In this review, we are back with a home protection product from X-Sense you may recall we have reviewed both the X-Sense WiFi Smoke Detector (XS01-WT) & X-Sense Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector (SC07-W). In this review, we take a deeper look at the XH02-W which is a heat alarm currently available for £25.99 via Amazon.
There are 8,000 electrical fires in the UK with more than 15% of all domestic fires caused by electrical faults. It is possible to mitigate that risk by being aware of the most common causes of these fires but more importantly protecting your home with the use of smoke and heat alarms.
First Impressions
The X-Sense WH02-W just like the other products we have tested from the brand allow you to install it yourself without any major trouble. There is no need to hard wire or even replace batteries like in other devices.
The X-Sense heat alarm comes with a 10-year lithium battery life which is incredible compared to other brands in which the battery will only last 6 months. Considering the cost after that 10 years simply replace the alarm as you are unable to change the battery due to the seal in the tamper-resistant compartment.
Unboxing
X-Sense keeps things simple with quite a basic packaging and inside the packaging alongside the heat alarm is a screw-on mounting bracket supplied with screws and wall plugs.
Build/Design
The X-Sense XH02-W is built using non-combustible ABS plastic that is also flame retardant and can handle high temperatures in the build. The heat sensor uses an NTC thermistor to detect a fire by simply monitoring any changes in temperature. The heat sensor has a physical on/off power switch and is a small alarm coming in at 4 x 11 cm (WxH) and compact weighing just 127 grams.
The alarm when triggered comes with an 85dB alarm with a 10-metre range and you will be pleased to know it conforms to building standard BS 5446: Part 2: 2003. The alarm is also suitable in extremely cold environments with a max temp of -28C. It’s also suitable for hot rooms like a kitchen or even a bathroom.
If you have read our previous reviews on X-Sense alarms you will be pleased to know that they can all be interlinked with each other providing full house protection. You can connect up to 24 X-Sense alarms with ease which is useful for a large house or if you have a number of outbuildings. (Just consider the wireless range of interlinked alarms is 250 meters in direct line of sight).
Installation
The real benefit of the X-Sense XH02-W heat alarm is the do-it-yourself installation which is a benefit to the majority of X-Sense products. The heat alarm as mentioned comes with a mountable plate bracket that you can attach to a wall or ceiling. The mounting plate is made also from plastic and you are also provided with screws and raw plugs if you wanted to install it on a brick wall for example. When installed on a wall it should be at least 30 cm below the ceiling also make sure it’s not near ceiling fans, air conditioning systems or even fluorescent lighting as this will provide false alerts.
Once fitted there is not much needed to do with this alarm apart from testing the alarm to check it’s still working. This alarm also allows you to use silence mode you can silence it for up to 9 minutes and after that period the silence mode will deactivate automatically. When the battery is low or malfunctioning you will hear an audible beep and flashing red.
How does it work?
It’s important to note this is not a smoke detector and does not work like one. This is a heat alarm that only gets triggered with heat and the response time is based on how quickly the temperature rises between 54 -65C. When the ambient temperature rises 1C per minute the alarm response is within 40 minutes. If the temperature raises 10C per minute the alarm response time is between 1 & 4 minutes. Then if the temperature rises 30C per minute the alarm response time is within 1 minute and 20 seconds.
Verdict
The XH02-W heat alarm is ideal for multiple locations around the home. It actually works very well in the kitchen because it won’t be triggered by smoke, steam and heat from cooking or even from cigarette smoke. The benefit of using this device is it’s easy to set up and comes with a long life battery of over 10 years.
You will also be pleased that you can link them up to additional X-Sense link alarms (Up to 24 around the home).
If I had to find fault it was not as quick to detect a fire compared to a smoke alarm that is why I recommend you link with other devices such as the X-Sense WiFi Smoke Detector (XS01-WT) & X-Sense Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector (SC07-W) to all be used around the house. The other negative is the lack of a mobile app if you had an app you could monitor all areas of the house at once and unfortunately that was not the case.
Overall, if used alongside the other devices from X-Sense it will give you peace of mind that your house is protected even if there is room for improvement.
Product Rating
Overall ranking: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars – 4.0-star rating
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