Safety & Notifications

Learn what different alerts mean, how PLACE devices respond to emergencies, and how to manage alarms, notifications, and silencing features.

PLACE devices are designed to alert you quickly and clearly when something in your environment isn’t right — whether it's smoke, carbon monoxide, heat, gas, or poor air quality. This article breaks down what each alert means, how your PLACE device will respond, and how you can manage notifications and alarms through the PLACE app.

Types of Alerts

Critical Alarms (Emergency)

These alarms are loud and urgent, and are meant to wake or warn you immediately:

• Smoke Detection
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Heat Detection (Garage model)
• Methane/Natural Gas (Kitchen model)

When these are triggered:

• The device emits a loud low-frequency sounder (520 Hz) to wake occupants.
• A voice alert may announce the specific threat (e.g., “Carbon Monoxide Detected”).
• The ring light will flash red.
• You’ll receive a push notification on your phone via the PLACE app.

Environmental Warnings

These alerts notify you when conditions may lead to long-term health or comfort issues:

• VOC Detection (chemical gases)
• High/Low Temperature or Humidity
• Poor Air Quality (AQI)

When triggered:

• The ring light (if enabled via PLACE app) may blink or pulse (no loud alarm).
• You’ll get a warning notification in the app.
• The event is logged in your history for future reference.
• These are not life-threatening emergencies but should still be addressed.

Managing Alerts in the PLACE App

Viewing Active Alerts:

• Open the PLACE app.
• Select the device with an alert icon.
• View the alert banner or navigate to the Events section for more details.

Responding to Alerts:

• For emergencies, follow the on-screen guidance (e.g., evacuate, ventilate, call 911).
• For environmental warnings, take corrective actions like:
  • Opening a window
  • Turning on a fan, air purifier or dehumidifier
  • Removing chemical sources

How to Silence or Hush an Alarm

You can temporarily silence alarms for conditions like:

• Cooking smoke that accidentally triggered a smoke alarm
• VOC LED warnings after you've started ventilating
  • VOC and AQI will only “hush” the pulsing light, if the pulsing light is enabled via the app.

Silencing from the Device:

• Press the TEST/SILENCE button on the unit once.
• Do not press multiple times — a double-press may initiate the menu instead.

Silencing from the App:

• Open the active alert in the PLACE app.
• Tap "Hush, I'm Nearby" (available for certain alarms).
• Follow the prompts to confirm.

For safety, you should not hush alarms remotely unless you're physically nearby and can verify the alert is non-life-threatening (e.g., overcooked toast).

Smart Notification Features

• App Push Notifications: Always enabled for emergency events.
• Custom Thresholds: Set your own temp/humidity alerts in the settings.
• Event History: Review past alerts and see how often conditions triggered warnings.

Troubleshooting Missed Alerts

If you didn’t receive a notification:

• Check that notifications are enabled in your phone settings for the PLACE app.
• Confirm that the device is connected to Wi-Fi and online in the app.
• Update to the latest version of the PLACE app for full functionality.

What Each Ring Light Color Means