This post is sponsored by First Alert, all opinions are my own.
Anytime I really stop to think about Smoke detectors I think of the one Friends episode where the gang is up all night and Phoebe’s battery alert keeps sounding, keeping her awake. At one point she even thinks the fire alarm is knocking on her door!
I don’t know about what happens in your house, but in my house, the only time the warning beeps about low battery life start sounding in a smoke detector is in the middle of the night when my children are trying to sleep for once. For such a small device that really only has one function, it sure can wake up a whole house of people.
I recently got the opportunity to try out a new smoke and carbon monoxide detector/alarm from First Alert called the Onelink Safe & Sound. However, I was a little bit nervous to try and set it up. Although I had already installed my doorbell, my thermostat, and even my ceiling fan myself I still get a little jittery when I have to work with electricity. I have a huge fear of electrocuting myself. I even put the installation off for a few days and kept telling myself I’d wait until my husband had a chance to take care of it.
I always get mad at people for relying on men to do the “heavy lifting” and “technology” in the home, so I thought I better suck it up and try it myself.
As I looked through the instructions I was immediately intimidated by the wire configurations looking back at me. I had an older model basic builder grade smoke detector I was planning on replacing. I just knew the wires would not be compatible, and I’d have to do some wiring myself.
I grabbed the ladder and pulled our old smoke detector off the ceiling. I was nervous that it was going to start beeping being disconnected, but I was more fortunate than Phoebe.
Next, I removed the mount for the old detector and installed the mount for the Onelink Safe & Sound. Now I was ready for the really hard part, or so I thought.
I examined the 2 connectors the Onelink Safe & Sound came with and tried to figure out what my next step was. Until it dawned on me that I only had to connect the piece that went into my old detector to the adapter that came with the Onelink Safe & Sound!
It was literally the easiest installation ever. I just plugged one side into the original plug and the other side into the new detector, and then thought to myself, why was I putting this off, it was SO easy!
With the adapter all ready to go, I plugged in the Onelink Safe & Sound and twisted it onto the mounting bracket and I was DONE!
Look at how much prettier it is!
This isn’t your normal everyday smoke and carbon monoxide detector though. The device has a speaker with Alexa built in! The inclusion of Alexa makes this device the first smoke and carbon monoxide alarm to do so. If you have been considering putting Amazon Echo’s in your house already, this is a great alternative to those that can also help keep your family safe. You can talk to the speaker just like a standard Echo device. My kids are now able to easily add items to my grocery list. It can also playback music from Amazon Music, Spotify and more.
The Onelink Safe & Sound connects with a smartphone app that is available for Android and iOS. The app will give you notifications about emergencies, which can be helpful if you are away from home. Since the alarm is hardwired and only uses the battery as a backup, it will last for the entire lifespan of the alarm, so you don’t wake up your whole house in the middle of the night with low battery beeps again!
The device has a simple color-coded light to help you understand what is going on with it. When it is ALL red it is either testing, or there is an emergency. Since there is a speaker with voice controls it will tell you exactly what is wrong, for example, “Evacuate! Evacuate! There is Carbon Monoxide in the Kitchen.” I love that you don’t have to guess as to what is wrong with the house.
When the device is blue, Alexa is processing commands you have given it, or the device is starting up. Half red will indicate that you have turned off the microphone on your device, which is my husband’s favorite since he is obsessive about privacy. When you turn off the microphone it will not respond to commands to Alexa.
The Onelink Safe & Sound also has a nightlight feature, which can be really nice in kids rooms, the hallway, or anywhere else you need to navigate during the night. You can adjust the color and brightness of the nightlight within the app.
If you are looking to incorporate some smart features into your home, this device is a great place to get started. All homes need smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, so it is not too far of a leap to get one with smart capabilities. Plus, it looks WAY better in my brand new kitchen than my old one. You can purchase a Onelink Safe & Sound from most retailers for $249.99. Check out the features in action…
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using the links.
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