The Silent Killer and the 25$ Zigbee Guardian: Safer Home with the ZC-HM Carbon Monoxide Sensor (Home Assistant compatibile)

The heating season in Poland has barely begun, and with temperatures hovering around 10-14°C, the news is already grim. I stumbled upon some truly alarming statistics about carbon monoxide poisoning. While the exact numbers I initially heard were slightly different, the official data is no less frightening.

I have to admit, a carbon monoxide sensor was at the bottom of my shopping list. It's one of those things you know you should have, but you keep putting it off. "It won't happen to me," you think. But after digging into the data, I decided I couldn't ignore the risk any longer.

So, when I was upgrading my heating thermostats to a better model (which I wrote about here:I just found the Holy Grail of heating thermostats for Home Assistant!), I also ordered one more sensor from MOES.

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A Sobering Look at the "Silent Killer" Statistics

My initial search for data led me to some shocking numbers. While I had heard of 32 victims already this season, and 64 in the entire previous one, the reality is a bit more complex, yet equally concerning. According to a report from the European Environmental Bureau, in 2023, Polish firefighters responded to 4,350 incidents involving carbon monoxide, in which 53 people were fatally poisoned and 1,468 were injured. The Polish government's website also highlights the dangers, stating that every year, dozens of people die from CO poisoning.

These numbers are a stark reminder that this is a real and present danger. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, earning its nickname as the "silent killer." It can be produced by any fuel-burning appliance, such as a furnace, water heater, or fireplace, if it's not properly ventilated.

My Weapon of Choice: The ZC-HM Zigbee Carbon Monoxide Sensor

I'm a huge fan of Home Assistant and Zigbee, so I wanted a sensor that would integrate seamlessly with my existing setup. My search led me to the ZC-HM, a Zigbee carbon monoxide alarm that works perfectly with Zigbee2MQTT. And the best part? It costs only about $25.00 USD. That's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Setup: So Easy, It's Almost Disappointing

If you're expecting a long and complicated setup process, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Pairing the ZC-HM with my Zigbee2MQTT network was ridiculously easy. All it took was three quick presses of the button on the device to put it into pairing mode. My Home Assistant instance picked it up immediately, and it was ready to go.

Here's what the ZC-HM exposes to Home Assistant:

• carbon_monoxide (binary): A simple true/false that tells you if CO has been detected. This is the one you want to build your automations around.
• co (numeric): The actual measured value of carbon monoxide in parts per million (ppm).
• self_test_result (enum): The result of the last self-test, which is a nice feature to have.
• battery (numeric): The remaining battery percentage.
• silence (binary): A switch to silence the alarm.

Living with a Newfound Peace of Mind

Now, with the ZC-HM integrated into my Home Assistant, I have automations set up to alert me in case of a CO leak. If CO is detected, all the lights in my house will start flashing red, my smart speakers will announce a warning, and I'll get a critical alert on my phone.

It's a simple setup, but it could be a lifesaver. If you don't have a carbon monoxide sensor in your home, I urge you to get one. And don't think you're safe just because you don't have an old coal furnace. The danger can come from anywhere: your modern gas boiler, the pellet stove, a wood-burning fireplace, a gas water heater (the infamous Junkers), or even a clogged chimney flue. Literally, any appliance that burns fuel can become a silent killer. So, don't wait until it's too late. The ZC-HM is a cheap, reliable, and easy-to-install option for anyone with a Zigbee network. It's a small investment that could make all the difference.

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