Hi there.
This is Rebecca, and I am happy
to welcome you to our first installment
of Ask SafeWise, where we'll answer new
questions every single week.
And if you want to learn more about "Ask SafeWise,"
check out our intro video that was posted last week,
where Katie will give you all the deets.
Now for our first question,
we're going to dive into whether you can mix and match
different home security components with different
professional monitoring service.
So, a lot of people have a monogamous relationship
with their home security system,
but for those who like to play the field a little bit,
you can end up with different components
from all kinds of different brands.
When that happens, I think that it's really smart
to see if you can mix and match your different
home security components and use them
with whatever company you're deciding to go with
for your professional monitoring.
That can save you money because you're not going to have
to fork over more cash for products that you already own.
And it can also save the hassle of having to take down
existing equipment and install new devices.
But not all home security brands play well with each other,
so today we're going to specifically look
at whether you could use ADT smoke alarms
with a Vivint home security system.
The short answer to that question is
"maybe?"
I know that's frustrating,
but neither of these brands are necessarily known
for making home security straightforward and simple.
But we're not going to leave you in the lurch
with that highly unsatisfying answer.
So here's how I'm going to break this down for you today.
We're going to first look
at what does the internet have to say about it,
and what does SafeWise have to say about it based
on our research and our experience with both of the brands.
And I want to let you know that we did reach out to Vivint,
but we haven't heard back yet. So, as soon as we do,
we'll be sure to post an update
and let you know what they say.
Whether we like it or not,
the first place most of us go
when we have a question and we need an answer
is to the wonderful world wide web.
A search for "Will my ADT smoke alarm work
with my Vivint security system"
yields a lot of contradictory and non-specific information,
but what it really all boils down to is
Vivint's general compatibility
with other smart home ecosystems and protocols.
Now, fortunately Vivint is compatible with Z-Wave,
which technically means that if your ADT smoke alarm uses
Z-Wave to connect to other smart devices,
you should be able to add it to your Vivint system.
Easy-peasy right?
Not so fast.
Our research on SafeWise has actually uncovered a caveat to
that whole "works with Z-Wave" shtick.
We took a deep dive into all of Vivint's compatibility and
found that it's not quite so simple
as everything just works with Z-wave.
While the Vivint Smart Hub does have
built-in Z-Wave radio
that should let you connect to any Z-Wave device you have,
we learned that the Smart Hub
doesn't support all Z-wave devices.
It really has more to do with the type of device
than the fact that it has Z-Wave.
These are the Z-Wave devices that
Vivint Smart Hub will work with.
What it's not going to work with are sensors.
And that includes smoke alarms.
The main reason for this limit
to the Z-Wave compatibility
is really for your safety and security.
A company like Vivint can't guarantee
that vital sensors made by another company
are going to work properly during an emergency,
which is when you really need them.
Another example of this is Ring's certified device program.
If you install any smoke detector
other than the certified one
from first alert that Ring has approved,
Ring will not guarantee that it's going to work
with their monitoring service.
However, you can use third-party alarms
with Ring if you're self monitoring,
if you're keeping the tabs on your house on your own.
They're just not going to work
with Ring's pro monitoring service.
Now, Ring could get away with this
because they offer a self-monitoring option,
and that's something that Vivint
just doesn't have on the table.
And another thing to remember is that
Vivint, like Ring, isn't usually compatible
with any third-party sensors
if it makes its own version.
So, since Vivint and ADT both make their own smoke alarms
or have their own approved smoke alarms
that work with their system,
it's very unlikely that any of your ADT gear,
even if it's Z-wave compatible,
is going to work effectively with your Vivint system.
I'm sure that this is all clear as mud for you right now,
but sometimes that's just the best we can do
with this ever-evolving tech
and these big security companies that are
pushing the limits to try to keep us all safer.
It's just hard to keep up.
The bottom line is that if you want to make sure
that your Vivint home security system
is protecting your home properly,
you should use a Vivint or Vivint-approved smoke alarm.
If you've got a question that you'd like us
to answer on Ask SafeWise,
subscribe to our channel and hit us up in the comments
with the hashtag #AskSafeWise.
You can also get our attention
on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
We'd love to answer your query
in an upcoming Ask SafeWise segment.
We pick new questions and post new answers every week.
And if you're itching to know
which other equipment is compatible with Vivint,
go to SafeWise.com for our exhaustive article
that lays it all out.
It's linked below,
and you can check out our full ADT
and Vivint home security system reviews
to find out if these security systems
are the right choice for your home.
Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe.