(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best fire safety products

First item isn't recovery, but it is the number one item I always recommend. I've been in the position to need a fire extinguisher when one wasn't available. Vehicle was a total loss and it was a long walk out of the woods.

https://www.amazon.com/21006287MTL-Kidde-Automotive-Extinguisher-Disposable/dp/B077KGCD6Z/

For recovery gear, there are several nice kits that make a great start.

https://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Ridge-15104-28-000lb-Recovery/dp/B00426HZXS

Then I'd get a trail jack

https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-2722-Universal-Trail-Jack/dp/B001CF3JFA

Finally, yes, the kinetic ropes are GREAT. But I'd first have a winch as it is much more versatile. Rope:

https://www.amazon.com/Bubba-Rope-176680RDG-Breaking-Strength/dp/B007HYR85W

This is the polar opposite of SMD, but I thought I'd share my solution...

While I love DIY, smoke detectors are important. I wanted to interface with my home system but without compromising the integrity of the system.

Get a 120v first alert.
First Alert SA521CN Wireless Interconnected Hardwired Photoelectric Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EVO9D4

Get the smart relay interconnect.
BRK RM4 Smart Relay for First Alert https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039PF21U
This includes schematic for wiring to the detector and the color codes for NO/NC relay connection.

~~Get an optocoupler or isolation relay. Mains Voltage! The output of the RM4 is 120V.
Enclosed AC/DC Power Relay with Protection & De-Bounce. Screw Terminals. 120V Trigger Input. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017743I7S
The RM4 output powers the relay. The screw terminals connect to the 8266.~~

Get a Esp8266; Flash tasmota firmware. Configure for switch and mqtt. Wire it up.
First Alert is now part of the matrix.

Quick update: Did not need the second relay/optocoupler. The BRK RM4 is an isolated relay. Their docs did not make that perfectly clear so I assumed worst case w/o testing it.

I think this is a great build. One thing to note is that the 2700x support a max RAM clock speed of 3000GHz, but there will be a firmware upgrade in the future that expands support to DDR5-4500, so feel free to look for upgrades in that department.

Personally, however, i would go with a build such as the following -- replace the AMD CPU with an Intel one because they are far more reliable, but maybe replace 5700 XT with a GTX 960 which performs about the same for your use case. I've also included a backup PSU and a fire extinguisher for the same reason that I carry a condom in my pocket -- better to always be prepared, I always say.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $199.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | *Gigabyte Z390 UD ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $89.99 @ Newegg
Memory | *G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $52.99 @ Newegg
Storage | *Patriot Burst 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $69.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | *ASRock Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB CHALLENGER D OC Video Card | $349.99 @ Newegg
Case | NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case | $69.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Diablotek 600 W ATX Power Supply | $5.00 @ Your local pawn shop
Power Supply | Diablotek 600 W ATX Power Supply | $5.00 @ Your local pawn shop
External Peripherals | First Alert Home Fire Extinguisher - 4-Pk, Rated 1-A:10-B:C | $79.45 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $997.37
| Mail-in rebates | -$50.00
| Total | $947.37
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-27 02:39 EST-0500 |

These kinds of difficult-to-decode component markings are a fact of life unfortunately. Eventually you will start using surface mount components which are not marked at all (the supply reel is marked, the tiny Rs and Cs are not).

So, I recommend you buy a capable multimeter like the VC97 which measures resistance and capacitance and temperature and frequency and more. It's available from lots of online sellers including Amazon. Now you can measure an unknown component and use the measured value to help you decipher which of the character strings marked on the component, encoded its value. Or you can simply decide to trust the measurement and disregard the markings.

When you start working with surface mount components, you'll want tweezer probes. These let you connect your DMM to the teeny tiny leads of surface mount components

• $4.95 from sparkfun
  
  
• $32 from Amazon
  
  
• $0.05 if you make them yourself -- instructables.com

I'm excited about the Philips Hue integration! That's news to me, as the only thing I heard about was possible LiFX integration after I had already bought quite a few Hue Bulbs.

The streaming camera looks nice. I hope it pivots to look up and down because that's a limitation I've dealt with on the current versions.

I wonder if the slim door strip is similar to the Sensative strips. Lots of people have mentioned them here, but I haven't heard of anyone who actually tried them out to see if they'd pair and work.

One downside that I can foresee with the smoke alarm listener is that it will need to placed within 6 inches of your current smoke alarm, so you'd need one listener for every smoke alarm. However, it will be nice to have for the garage because a lot of smart smoke alarms are smoke and CO, and you don't really want to put a CO alarm in your garage. I use the First Alert SMOKE1000 Atom Micro Photoelectric Smoke Alarm (If you're wondering if you need one of those, go read the reviews on Amazon!).

