Sort of. They need periodic servicing.
If the battery dies the smoke detector sill works, that the biggest advantage to using hard wire.
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.
Putting smoke detectors on a designated circuit is a good design policy. One of the features of a designated design is that the smoke detectors can be all looped together. The smoke detectors of today have a third terminal where if one detector trips all of the detectors on the circuit have the ability, if connected, to alarm. All of the detectors are wired with a 3 conductor #14 cable. The black and white wires are used for power to the detector and the third red wire is used on the third terminal to alarm all of the detectors on the circuit when one smoke detector trips. With all detectors in an alarm mode it is hard not to hear or sleep through any emergency because of closed doors blocking the sound. Using this method of connection it is recommended a detector in each bedroom and above the stairwell between floors. Keep away from the kitchen area or the whole house will know when someone burns the toast.
The cost of installing hard-wire smoke detectors will vary a huge amount depending on several things: - Your area of the country (New York and California are high) - Whether you have an accessible attic - Whether there is a convenient place to draw the AC power - Whether external (on-wall) wiring ducts are acceptable - Whether walls and ceilings are already opened up for remodeling work The cost could be between $100 or so all the way up to more than $1000.
According to NFPA 72, the national fire code, smoke detectors shall be installed in each sleeping area, outside each sleeping area, and on each story of a home, i.e. top and bottom of stairways.
14-3 Is the standard wire use for residental smoke detectors.
If the battery dies the smoke detector sill works, that the biggest advantage to using hard wire.
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.
Putting smoke detectors on a designated circuit is a good design policy. One of the features of a designated design is that the smoke detectors can be all looped together. The smoke detectors of today have a third terminal where if one detector trips all of the detectors on the circuit have the ability, if connected, to alarm. All of the detectors are wired with a 3 conductor #14 cable. The black and white wires are used for power to the detector and the third red wire is used on the third terminal to alarm all of the detectors on the circuit when one smoke detector trips. With all detectors in an alarm mode it is hard not to hear or sleep through any emergency because of closed doors blocking the sound. Using this method of connection it is recommended a detector in each bedroom and above the stairwell between floors. Keep away from the kitchen area or the whole house will know when someone burns the toast.
The cost of installing hard-wire smoke detectors will vary a huge amount depending on several things: - Your area of the country (New York and California are high) - Whether you have an accessible attic - Whether there is a convenient place to draw the AC power - Whether external (on-wall) wiring ducts are acceptable - Whether walls and ceilings are already opened up for remodeling work The cost could be between $100 or so all the way up to more than $1000.
The cost of installing hard-wire smoke detectors will vary a huge amount depending on several things: - Your area of the country (New York and California are high) - Whether you have an accessible attic - Whether there is a convenient place to draw the AC power - Whether external (on-wall) wiring ducts are acceptable - Whether walls and ceilings are already opened up for remodeling work The cost could be between $100 or so all the way up to more than $1000.
According to NFPA 72, the national fire code, smoke detectors shall be installed in each sleeping area, outside each sleeping area, and on each story of a home, i.e. top and bottom of stairways.
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.
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.
Check out the smoke detector installation section of this link for more information. Its in section 3. There are many guidelines that may vary from state to state, so you may have to get a local codebook for your state or territory.
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.
Fold it back on itself and tape it up. Smoke alarms are double insulated (no exposed conductive parts) and aren't required to be earthed.