I have had Ademco alarms in my last 3 homes with most recent system still going strong over 22 years. We are remodeling and will be looking to remove some of the wires and go with a more future proof smart hub system. The IQ Panel has been recommended by several vendors and I found this forum.
With Qolsys being a new player in this market what are folks thoughts about the longevity of the product and company? Do you trust i? Being an Android guy I know the strengths and weaknesses f using it as the backbone for a security system. The sophistication of a smart hub by nature makes it prone to bugs and quirks. What are your thoughts on this?
Second topic is around heat sensors. My systems has 2 heat detector, one over each furnace. The one in the attic is a 194 degree rate of rise due to the heat that can build up in the attic. Seems no one makes a wireless heat detector that fits those requirements. Best I have seen is smoke/heat that will trigger at fixed 134 degrees. Any suggestions on this?
An old system I had years ago was a wireless Ademco system that used 9V batteries and I hated it, constantly chasing battery issues, how reliable and long should I truly expect this gen of wireless sensors to last?
And bear with me, final question as to brand of sensors, any thoughts on using GE sensors vs. Resolution or Qolsys branded sensors? I want the most reliable product that will give me least trouble.
I doubt that a Qolsys panel is going to last as long as your old Ademco panel did. It’s a sophisticated computer whereas your old Ademco panel was a much more simple system. With complexity comes fragility. But that doesn’t stop people from choosing iPhones over old flip phones. You get a LOT more with Qolsys. No one can speak to their longevity at this point. They haven’t been around long enough for that. All I can say about Qolsys is they’re pretty sweet.
I realize the Qolsys will never last as long, I meant it more in the company and product upgrade path. Sit in 3 years will they be around and an upgrade path to next gen IQ panels. Seems Honeywell and GE are late to the party, but they will catch up. I want something reliable not that I have to fight with every few months to figure out why something is not working right. I need to be able to trust my security system is doing what it us supposed to do.
Qolsys was recently partially acquired by Tyco which I think reduces that risk a great deal. Tyco already owns DSC but rather than trying to develop a DSC competitor to Qolsys they decided to bet on Qolsys.
Wireless smoke detector options are definitely more limited than the wired options. I’m not aware of any GE wireless RoR heat detectors that trigger at ~194 degrees.
Wireless sensor battery life depends on activity/usage because most of the energy is consumed when it’s activated & transmitting, not when it’s idle. Resolution Products has a good track record when it comes to battery life, often claiming 5+ years as the average battery life with some of their sensors. You can probably expect 3 or more years out of a modern wireless sensor under normal usage patterns but you should always look at the specs for the specific sensors you are considering.
You’re less likely to run into compatibility issues with Qolsys if you stick to Qolsys branded sensors but, as long as they’re compatible, GE sensors have a great track record as well. As you know Resolution Products actually makes many of the current line of Qolsys branded sensors.
Kieth, I recently just ditched Vivint (2GIG) after a trial and installed a Qolsys panel for my home because I wanted a large screen neutral host panel. All of my GE Simon 3 sensors synced up with no problem including my smoke/heat detector. I am very impressed with the panel and ease of installation. It does take a little getting used to where parts of the settings/controls are buried under which menu but I haven’t encountered any bugs and have it connected to my wifi network. I have two CT100 thermostats connected and they work great although you have to setup your schedule through ADC. I plan on adding a front door lock as well as a couple cameras when funds permit. You might want to wait to see what the 2GIG panel looks like that has been due out for a year, but I didn’t want to wait any longer and am happy I chose Qolsys.
I pulled the trigger today on a complete system, could not wait any longer since to do home reno I need to pull the old system out ASAP as soon as the new system arrives. I was waiting on the new RE122 Nanomax sensors as they no longer have the external antenna and also now have an external connection! Plan on ordering some z-wave controls for lighting, but will bypass the thermostats for now as the Emerson Seni looks very sweet and I have been a huge Emerson/White Rodgers fan for years.