I could only find support articles for the:

Abode Smoke Alarm Monitor

Abode Recessed Door Sensor

Outdoor Siren (Edit: Seems to have been removed)

Overall, awesome update! What's the opposite of buyer's remorse? Because I have it. So glad I went with abode!

I have first alert zwave zcombo sensors (smoke/co) connected to homeseer. During an alarm all connected lights turn on and I am sent text messages.

You can use almost any zwave controller and zwave switches/lamp module/bulbs to achieve the same thing, though I recommend a controller that doesn't depend on the internet (aka smartthings, wink, nest, alexa)

For the price of 2 nest protects (@ $240) you can get a homeseer zee2 and two first alert zcombos. ($230+shipping). Then you have a lot more options and flexibility.

You could save some money on the controller with a hubitat elevation for $75. It has more radios but it isnt as flexible or as powerful as the Pi3 powered Zee2.

https://shop.homeseer.com/collections/smart-home-hubs/products/zee-s2-smart-home-hub

https://hubitat.com/products

https://shop.ring.com/products/first-alert-smoke-co-alarm-zcombo-g-z-wave
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-Wireless-Interconnected-Photoelectric/dp/B0064S9IQ4/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=First+alert+zwave&qid=1571790602&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-8

I bought a combination of these two:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YC535Q/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EVO7C2/

I like how they interconnect with each other so that if any of them alert, they all alert. It also has voice alert to tell you where and what type of hazard there is.

I installed 1 combo Carbon Monoxide on each floor of my house, and then the straight smoke detectors in almost every other room.

Since we're on the topic... I have had a fire extinguisher for many years. Probably around 18 years, if I had to guess. The little dial still shows it with a full/normal "charge". I've wondered if I'm being foolish for trusting that, since it's pretty old. It's not my only extinguisher, but I've kept it around since the dial shows it's still ok. Thoughts?

Btw, it looks exactly like this one.... but much dustier.
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-21005779-Fire-Extinguisher-160CI/dp/B017KHL74S/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1498583609&sr=1-4&keywords=fire+extinguisher

The most direct same-brand replacement for what you have is the First Alert 9120b -- it looks like a 12-pack is $110 with shipping.

Many locales now want you to have photoelectric or dual-detection photoelectric & ionization detectors, so you may wish to pick up one or more of that sort in the same brand for each floor.

/u/geuben he's right you know, you should install a carbon monoxide detector. This is one of the best ones, lasts 10 years. I got the one with the digital display for like $35 iirc, the price went up, shop elsewhere



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FHW7P40/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks! Is BRK somehow related with First Alert now?
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-9120LBL-Hardwire-Battery/dp/B01F8POAAW/

I see a BRK9120LB* that's branded alternatively as BRK or First Alert with a BRK product code.

It'll work, but just to be safe, get this as well.

I may be mistaken, but I believe you can buy a sensor which detects heat or fire but not smoke. This would likely be ideal for your garage.

Normal household smoke detectors pick up particulate matter which is the by-product of combustion, such as vehicle exhaust. They also will pick up dust, like sawdust, and trigger. You'd likely get a few false alarms if you used one of them.

Edit: Yeah, I found some, just as an FYI.

https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-HD135F-Fyrnetics-Hardwire-Detector/dp/B000P4YY8K?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_5

https://www.amazon.com/System-Sensor-5602-Single-Circuit-Mechanical/dp/B0015Q7SZS?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4

https://www.amazon.com/BRK-Brands-HD6135FB-Hardwire-Battery/dp/B000Q6LXW2?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

Might I recommend this if you really hate having to replace the battery? I picked one up for my grandma who had a panic attack every time her old one chirped because the battery was dying.

They're pricy at retail but I got hers pretty cheaply at a car convention because one of the local hospitals were selling safety products at-cost (for them). Also, it seems you're supposed to replace your smoke detectors every 10 years anyway (or so said the nice lady from the hospital).


On a side note: my school was once evacuated because a spider web set off a smoke detector. Took the Fire Department hours to find the reason.

I honestly didn't think of that. Makes me feel a bit stupid, really. It'll be here tomorrow, and thank you for maybe saving my life in the future? You're officially Schrödinger's hero for the rest of time!

just an example, $23

https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-SCO5CN-Combination-Monoxide/dp/B000MXJ498/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541205924&sr=8-3&keywords=smoke+co+detector&dpID=41nruI9lfrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Edit: That being said, I highly recommend networked CO and smoke detectors such as the Nest Protect. But they're a lot of money... $75-200/ea.

Can't really go wrong with a Nest Protect really.

Thank you, very good advice. I ended up ordering this similar item just for her kitchen and will give her the advice if it's anything more than just a small containable fire there to high tail it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Firefighter-Extinguisher-Gasoline-Apartment/dp/B01MS6YYP9/

For example, this Nest detector is hardwired but doesn't use the interconnect wire.

