First Alert Z-Wave or Listener?

On the fence about adding 2 First Alert smoke/CO to replace the old alarm’s detectors. Or to add a listner next to the other existing smoke/CO.

Comments?

@su_A_ve wrote:

On the fence about adding 2 First Alert smoke/CO to replace the old alarm’s detectors. Or to add a listner next to the other existing smoke/CO.

Comments?

@su_A_ve ,

My personal recommendation: Buy the First Alert Smoke/CO Detector, not the listener.

Smoke/CO detector = Independent operation

Listener relies on another Smoke/CO and then has to successfully detect another siren.

We are talking about safety. You only save $5 if you get the Listener-sensor. Probably now is not the time to be pinching pennies.

These will be brand NEW Smoke-Detectors replacing OLD Detectors.

With a Listener, you’ll still have to essentially buy one Listener per existing Smoke Alarm, so no savings there either. Now you’ll have to maintain both the the sensor and the existing smoke-detector, since it has to work together in tandem. Also, the listener’s microphone needs to be ‘aimed’ at the Smoke Alarm and within the recommended 6-inches. It is not like one Listener can reliably listen to several Smoke Detectors.

Maybe if you are a renter and your Landlord refuses to let you replace the current smoke alarms , or the existing detectors have some special added features than the First Alert does not, then maybe a Listener might make more sense. But then again, just would just leave up the Landlords detector and add your First Alert Smoke/CO detetor as extra protection. It is kind of like double-Protection.

So the truly only real reason to get Listener over the First Alert is only a small price difference of $5. Is a $5 savings really worth it?

And you can find and buy the First Alert Smoke/CO Detector in local stores, which you might even find on a discounted sale and cheaper.

https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000705083-Ring-Alarm-Smoke-CO-Listener-Information

2 Likes

I realize this is 20 months after the post, but I just installed 2 listeners. Can’t get either one to sense the alarm going off, even when they’re well inside the recommended 6".

Go with alarms, not listeners.

Yeah. This is confusing. My system came with a Smoke/CO listener. When my smoke detector goes off, the listener turns red. It hears the siren. But, it doesn’t alert Ring. Support says my smoke detector is too old. So, I’ll need to replace it. The listener is worthless if I have to replace all of my smoke detectors.