Replacing Smoke Detectors

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  • radhak
    Veteran Member
    • Apr 2006
    • 3058
    • Miramar, FL
    • Right Tilt 3HP Unisaw

    Replacing Smoke Detectors

    My home is 15 years old, and I think the smoke detectors are as old. Today one of them went off and would not shut off. The model is ESL 449CST. I would like to replace it, hopefully with something newer model, and maybe replace all of them around the house.

    I find this one highest rated on Amazon. Will it work as a replacement? In the questions asked/answered on that page, there are questions about it replacing "hard-wired units". What are those? Was the 449CST a hard-wired model? When I detached it from the ceiling I had to detach a power-cable that seems to connect to all the other units too. Is that 'hard-wired'?

    Frankly I would not mind stand-alone units instead of connected ones; but are there any downsides to it?
    It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
    - Aristotle
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    There are battery units which are not hardwired.
    There are AC powered units which if your builder planned for them mount over recessed AC junction boxes at the mounting locations usually high up on the wall. Wirenutting is the usual way of connecting. I consider these hardwired.
    There may be some HArdwired units that connect to a low voltage system or to a central alarm system, I'd also consider those hard wired.

    for the battery ones, you have to replace the batteries every year although I got some lithium battery ones that should last 10 years after which you replace the unit.
    They suggest replacing units every 10 years as you have no way of checking the smoke detecting ability even if the test - alarm button sounds the alarm.

    So even hard wired ones would have to be replaced every ten years. - altho you don't have to worry about batteries.

    Remembering batteries is a pain, they say do it on your birthday or other important anniversary. Yet most have a chirper that goes of briefly when it thinks it deserves a new battery. HIgh pitched, they are hard to isolate sometimes as to which unit it is..
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • RAFlorida
      Veteran Member
      • Apr 2008
      • 1179
      • Green Swamp in Central Florida. Gator property!
      • Ryobi BT3000

      #3
      Hard wired units power off from the house 120vac system. Generally there will be 3 wires, white, black, (these are to power the unit), and a red. The red is the wire that connects to the other units in the house, thus setting off the rest of the detectors. Most if not all the newer units have a battery backup. One other thing is that most local codes required the 120 vac circuit to be dedicated, meaning nothing else on that circuit.
      You can replace the older detector with the battery only unit, you just won't have the other detectors going off if smoke is detected. You say that it was mounted on the ceiling? Generally they are wall mounted ~6" to 12" down from the ceiling.

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      • JimD
        Veteran Member
        • Feb 2003
        • 4187
        • Lexington, SC.

        #4
        I have had good luck with Kiddie smoke detectors. I had to replace the ones the builder installed in the last house. I found Kiddie to be good in price and as reliable as any. In this house, it is too old to have the hard wired ones. When we had the addition put on, they added 4 all hard wired and interconnected for only about 600 ft2. Seemed like overkill to me. I put in one battery backed but the other three are just 120V. I hate replacing batteries on 120V detectors. I also think that part of the house has too many. But I added some battery type to have one for each bathroom and the kitchen. I have one with the carbon monoxide detector. a

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        • radhak
          Veteran Member
          • Apr 2006
          • 3058
          • Miramar, FL
          • Right Tilt 3HP Unisaw

          #5
          Yes, the wiring has 4 different wires with red/black/green/yellow, so power-cables, and also connections to the other units?

          Questions is : am I allowed to replace the older one with the battery-operated new ones? Is there any code that makes it aginst-the-law?
          It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
          - Aristotle

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          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            It's probably not against the law but it is not a good idea. The whole deal in wiring the alarms together is to make them one alarm. You could possibly sleep through a real alarm in a bedroom upstairs or at the other end of the house. I've replaced several that have failed in my house in less than 7 years. The 110v alarms are not that expensive and from what I have seen all connect the same way so no mods to wiring are required. I wish that code had required my detached shop be wired in with the house alarms.

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            • Black walnut
              Administrator
              • Aug 2015
              • 5438
              • BT3K

              #7
              Originally posted by radhak
              Yes, the wiring has 4 different wires with red/black/green/yellow, so power-cables, and also connections to the other units?

              Questions is : am I allowed to replace the older one with the battery-operated new ones? Is there any code that makes it aginst-the-law?
              Great question but an answer will depend on local codes. A call to your local permit office or building inspector should be able to answer.
              just another brick in the wall...

              Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.

              Comment

              • radhak
                Veteran Member
                • Apr 2006
                • 3058
                • Miramar, FL
                • Right Tilt 3HP Unisaw

                #8
                Great advice, guys, thanks!

                I found the fire code for the county/state online, and the relevant portion says :
                "(8) Electrically operated single station smoke detectors required for residential buildings are not required to be interconnected within individual living units in all buildings having direct access to the outside from each living unit and having three stories or less. This subsection does not apply to any residential building required to have a manual or an automatic fire alarm system. "

                Since mine is a single level with three access to outside for three bedrooms, I am good with stand-alones. I am a very light sleeper, the house is rather small, and we have way too many detectors for the size of the house (the builder must have had extras on hand!), so I want some of the units single mode.

                At the same time, I think I'll leave some of the units connected with my bedroom unit, so I don't have to worry about the garage, which is currently connected.

                Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I am guessing these units should have been connected in parallel, and there should not be any issues with a couple of the current connection points capped but unused?
                It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
                - Aristotle

                Comment

                • JR
                  The Full Monte
                  • Feb 2004
                  • 5633
                  • Eugene, OR
                  • BT3000

                  #9
                  Radhak, I think you may be looking at the wrong section. That seems to be referencing multiple-dwelling buildings.

                  My house is on the market, so I've had to read up on this topic. Around here new construction, and any old cusnstruction that has had any upgrades done, require hardwired inter-connected detectors. Obviously I focused on California, but the regs seem to stem from a national building code.
                  JR

                  Comment

                  • JimD
                    Veteran Member
                    • Feb 2003
                    • 4187
                    • Lexington, SC.

                    #10
                    I think it would be best to have the common wire, red wire, connected if you want to sell. While you are living in it, I don't see a problem unless you have a fire and your insurance carrier wants to allege you contributed to the damage by not leaving them connected. Pretty far fetched, probably wouldn't happen. I am also pretty sure the connection is serial. Everything down the circuit from your disconnection will be disconnected. I also do not think I require the interconnection to wake me up. One alarm going off anywhere in the house would wake me. But logic doesn't always apply to building codes.

                    Comment

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