Beyond Smoke Alarms: Integrating Environmental Sensors for Comprehensive Safety
Fire protection in homes is vital. Advancements in technology have improved the detection of specific fire types through smoke and heat sensors, while carbon monoxide (CO) remains a significant concern. However, fire and carbon monoxide aren’t the only hazards we need to be cautious about.
Our home environment also plays a part in our quality of life. Internet of Things (IoT) technology such as environmental sensors, can complement existing solutions to help maintain adequate air quality.
What Are Environmental Sensors and Why Are They Vital For Safety Monitoring?
Environmental sensors are devices that measure and record environmental conditions. These types of sensors often monitor temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, providing insights into issues like damp and mould – another potential hazard. Data gathered from these devices can help landlords make more informed, forward-thinking decisions. With accurate data, maintenance decisions can be more strategic, reducing costs associated with inefficient upgrades.
Find out more about the key functionalities of environmental sensors.
The Benefits of Combining Smoke Alarms and Environmental Sensors For Safety
Implementing IoT-enabled safety monitoring, such as Aico’s HomeLINK Connected Home Solution, provides a well-rounded home life safety setup expanding beyond fire safety. By monitoring temperature and humidity levels, environmental sensors enable the early detection of issues such as damp and mould, before they become a bigger problem.
Aico’s HomeLINK Connected Home Solution combines Aico alarms with their HomeLINK technology to create an online monitoring platform to address landlords’ needs in one place, to build safer, healthier and more sustainable homes. The Ei1000G Gateway is the hub of the system which gathers data from connected devices and uploads it onto the HomeLINK Portal. The portal provides data graphs and real-time alerts enables landlords to remain proactive and efficient in maintaining the quality of their housing stock.
Industry Applications – How Integrated Safety Solutions Enhance Residential Safety
Multi-sensor safety systems provide broader safety coverage in both commercial and residential environments. In November 2022, SCHLOSS Roxburghe’s on-site Electrical Contractor installed Aico’s 3000 Series fire and CO alarms in their cottages and used the Ei3000MRF module to wirelessly interconnect them and allow data extraction via the Ei1000G Gateway. In early 2024, SCHLOSS experienced a minor fire involving a toaster in one of the cottages. Immediately, resort staff were notified of the incident by the portal and were able to attend to the property and remedy the situation before any major damage could be done to the cottage or guests.
Another example of the HomeLINK Connected Home Solution in play is with Mid Devon Housing, who continuously use the platform to address damp and mould complaints. In October 2023, Rosie Wills, Technical Support & Repairs Manager at Mid Devon Housing, took to LinkedIn to share the experiences from their project to approach damp, mould, and tenant support through data. Mid Devon had been observing two households which showed no signs of structural defect, although the tenants insisted there was one. One of these households was experiencing significant social and mental health issues which impacted the condition of the property and use of ventilation. Although a PIV had been fitted, overcrowding was likely significant in the impact on humidity and mould. Effective communication with the tenants confirmed that the reduction in humidity to a healthy level came as a result of turning the heating on. After seeing the changes, tenants called in the next day to apologise and thank Mid Devon for the works, stating that they “woke up feeling like they’d won the lottery”.
Best Practices For Setting Up and Maintaining Integrated Safety Systems
Aico’s HomeLINK Connected Home Solution comes together by radio frequency (RF). By installing the Ei3000MRF Module into 3000 Series alarms, the connected alarms can work with the Gateway to communicate the data onto the HomeLINK Portal. Other RF-enabled devices can also be connected to the Gateway, although may not have full functionality of all features. The HomeLINK Environmental Sensors (Ei1020 and Ei1025) are both powered by a 10-year lithium battery, with RF built-in.
Installation is made easy with Aico’s SmartLINK App, which talks the user through every stage of the installation. A Gateway must be present and fully operational in the property of use. Aico’s Environmental Sensors can be installed in any room, although the information the sensors collect can be room specific, as shown in the table below:
| Ei1020 | Ei1025 | Notes |
| Allergens Risks | Allergens Risks | Installed in Living Room |
| Cold Home Risk | Cold Home Risk | Installed in Living Room or Bedroom |
| Damp & Mould Risk | Damp & Mould Risk | |
| Excess Heat Risk | Excess Heat Risk | Installed in Living Room, Kitchen, Hallway or Bedroom |
| Excess Heat Loss | Excess Heat Loss | |
| Abandonment Risk | ||
| Indoor Air Quality Risk | ||
| Ventilation Risk |
Environmental Sensors should be ceiling mounted or wall mounted at approximately 1.4m from floor level, at least 300mm from any walls, corners of dead air, or obstructions.
Find out more about fire and CO alarm siting.
Aico: Innovating Safety with Smart IoT-enabled Solutions
Aico, the European market leader in home life safety, specialise in fire and CO detection. We have expanded into cutting-edge IoT technology, innovating our HomeLINK Connected Home Solution.
Our Customer Service team are always on hand to help with customer queries, offering guidance on product selection, compatibility, alarm siting and basic alarm maintenance. With 32 Relationship Managers also dotted around the UK, training and technical support is available free of charge.
