Connecting Smoke & CO detector to HS3 & adding automatic inside garage door holder

[Timon]

Update: I wrote a HowTo guide for integrating the Smoke and CO detectors into HomSeer. You can fine it here.

I finally got around to connecting my existing Smoke and CO detectors so they will automatically close the inside garage door. While I was at it ai also connected them to HS3 so if the Smoke or CO detectors are trigger I will get an e-mail notified.

It turns out that this really isn't that hard to do but it does take planing to do it correctly so your Smoke and CO detectors are not compromised.

Our house didn't have interconnected Smoke or CO detectors, unlike most houses built in the last 20 years do. With interconnected Smoke and CO detectors if one goes off all of them go off. When we remodeled I made sure that every Smoke, CO and Heat detector in the entire house was interconnected and that the loop went into the garage. The garage has a heat detector since CO detectors are not recommended in garages. It's not that they don't work but that they can trigger to easily when you drive you car in.

So how can you connect to your existing Smoke and CO detectors safely? It's very easy if your using Kidde or FireX Smoke and CO detectors. Kidde makes two wonderful accessories which allow your Smoke and CO detectors to safely signal accessories devices. The two accessories are the SM120X and the CO120X. There are other brand names Kidde goes under and they will work as well.

Both of these devices connect to the same interconnect cable as your existing Smoke and CO detectors. Each contain a fully isolated form C relay that will signal when either Smoke or CO is detected. By using these you WILL NOT compromise your smoke and co detectors.

So how do I control the door going into the garage? By using the exact same device that commercial buildings use. I used one from Edwards Signaling who is a big name in the fire device world. The one I used was the 1509 Series but they have several in the entire 1500 series depending you how you need to mount one.

Now you ask how do I get the door holder to release the door when the smoke detectors go off? Well, that's where the SM120X and CO120X come into play.
The door release runs on 120V so I start with a HS Z-Wave switch so I can control the door from the HS3. The switch is connected to the hot and neutral of the Smoke and CO detectors power. I take the output of the switch and feed it though the normally closed contacts of the SM120X then through the normally closed contacts of the CO120X and then to the hot side of the door holder. The common of the door holder goes to the neutral of the detector power interconnect. If the Z-Wave switch or either the SM120X or the CO120X turn off the door is released. I've also programmed HS3 to always turn the Z-Wave switch on if it's been off for 10 seconds. That way I can just tell the switch to turn off and the door is released but after 10 seconds you can push the door back to the holder again.

So how can HS3 monitor the existing Smoke and CO detectors? For that I used a Aeotec ZW097 connected to another SM120X. If you want to monitor CO you'll need another ZW097 and a CO120X.

So during the day we usually leave the inside garage door open, it's the coolest place for the dogs, but if the Smoke or CO detectors trip the inside garage door closes thus containing any possiable fire to only one area. At night when we tell HS to close up the house, after we call the dogs upstairs, the inside garage door will close. I've even though about having HS3 close the inside garage door if someone opens the main garage door.

At least now I don't have my wife putting a paint can to hold the inside garage door open when she is doing laundry.

The main thing is only connect to your smoke and CO detectors using these accessories as they are the only approved and UL certified way to interface to Kidde Smoke and CO detectors. Doing it any other way is totally UNSAFE! In addition if you're not experienced working with electrical consult a professional.

[cowinger]

Just wondering since sound waves cause vibrations and when a Smoke/CO detector triggers the siren, which should have some level of vibration, then would a z-wave vibration sensor connected right next to the speaker be able to pick up those vibrations. Maybe this one or similar? It says it has a sensitivity adjustment. There are other ways to pick up the sound waves and convert to a signal that could be used on a z-wave device to trigger an event. Just a thought.

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Z-W...bration+sensor

[Timon]

Don't think a vibration detector would work since they detect mainly low frequencies and the alarms are on the higher end. Sound detectors would work better. Still I think this way is more fool proof but does require a hard wired system.

[Timon]

Next part of this project will be adding a whole house attic fan into the mix. We used to have one but it was the old style which was big and noisy. I'm getting the newer style that is fully insulated and a lot quieter.

For this part of the project I'll be making heavy use of the smoke and CO alarms. If the smoke alarm trips the fan and the HVAC will be turned off. If the CO trips the HVAC will be shutdown and the fan will be turned on to ventilate the house. All of this will override any manual or thermostat settings.

