2 Messages
Questions about new system
Considering switch to Simplisafe.
With my existing system, the door/smoke/water/glass sensors have their own mesh network so they extend to corners of my house where there is no WiFi. Does Simplisafe do that? Or does every sensor need to connect to my wifi or directly to the base station?
My existing door/window sensors each have built-in smash sensors. Do the Simplisafe ones have that? Or would I need glass break sensors near any windows that could be broken and entered without opening?
My existing sensor batteries last 7 to 10 years, and the base station backup battery 5 to 6 years. How long do the Simplisafe sensor batteries last? And is the base station backup battery replaceable?
My existing system has fire heat detectors in the unfinished attic. Just to confirm I think Simplisafe doesn't have that? The smoke and temperature sensors, I read, cannot be used in a dusty hot (120+ degrees) environment?
larrhurd
105 Messages
8 months ago
Do yourself a favor, look elsewhere for a system unless you like resetting your system all the time or calling support. I have well over a $1000 in my system and I'm very sorry that I ever bought it. Just read all through this community support threads and you will see what I'm saying is true.
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emily_s
Community Admin
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3.3K Messages
8 months ago
@jay613 Thank you for considering SimpliSafe! All of our sensors communicate to the Base Station through radio frequency instead of Wi-Fi. So they will not (and cannot) need to be connected to your Wi-Fi network. The Base Station does need a Wi-Fi connection to communicate to our monitoring center, but if you're subscribed to either our Standard Monitoring or Fast Protect™ plans, the Base Station can use its built-in cellular backup instead.
Our Entry and Motion Sensors do not have built-in smash detectors. You would need to place a Glassbreak Sensor near any windows or doors that could be broken and entered without opening.
The Entry Sensor has an expected battery life of up to 5 years, the Motion Sensor's expected battery life is up to 4 years, and the Glassbreak Sensor's expected battery life is up to 3 years. This is all depending on usage, though. The Base Station should stay plugged in, but in the event of a power outage it has backup batteries that can keep it running for up to 24 hours. The Base Station uses 4 rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, but you can always replace them with new ones. However, it's important for me to note that the Base Station can only use NiMH batteries - regular alkaline batteries should never be used as they can damage the device.
You are correct, we currently do not offer fire heat detectors, but we have passed along this product request to our dev team! Our Smoke & CO Detector has a max operating temperature of 100° F, and it uses photoelectric sensors to detect smoke through the distortion of a light beam inside it. If there is dust build-up within the sensor, that could cause it to trigger false alarms. Our Temperature Sensor has a recommended max operating temperature of 120° F, and you can set it to notify you to temperatures up to 127° F.
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