Smoke and CO2 detectors

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Aug 11, 2005
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674
Location
connecticut
Want to install smoke and co2 detectors in the hose.Mom lives with e and is home alone while im at work 10-12 hrs a day,she often falls asleep and doesnt hear lots of things. So i want to get wireless aka battery interconnected detectors that will cover basement and 1st floor . Just a reg ranch house not very big. Which brand is the best ? Oil furnace in the basement as well as garage under house as well. Thanks.
 
Nest protect covers both carbon monoxide and smoke in one unit. Units are interconnected.

Six AA lithium batteries will last for ~5 years if you don't buy the wired version.

You'll be notified via the nest app if there's an issue at home. Can also silent the alarm using the phone.
 
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I have the hardwired version of this combo smoke/CO detector by my furnace and just smoke detectors in the rest of the house.

They’ve been fine.

First Alert SCO501CN-3ST Wireless Interconnected Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Location, Battery Operated
https://a.co/8b6oxQd
 
Mine are Kidd’s as well. Mine were wired in when the house was new but I understand wireless is available. I changed the one in garage to just a fire alarm because there were too many carbon monoxide false alarms there.
 
We have 5 Kidde brand battery-operated smoke detectors. We have a wood stove (that we almost never use) and the detector near it is a combination smoke and CO detector. That combination detector and one upstairs are connected by wire. Another detector is connected to our monitored security system.
 
Except for michael007's recommendation for the NEST system, no one one has really addressed the OP's request for "wireless aka battery interconnected detectors". This will include me, because I prefer the dual ionization/photoelectric detectors. I also have separate CO detectors** and in the basement I also have a natural gas detector. All battery operated, not smart, and not interconnected.

My straw boss, armchair quarterback advice to the OP is to do your own internet search of "wireless battery interconnected smoke detectors" and whittle down which you think is best for your situation. I started a search - I think you might have to make some compromises to get the interconnected battery models, but they are out there.

First Alert brand tends to have better reviews for MY specifications. I imagine these detectors have to meet some standards, so you might find your "sweet spot" with an unrecognized brand, probably o.k. as long as it is not a super cheapo Chinese knockoff.

Good luck on your search. I love this type or research and might add more.


** I follow this CO detector placement guideline, but location is HUGELY debated: "Some instruction manuals and online guides recommend installing your detector on the ceiling. This isn’t widely accepted – although Carbon Monoxide has a lower density (and therefore is lighter) than normal air when CO is built up, this tends to be due to a heat-source incorrectly burning fuel. This means that regular air is heated, forming a pocket under the ceiling and potentially preventing the carbon monoxide from getting to a detector placed on the ceiling. Due to this, we recommend always installing your carbon monoxide on a wall instead, ideally about a few feet under the top of your ceiling. If the carbon monoxide detector you’ve purchased happens to have a digital display, try placing it at just above eye-level."
 
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I believe the big name brands have these available like Kidde for example.

As for which one is best? It wouldn’t shock me to find out that they are all the same except for the brand name attached.
 
Whatever you decide to install will work, if you really want a good back to everything we have one plug in model that has a digital read out on it.

Yes, me over thinking things like the idea of the readout for lets say you have a low level of CO in the house that isn't enough to trigger the alarm. Generally anything from 0 to 50 or 60 PPM won't trigger it but the readout will show it on the digital screen.
This will allow you to address the issue before it becomes an issue and builds up to the level that sounds an alarm generally 70 PPM and above.
 
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