First Alert Onelink Smoke Detector - Homekit related

[TRICKorDEVICE]

Hi all,

I have had two of these wired units installed since last November. I had a battery one installed too, but I had to replace it three times because it kept burning through the 10 yr battery - supposedly that is fixed now, but after the fourth one failed I returned it.

My question is this:

As of today the Home app in iOS 10 still says that these are not supported. Given that Apple has them on their website, I find this odd. I was anticipating a firmware update akin to what August smart lock put out, which made it fully compatible with iOS 10 and Home.

So am I missing an update? Are there newer models of these that actually work right? How many of you have these?

Bonus questions:
1. after you do a test does it show up as a test completed in the list of events in the Onelink app?
2. Are you able to use Siri to control these things? Such as checking CO2 levels and changing the night light brightness

Any answers are appreciated and verbose answers are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

Update: Spoke to First Alert. They said a Homekit firmware update was coming very soon. All models will get it. They said my hardware didn't sound right and are replacing it for free.

Good customer service.

 

[boston04and07]

Update: Spoke to First Alert. They said a Homekit firmware update was coming very soon. All models will get it. They said my hardware didn't sound right and are replacing it for free.

Good customer service.

Glad it worked out. I was really interested in getting those smoke detectors for a while but then found that reviews were almost universally negative. I figured something must be up so hopefully the software update will fix whatever was going on. It's nice that they seem to stand by their products though.

Anyway I'd love to hear your thoughts after the software update. If they seem to be working I'll probably grab a few myself.

 

[gsmornot]

Update: Spoke to First Alert. They said a Homekit firmware update was coming very soon. All models will get it. They said my hardware didn't sound right and are replacing it for free.

Good customer service.

I don't have an opinion at the moment so I am asking, what is the advantage of having a smoke detector that is Homekit connected? I read you will get a notice if the alarm goes off, I assume you will hear the alarm in the house. Maybe if you are away and need to run back home to investigate? Again, I'm asking. I'm getting close, within a year, of needing to replace my detectors due to age. I am looking at options. The basic units versus connected units. I have about 10 detectors in my house so this is a significant purchase if I go connected.

 

[boston04and07]

I don't have an opinion at the moment so I am asking, what is the advantage of having a smoke detector that is Homekit connected? I read you will get a notice if the alarm goes off, I assume you will hear the alarm in the house. Maybe if you are away and need to run back home to investigate? Again, I'm asking. I'm getting close, within a year, of needing to replace my detectors due to age. I am looking at options. The basic units versus connected units. I have about 10 detectors in my house so this is a significant purchase if I go connected.

Sometimes just a few minutes can make all the difference. I have pets in my home and therefore I simply won't risk something potentially happening when I'm not there to report it. The technology is there for me to always keep an eye on my home so there's no way I'm going to risk not having it.

A few years ago my neighbor's house caught fire in the middle of the night when they weren't home. By sheer luck, my sister just happened to be randomly awake, smelled the smoke and called 911. However, we live on a pretty remote street and we were told that the house very easily could have burned down quickly had she not happened to notice it. So I'm not gonna rely on my neighbors or anyone else happening to notice anything going on - I now have Nest detectors as well as an in-home security system, so there's always someone watching even when I might be distracted and unable to answer the phone. Might seem redundant or excessive to many people but after my experience wih my neighbors, peace of mind is absolutely, 100% worth the investment.

The reason why I'm interested in the HomeKit detectors when I already have the Nest ones is just because in theory it'd be nice to see all my home sensors in one single app, but in reality the Nest ones have been working fine for me so far. Maybe someday though once I get more invested in HomeKit in general, I'll have another look at them.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

There are a few benefits. One, getting notified of smoke/CO2 when you are away from the home. Two, being able to ask Siri the status of the sensors. Three, the wired detectors have a built in night light LED feature. It's really great being able to adjust the brightness via the app. The last one is that you can test and the detectors via the app which makes it really simple.

Is it necessary, no probably not. But as with most technology it is about convenience an making things slightly easier.

I am very satisfied with there customer service and this replacement hardware with firmware 2.0 seems to be working as it is supposed to now.

Now I need to buy some of the battery versions to place in areas of the home with no wiring.

 

[gsmornot]

Fantastic replies. I will strongly consider smart detectors at the time I need to replace mine. I should be doing it within the next year and will look for some that have the light. All of the 10 or so that I have are wired.