nest smoke alarm

[danoid]

Hello, I want to replace 2 very old smoke alarms with nest protect.

Upstairs in a connector block has red, yellow and blue so that's easy enough.

Downstairs in a connector block has 2 reds going to live, yellow to interconnect, and blue cable and a black cable going to neutral.

Will I have any problems with installing these? I know the nest comes with connector blocks and guess I just replicate onto the supplied connectors, eg blue and black cable goes into the neutral block supplied

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Protect, do not require the link interconnection, as this will be a wireless format.
They should be terminated safely in a separate connector, not connected to the unit.

 

[danoid]

Yeah as I'm changing both I won't be using the interconnect and I'll be using the supplied connectors which allows 2 other cables.

So sounds like I should be okay

 

[RF Lighting]

It sounds like a great idea to ditch a perfectly good and ultra reliable hard wired interconnect cable in favour of wireless on the one thing you need to absolutely definitely work to potentially save your life one day.

 

[danoid]

I get what you mean, but they are both in the same place, so even if the WiFi crops out they'll still detect.
I'd understand if it were a big house but if downstairs triggered I'd hear it

 

[flameport]

Do the Nest smoke alarms still have the fatal flaw where they connect to the Internet and automatically update their own firmware?

 

[phatboy]

Do the Nest smoke alarms still have the fatal flaw where they connect to the Internet

That part alone is a major concern! What a complete waste of money they seem to be, and a quick Google shows a lack of reliability.

 

[RF Lighting]

I've no experience with these things. I'm genuinely interested as to what functionality connecting a smoke alarm to the internet can provide over a standard non-internet smoke alarm.

 

[Iggifer]

I've no experience with these things. I'm genuinely interested as to what functionality connecting a smoke alarm to the internet can provide over a standard non-internet smoke alarm.

It can tell you that your house has burnt down while you're on holiday, saves your neighbours having to break the news to you!

 

[SimonH2]

I'm genuinely interested as to what functionality connecting a smoke alarm to the internet can provide over a standard non-internet smoke alarm.

That's obvious if you realise that it's a Google product.
The "features" they don't really tell you about are those designed to send information about you and your activities to Google. Other than that, you are right, absolutely no positive benefit over a "proper" alarm.

 

[RF Lighting]

I presumed it must notify you. Does it do anything else?

I've got my aico smoke alarms set up to do this with a relay and an input on the burglar alarm.

 

[Iggifer]

It has some other interesting features, that are not particularly related to it's internet connectivity

You can wave at it to hush it
If you have a nest stat+smokes and the smoke detects CO it will shut down the boiler
It will tell you (audibly) which device has gone off in a multi device install
They self test themselves (too often IMO)
And they do a nice nightlight feature if you walk under them at night

Some features are a bit gimmicky (I don't own any btw) but if you need to go wireless, they're don't work out a great deal more expensive than Li-ion Aico's with Radiolink bases

 

[RF Lighting]

I think the CO detector shutting down the boiler is a great idea!

The rest like you say is very gimmicky, but you can't knock them for inventing a product to exploit the technology obsessed generation.

 

[Iggifer]

Yea shutting down the boiler was the one feature that stood out to me. Genius. And the fact that all Nests are CO detectors. Not sure what the smoke/heat situation is, think they all do both but might be wrong

 

[SimonH2]

Yea shutting down the boiler was the one feature that stood out to me. Genius.

You mean, like "ordinary" alarms can do with a relay module ? At least Aico can :
http://www.aico.co.uk/Accessories-RadioLINK.html
http://www.aico.co.uk/Accessories-Hard-wired.html