near the kitchen never went off!). Just getting me to think about it will result in getting a sale or three out of me. It's too important not to act.
One more feature...the Protect's motion sensors will communicate whether or not someone is home to Nest Thermostats. This is important since some Nest Therm owners have the problem that their Themostats aren't in traffic areas where the motion sensors will pick up traffic for the Auto-Away function. The Protects can increase the surveillance net of the house and make Auto-Away more efficient for those home owners, which helps to decrease energy costs.
The Nest manual specifically mentions that all smoke/CO detectors have a specific operating life before they must be replaced. And that includes the Protect.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure the firmware of these things can be upgraded for future tricks. How cool is that? It may be useful later on since the Protect's temperature sensors could be used to communicate back to the Nest Thermostats for more specific temperature control room to room.
Great, so it will shut down a home's gas furnace, but what about my gas water heater?! Minor gap!
Maybe, but the Protect will still alert you to get the hell out, regardless of where the CO leak is coming from.
So it's about double the price of a mid grade model. Big deal. The protect has wifi status and interconnectivity with the thermostat.
Weirdly these don't have escape lights.
The Protect does has a light which is designed to light the way in the dark as you bump around your own house at night. I'm sure it probably lights up in a nighttime emergency, especially since people will be scurrying past it anyway trying to get out.
Maybe, but the Protect will still alert you to get the hell out, regardless of where the CO leak is coming from.
Pointless to shut off one gas appliance if not also shutting off all others!
Not pointless at all. Gas furnaces are the leading cause of CO leaks in a house. And the point of the device is to get you out of the house first. Shutting off the furnace is a bonus.
Let's hope apple buys Nest, a perfect fit into the future
Actually, Nest as an indepedant is pretty cool. Although the founders are former Apple, many of their senior management are former Google and other companies, which gives it a nice cross platform vibe. Even the Google Security team did work at Nest to strengthen the overall platform as a side project.
The Protect does has a light which is designed to light the way in the dark as you bump around your own house at night. I'm sure it probably lights up in a nighttime emergency, especially since people will be scurrying past it anyway trying to get out.
Sorry, that was poorly written. I meant the $60 Kiddie ones. There are $20 Kiddie ones with escape lights but no CO monitors. I tried to find a wireless Smoke/CO detector with voice and light equivalent but my Amazonfu failed me.