I though about shutting down all the natural gas in the house but then I'd have to re-lite the pilot on the water heater every time I ran a test. Since the water heater is in the garage the main source of CO is the HVAC so I didn't see the need.

Once I finish this up I will publish everything about how I did it.

[racerfern]

When you say shutdown HVAC is it because it is a hot air system for heat in addition to A/C? I have radiator HW for heat and central A/C for cooling but unsure where shutting off A/C would be beneficial if CO alarm goes off.

Wouldn't it be better to ventilate as much as possible? Or no?

I too have an older noisy attic fan and will consider a newer one fairly soon.

[Timon]

HowTo for connecting Kidde Smoke and CO detectors to HomeSeer

Ok, I finally got around to writing a complete HowTo connect Kidde or FireX Smoke and CO sectors to HomeSeer.

What makes this possiable is two modules made by Kidde. The SM120X - Smoke Relay Module and the CO120X - Carbon Monoxide Relay Module. These modules connect to the same connections that the Kidde Smoke and CO detectors connect to. Just as the Smoke and CO detectors monitor each other and all sound when any one of them detect Smoke or CO the relay modules also do the same but instead of sounding they give you a Form C relay contact output that you can control just about anything with. In our case we’re going to use them to trigger a ZW097 Dry Contact Sensor made by Aeotec.

Here are links to the devices you’ll need.

• For detecting Smoke: Kidde SM120X - Smoke Relay Module
  
• For detecting CO: Kidde CO120X - Carbon Monoxide Relay Module
  
• Z-Wave interface: Aeotec by Aeon Labs ZW097 Dry Contact Sensor

If you don't have any CO detectors you'll only need the smoke module and one ZW097. If detecting both then you’ll need two ZW097s.

The Kidde Relay modules have seven connections of which we’ll be using five.

• The Black, White and Red wires go to the AC cable interconnecting the smoke detectors exactly as the Black, White and Red wires coming out of the Kidde Make and CO detectors.
  
• Blue, Yellow and Orange wires are from the relay. Blue is common, Yessow is the Normally Closed contact and Blue is the Normally Open Contact. For this project the Yellow wire is not used.
  
• The Gray wire is 9V out and not used for this project..

Be sure to keep the insulated covers on the wires that are not being used.

The Blue and Orange wires from the Relay module and connect them to the T1 and T2 connections on the ZW097 module. You'll do this for both the Smoke and CO detector. The Blue and Orange wires are fairly heave so they will not come out under the Smoke detector mounting plate easily so I suggest using some smaller wire, around 20 or 22 gauge, and extend them. I would NOT use wire nuts but solder the connections and cover the connections in shrink tube. The relay outputs are totally isolated so there isn't a safety issue if you touch the wires.

Installing the modules

First, !!!!! TURN OFF THE BREAKER THAT POWERS THE SMOKE DETECTORS AND TEST TO MAKE SURE IT'S OFF !!!!!

The Relay module will be mounting inside the electrical box the Smoke detecter is mounting on. Unless the box is extra deep it's very unlikely you'll be able to put both relay modules in one box. The best way is to mount the relay modules in two different boxes. In our case I put the Smoke module in the hall and the CO Module in the office.

Before removing the existing Smoke detector decide where you're going to place the ZW097. It should be as close as possible to the mounting plate for the Smoke detector, on the side it's less noticeable and placed so the least amount of wire shows but you still have enough to be able to change the battery on the ZW097.

Place a piece of painters tape next to where mounting plate where the wires will come out and mark it.

So the wires won't get pinched, make a small notch in the drywall from the point you marked to the outlet box. You'll also want to make a very small notch in the edge of the box again so the wires don't get pinched.

The relay modules connect just like the smoke detectors do. Try to place the relay module in the very back of the box so all of the AC connections will be made in front of the module. Connect the Black, White and Red wires from the module to the same colored wires from the Smoke detector. Tuck the unused Gray and Yellow wire up and out of the way.



Now take the wires that will run to the ZW097 and place them in the notch keeping them flush and leaving enough extra wire so you can remove the ZW097 from it's mounting plate. Now replace the Smoke detector mounting plate making sure that the wires to the ZW097 are in the slow, move freely and are not pinched.



Connecting the ZW097

First, setup the ZW097 and install it into HS3 and test it to make sure it responds.

Mount the ZW097 mounting place. Connect the wires to the ZW097 and snap it onto its mounting plate.



Press the test button and make sure that HS3 see the two ZW097 change state.

Now all you have to do it program HS3 to do what ever you want it to do when the alarm trips.