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Can you change a hard wired smoke detector with the electric on?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
It is not a good idea to work on any electrical circuits with the voltage on. Depending on the year when your smoke detector was installed it might have a quick disconnect to change out the device without having to physically having to undo any wire connections. Earlier models had screw terminals that connected to the circuit. Turn the circuit breaker off that supplies the voltage to the smoke detectors. Copy on a piece of paper the wire colours that are on the specific terminals of the detector. Replace the wires on the same terminals on the new detector. Turn on the breaker, the smoke detector will beep and then go quiet, They are now monitoring your home again. Don't forget, when you have the power off, vacuum the other detectors to get rid of built up dust that can cause nuisance tripping.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoWhen something is hard wired, it is wired directly to the house wire. No cord. You just install the smoke detector like you would a light fixture or an outlet.
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Why would hard wired smoke detectors sound if no smoke is evident?
from experience, too much heat,moist or dust affect the performance of smoke detectors and can easily activate the detector.
What are the advantages of hard wired versus battery only smoke detectors?
If the battery dies the smoke detector sill works, that the biggest advantage to using hard wire.
Can one adjust the sensitivity on a overly sensitive hard wired smoke detector?
Hard-wired "home" type smoke detectors can not be adjusted for sensitivity. Detectors that appear "too" sensitive are usually very dirty or located in the wrong place. Carefully review the lengthy instructions that come with each detector with regard to selecting a location. Avoid: high air velocity areas such as near air conditioner vents, areas outside bathroom doors where steam vapors waft out, kitchen areas where the cooking smoke can get to the detector before disapaiting Studio apartments pose an obvious problem. You can try cleaning the detector to make it less sensitive by following the manufacturer's cleaning instructions, but when in doubt, replace it. Isn't your life worth $10.00?
Where the house wiring is black white and green but the smoke detector is wired red white and black How do you connect them?
black should be your hot white your neautral and the red should be the interconnect to another smoke alarm so that if one goes off in the upstairs the down stairs one will go off also because they are joined by the red wire(interconnected) check for another smoke detector(the red/black/white)should be fed from it to were you are talking about
Do wired smoke detectors mount on electrical boxes?
Hard wired smoke detectors have to have a junction box behind them. These detectors use 120 volts as a working voltage. These types of detectors should be wired with 3 conductor #14 wire. The detector uses the black and white wires for the 120 volt source. Detectors these days have an output signal wire that can be connected to other detectors so that if one trips it will sound the alarm in other detectors that are on the same circuit. This output wire can be connected to other detectors by the third red wire in the 3 conductor cable.
How do you wire smoke detector?
When something is hard wired, it is wired directly to the house wire. No cord. You just install the smoke detector like you would a light fixture or an outlet.
Hard wired smoke detector versus battery operated smoke detector?
Hard wired detectors are generally better. Some have back up power sources should the city power go out. It depends on how much you want to spend. Hard wired detectors are more expensive to install and are generally built better.
Why would hard wired smoke detectors sound if no smoke is evident?
from experience, too much heat,moist or dust affect the performance of smoke detectors and can easily activate the detector.
What are the advantages of hard wired versus battery only smoke detectors?
If the battery dies the smoke detector sill works, that the biggest advantage to using hard wire.
Why do batteries in smoke detectors have to be replaced in 6 months?
They don't. Normally the 9 volt alkaline batteries in a smoke detector need to be replaced every year. If yours needs to be replaced every 6 months then something is wrong. If you are using a standard battery and not an alkaline battery it may only last 6 months. Use nothing but alkaline batteries. You sould hear a chirp from the detector when the battery needs replacing. A hard wired smoke detector has a battery back-up that should last around 2 years. If it only lasts 6 months then there is no power to the smoke detector and it is wired wrong or the wiring has come loose. The only reason to recommend changing batteries every 6 months is bacuase people tend to not change the batteries as they should. It has been proven by tests that about 35% of smoke detectors in homes have dead batteries.
Why do hard wired smoke detector activate alarm?
A smoke detector is designed to activate an alarm if smoke is detected. It does not matter if the unit is hard wired or battery operated. This is its job. In a hard wired system you can interconnect the alarms if a three wire is used between units. The black and white wires are used to power the unit and the third red wire can be inter connected to the alarms in each one of the other detectors in the same system. Hence if one smoke detector alarm trips, the horn alarms in all of the other detectors will go in to an alarm state. This is a very good safety factor and units should be wired this way. For example if a detector trips in the basement at night and there are closed doors between floors you might not hear the alarm in your upstairs bedroom. If all of the alarms sound upstairs and down no matter which unit tripped, you are bound to hear them, no matter what part of the house you are in.
Can one adjust the sensitivity on a overly sensitive hard wired smoke detector?
Hard-wired "home" type smoke detectors can not be adjusted for sensitivity. Detectors that appear "too" sensitive are usually very dirty or located in the wrong place. Carefully review the lengthy instructions that come with each detector with regard to selecting a location. Avoid: high air velocity areas such as near air conditioner vents, areas outside bathroom doors where steam vapors waft out, kitchen areas where the cooking smoke can get to the detector before disapaiting Studio apartments pose an obvious problem. You can try cleaning the detector to make it less sensitive by following the manufacturer's cleaning instructions, but when in doubt, replace it. Isn't your life worth $10.00?
Can you use a wired radio for making a homemade metal detector?
No, I don't think you can.
What are smoke and CO2 detector code requirements?
The codes are local and may be different in each jurisdiction. Check with the local fire inspector. At any rate I recommend both, especially if you have a gas fired heating stove or fireplace for the CO2 detector. I have combined detectors everywhere. The other question is if local code requires a hard wired detector with battery backup.
Where the house wiring is black white and green but the smoke detector is wired red white and black How do you connect them?
black should be your hot white your neautral and the red should be the interconnect to another smoke alarm so that if one goes off in the upstairs the down stairs one will go off also because they are joined by the red wire(interconnected) check for another smoke detector(the red/black/white)should be fed from it to were you are talking about
Can you get a radar detector that doesn't need to be wired into your car?
Yes many of them are battery powered.
Do wired smoke detectors mount on electrical boxes?
Hard wired smoke detectors have to have a junction box behind them. These detectors use 120 volts as a working voltage. These types of detectors should be wired with 3 conductor #14 wire. The detector uses the black and white wires for the 120 volt source. Detectors these days have an output signal wire that can be connected to other detectors so that if one trips it will sound the alarm in other detectors that are on the same circuit. This output wire can be connected to other detectors by the third red wire in the 3 conductor cable.
