Removing a hard-wired smoke detector.


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Old 02-20-06, 09:11 AM
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Removing a hard-wired smoke detector.

I'm repaneling a drop ceiling in my attic. There's an older Square D smoke detector that's hardwired to house's electrical system. On the back of the detector it says that black/white are 120 volts, and red/blue are 25 volts. I've never seen red and blue in romex before (although this house is about 60 years old). There's some kind of brading on the original wiring (I don't think it's knob and tube)

To my knowledge, the hard-wired smoke detectors are not in use in the house. We have several battery powered detectors which work fine.

I want to close up the junction box that this smoke detector attaches to with a cover plate that will be flush with the drop ceiling.

One feed goes in the junction box, and another feed exits the junction box, with the detector attached to all four wires (black/white/red/blue) in parallel.
Can I just remove the smoke detector and use wirenuts to connect the feeds in and out of the junction box ?

Thanks
 
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Old 02-20-06, 09:37 AM
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I've never seen red and blue in romex before (although this house is about 60 years old).
It's probably 14/4.


> One feed goes in the junction box, and another feed exits the junction box,
> with the detector attached to all four wires (black/white/red/blue) in parallel.
> Can I just remove the smoke detector and use wirenuts to connect the feeds
> in and out of the junction box ?
Yes. If (on only if) the entire circuit is dead you can put all the black and white wires under one nut and the red and blue wires under another nut.

It's aso nice if you include a note in the box that says "old hard-wired smoke detector removed Feb 2006".
 
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Old 02-20-06, 09:47 AM
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Speaking of hard wired smoke detectors, I'm toying with the idea of putting these in. I have battery ones now, but since they are relatively cheap and easy to install, I'm thinking about installing them.

Comments?
 
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Old 02-20-06, 03:41 PM
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Digraph...

Before you go too much further I strongly urge you to contact your local building and/or fire department. Those hard-wired smokes are probably required by law/code. Better to check now than be sorry later.
 
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Old 02-20-06, 04:48 PM
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The 4th wire in the hardwire system tells all the other smoke alarms to activate, notifying Jr and Suzie in the 3rd floor that you messed up in the basement and started a smoke bomb. And, yes, they are required on all new installations, even if you update or add on, you will probably have to retrofit to meet code. Check with your local authorities to keep out of trouble.
 
 

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