Kidde Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Combo with App

As Canadian Tire has prodded me to review a recent online purchase of Kidde smoke and CO alarms - here it is. Having purchased a similar Kidde alarm model previously - the one with all features of this model plus indoor air quality (IAQ) measurement and tracking - I was not averse to their feature called Smart Detection. The application (app) has not been problematic and, with the IAQ features, has provided more information than any basic smoke alarm would provide. These units will send messages to the device with the corresponding app - remotely - when there is an alarm or even when there is a power disruption. I was surprised to receive an e-mail notice of power disruption, once, when I was out of the country (and reassured when another message notified restoration of power). Since our municipality (City of Ottawa) will soon require residential properties with natural gas appliances to employ carbon monoxide detector / alarms on every floor - as well as smoke detector / alarms, this seemed to be an ideal time to replace the rest of the smoke detector / alarm units in our house (all of which have been in service for close to 30 years). The original units were hardwired - from Firex - for which my first Kidde unit allowed very easy replacement as the modular connectors docked easily. The newer Kidde units could not connect with the old (Firex) electrical insert but they are fairly easily replaced. The biggest issue, for my situation, was with the protrusion on the back side of the Kidde housing as it must reside inside the cavity of the electrical enclosure (octagon box). To accomodate this, I removed unused clamps and employed smaller marrettes (or wire nuts). It was a "tighter" fit than the for the original units. Apparently, this line of Kidde detector / alarms is out of production. Out with the old; in with the new, as they say - in this case, it was out with the very old; in with the not so old. The discounted price was also a consideration in my decision to purchase these. I have seen some reviews indicating problems with false alarms and other issues but have had no problems - neither with my first Kidde Smart Detection model nor with the newer units installed in the last month (so far). One other issue mentioned in other reviews was that, for wireless connection, these units utilize the older, lower frequency wi-fi signal. This was not a problem for me, as my wi-fi router is "dual band" system. For anyone not requiring "leading edge" technology, and yet interested in having a smart phone interface with their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, I recommend considering theses (with the caveat of the dual band wi-fi requirement). This alarm system will not work without a "hard wired" electrical circuit. For anyone not experienced in working with electrical connections (or even wi-fi connections), I would recommend seeking qualified professional assistance. One final note: Perhaps due to the impending municipal bilaw, no CTC stores in our areaseemed to have any inventory of this line of Kidde Smart Detection alarms. My purchase was made through the Perth, Ontario, store; shipment was via Purolator, within a few days, and very well packaged. Thanks and best regards to Canadian Tire at Perth!

Not easy to install and cannot get app.

This is an interesting product. It requires several steps to get it right but it delivers the connection with the app in your cell. In case of a fire or an alarm, it will be handy, assuming there is power and internet. Great idea if you travel and want to keep an eye at what happens at home.

Have had this smoke and CO detector for more than 6 months, and have had no issues at all. Some of the negetive reviews seems are issues of the customers and not the unit.

This alarm goes off randomly for no reason at all. I have tried at different locations and in different houses. It works for a while and then start beeping like crazy!