I'm looking for something like this, but that does use the interconnect wire?

I hacked one of those dual-sensor ion/photoelectric combination alarms. It now has a telephone jack coming out the side, and a telephone wire connects it to a Raspberry Pi. This supplies dedicated power and communicates with the alarm to text me/email me/play an alarm on my phone when the detector goes off (sounds like a school siren). I can then pull up my camera feed and see what set it off. It also sends out a heartbeat signal to a central server, which will alert me if it hasn't received anything from the detector in a while.

It actually works pretty well. It's sitting right above the stove and has very very few false alarms. I could probably eliminate them entirely if I tweaked my programming a bit.

The smoke detector I used as a basis for my mods: First Alert Smoke Alarm

I have no idea about heal tolerances, but I found one that wirelessly connects to others, so if one goes off they all go off. I hooked up 3 of these in my house that doesn't have any hardwired smoke detectors.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064S9IQ4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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EDIT: Alternatively, you could get one of these which connects to smartthings hub, so if it goes off you could get notifications on your phone. I actually bought 3 of these as well:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KMHXFAI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Something like this then?

Yes, [actually, they do](First Alert AF400 Tundra Fire Extinguisher Aerosol Spray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001229JCU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fNC.ybECQDXHV).

And just to be sure, I bought some of one of these for my game room after finding out one of my consoles power supply had been poorly repaired back in the day. https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-AF400-Extinguishing-Aerosol/dp/B001229JCU

Hardwired smoke detector: $11
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-9120B-Hardwired-Battery/dp/B00O8MVW3U/ref=sr_1_7?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1468794096&sr=1-7&keywords=smoke+detector

Cut-off relay that trips when smoke detector goes off: $15.52
https://www.amazon.com/BRK-Brands-RM4-Smart-Relay/dp/B0039PF21U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1468794161&sr=1-10&keywords=smoke+detector+relay

For less than $30 you can have a printer mounted smoke detector that will kick the printer power off in the event of smoke. While pretty far from UL compliant, I used an old serial cable for power and relay connections to the smoke detector then wired the relay to the mains going to the power supply. If you don't want to hard wire it into the power supply, optionally build it into a junction box or whatever. In the majority of cases there's more than enough smoke to set off the detector well before actual flames. Once the smoke detector stops sensing smoke the relay will kick the power back on but the printer will have been power cycled so all should be good other than the damage caused by the runaway to your heater element.

This is pretty weird. If you've already told him you feel unsafe without them and he won't budge, that's a pretty big red flag. You could look into installing these: https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-P1010-Photoelectric-10-Year/dp/B01A0M4EYU They're tiny and don't require batteries, so he probably won't notice them around the house.

I am bringing a grill to the festival. I know I need to buy a fire extinguisher. From your knowledge, is this one going to be suitable for their standards?

Does brand matter? Are there anything you should look for in CO and Smoke detectors? I have one of these and something similar for smoke detector.

Here is one example but there are many more.

Mini Firefighter MFF01 Multi Purpose 4-in-1 Fire Extinguisher Eliminator for Gasoline, Kitchen Grease, Oil, Electric and Wood Fires. Home Safety https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MS6YYP9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IfAaAbXS36STP

Or just pick up some of these and don't worry about running a bunch of wires: https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-SA511CN2-3ST-Smoke-Alarm/dp/B000YC535Q/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=wireless+smoke+detector&qid=1562997929&s=gateway&sr=8-6

You need a heat detector rather than a smoke detector.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q6LXW2/

Carbon monoxide detector is an interesting choice. We know there will be exhaust fumes, it's a garage. I wonder if it might alert too frequently and become annoying.

If I was going to put a Carbon Monoxide detector in a garage I'd want it to be one with a digital readout so that I can see the levels.

https://www.amazon.com/BRK-Brands-HD6135FB-Hardwire-Battery/dp/B000Q6LXW2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541321139&sr=8-3&keywords=Heat+Detectors&dpID=41MPAs%252Bv5rL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

get a heat detector, not a smoke detector.

What about the aerosol ones?

I was able to connect my hardwired smoke detectors to my SmartThings system with a BRK RM4 Relay. I installed it in the junction box behind the detector in my basement. When the alarm sounds it will open its switch. By connecting this switch to the auxiliary contact terminals on a door sensor mounted nearby, my HA system knows that the alarms are sounding. This should also work with any other hub that supports a zwave door switch (read: all of them.)

Here's the magic:
BRK RM4 Smoke Alarm Accessory Relay https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039PF21U/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_-HVLwb9C5KFTY

And the door switch I'm using:
Ecolink Z-Wave Door/Window Sensor (DWZWAVE2-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_qKVLwbPRVRM5Y

$10 gets you a smoke alarm with a silence button.