Using Ecolink Fire Fighter or other smoke detector

I used to use a Leeo Smart Alert https://www.leeo.com/product to monitor my smoke alarms remotely. It worked really well, even detected a smoke alarm going off in a movie we were watching. They seem to have closed up shop and I am looking for an alternative.
I have a Vera 3 and doing a search it seems Ecolink have a similar type product. EcoLink Firefighter. They list it as working with Vera, they added some notes, https://discoverecolink.com/kb/vera-with-ecolink-fire-fighter/ about adding to Vera.
Has anyone added these or is it supported with Vera and do I still need to make the changes as mentioned by Ecolink?
Thank you

Rather than using a device that is listening for the sound, I changed out my smoke/co2 detectors to smart devices by first alert and added it to my system so the alarm is activated if they are triggered. Now i get both the detectors and sirens if there is a fire so i don’t worry about sleeping through an event and my neighbors also know if something is wrong. Bonus i get an alert via Vera. :slight_smile:

I had considered changing out my existing detectors but I have about 9 and most are pretty new, so I am pretty reluctant to change them out.
The Leeo seemed to worked pretty well, hoping this would act the same. Also Ecolink is battery operated so would also work if I had a power cut and fire. The reviews dont seem too bad on Amazon… https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Wireless-Detector-existing-FF-ZWAVE5-ECO/dp/B071Z8NM8N/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Hoping someone has tried them on Vera or are using a similar device that would work the same without swapping out my existing.

If the smoke alarms are interconnected, I would think only one needs to be changed to be monitored in Vera.

Since my early days on a Vera3, I’ve had the usual (for US) Kidde interconnected (via hardwire) smoke/CO alarms. I added an SM120X relay module to the circuit, to which I connected a Z-Wave door sensor that had an aux contact input. So when the smokes go off, the SM120X makes a contact closure on the aux circuit and the Z-Wave sensor device trips.

I’ve installed the more recent generation Kidde 10-year wire-free units in several homes, and they work quite well as long as you avoid all units with 2017 date codes (bad runs of batteries apparently, they fail in months vs the advertised 10 years–Kidde is quick to replace them under warranty, but it’s still a pain). You can mix wire-free and hard-wired, so it’s still possible to use the SM120X relay unit with them and get the best of both worlds, as long as you have at least one detector hard-wired.

So I bit the bullet and purchased the Ecolink. Adding the unit was a first time procedure and was included as a generic device. I made the changes as recommended by Ecolink in the first link.
The Ecolink does correctly detect a smoke alarm and the nice part is it shows when it no longer in alarm also the battery life, this is all via the iphone app.
At first I was seeing the generic device on both the web, Windows/Google, and Iphone Vera app. After making the changes I now see different device on both. On the Windows 10/Google, I only see the Temperature sensor in the Ecolink, no Ecolink smoke detector even though I used this login to amend the device.
On the Iphone app I only see the Ecolink smoke detector and no temperature sensor.
Any idea why this is or how to resolve it?

I just recently purchased one of these and am trying to get the information on which device file .xml and device .json file are needed for proper operation. I suspect category and subcategory may need modification as well. Currently it is included as D_GenericIO1.xml, etc. with a category number of 11, subcategory of 0. The link above is dead. I contacted Ecolink support last night and Bryson from Ecolink has already responded. He knew of the documentation and has referenced it in the past, unfortunately it wasn’t available to him (I’m guessing he is working remote due to Covid-19). So they are looking for the info and have committed to getting back with me when he gets an update. I have searched the forum high and low and Google in general and I keep getting pointed back to this thread. I’m hoping someone is actually using this device and knows the secret sauce. Whichever way it turns out, I’ll be sure it ends up documented here.

Not really familiar with the workings of the Vera, but here is a copy of my Params info.

name
EcoLink Smoke / CO
device_type
urn:schemas-micasaverde-com:device:SmokeSensor:1
altid
15
ip
mac
manufacturer
Ecolink
model
id_parent
1
nobulk
embedded
disabled
restricted
device_file
D_SmokeSensor1.xml
id
5289
impl_file
time_created
1573951895
onDashboard
1
room
2
category_num
4
subcategory_num
4
device_json
D_SmokeSensorWithTamper1.json
poll
1585815747-1,1585827280-1,1585838820-1,1585850356-1,1585861891-1,1585873425-1,1585884961-1,1585904171-1,1585915701-1,1585927238-1,1585938771-1,1585950304-1,1585961836-1,1585973367-1,1585992595-1,1586004132-1,1586015666-1,1586027199-1,1586038734-1,1586050265-1,1586061799-1,1586081015-1,1586092550-1,1586104082-1,1586115616-1,1586127145-1,1586138680-1,1586150210-1,1586169427-1,1586180963-1,1586192496-1,1586204029-1,1586215561-1,1586227094-1,1586238626-1,1586257857-1,1586269388-1,1586280923-1,1586292456-1,1586303987-1,1586315522-1,1586327052-1,1586346262-1,1586357800-1,1586369332-1,1586380863-1,1586392395-1,1586403929-1,1586415460-1,1586434678-1
local_udn
uuid:4d494342-5342-5645-14a9-000001c9d5e7

Thanks very much! I changed my device file, device json, category and sub-category to match yours. The device disappeared at first, while the child device (temperature) was still present. After about three hours, the smoke alarm appeared in the house modes settings as “armed” and its “armed” status could be set for each mode at that point, later that evening, the device showed up completely. Being battery powered, I’m guessing this behavior is due to waiting for the device to wake up and report in, and then receive its next config changes.

Vera support was of little help, they pointed me back to Ecolink. Ecolink was responsive and are still trying to track down the documentation, but have not delivered any as yet.

I’ve tested, everything appears to be functioning properly, I’m getting battery level reported with the smoke detector device. It properly “hears” the main house smoke alarms and reports smoke to Vera. It was a tough haul, but I’m satisfied. Most things zwave and Vera seem to take various amounts of research, ingenuity, and patience. Also help from the community, so thanks very much!

Jeff

Nice, I am glad it is all working. I tested the Ecolink with different smoke detectors and they all worked well. I settled on installing my Ecolink in the basement next to that smoke / carbon monoxide detector as it seemed the least noticeable, the Ecolinks are pretty small though.

Ecolink has reposted their instructions online at https://discoverecolink.com/topic/vera/. Their instructions reflect the same configuration as @bd8134 outlines above. I’ve put the entire instructions in the following attachment for any who might look for the information in the future. I’ve include the regular device instructions in the PDF as well.

As with most battery operated devices, you must be patient for it to wake up to receive its configurations!

ecolink-z-wave-plus-fire-fighter-smoke-fire-carbon-monoxide-audio-alarm-detector.pdf (797.5 KB)

I do like the device so far (difficult inclusion process notwithstanding). It has tested perfectly, displays battery info and as a bonus is a temp sensor (unexpected surprise).

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