How to wire smoke detectors - smoke detector interconnection - The Electrical Guide
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- čas přidán 26. 10. 2019
- This video teaches you how to wire and interconnect smoke detectors. All homes need smoke detectors, you must also wire your smoke detector on the same circuit as a light(but not before a switch) so that you're more likely to notice a lighting circuit not working than your smoke detectors not working. Smoke detectors should be tested monthly to ensure proper function. Safety first.
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You get a new subscriber. I don’t even need to look at other vids to know I’ll appreciate them. Thank you for this.
Appreciate that 🙏
I just found the perfect virtual assistant voice.
Let me know, I can do voice recordings :)
Where
@@questionsbyavirgo4045 Yah, where do you want them? email me from my descriptions
Thank you for simply taking the time to fully explain how to wire up my smoke detectors. 👍👍. Two thumbs up.
Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the positive feedback
Man you are the best
I’m so glad how you made it very simple
Thank you so much 😊
Thank you for the positive feedback :)
Perfect and to the point vid. Thank you. This vid is a great help.
Thank you for posting this, it is very informative and gave me the confidence to do this myself.
Yess Awesome! Thank you for the positive feedback!
Very good job of clearly explaining & throughly demonstrating.
Thank you for this!! YT isn’t always the treasure trove of information. There’s NO videos really on this. A lot of meandering talking about things that don’t matter!
I appreciate the positive feedback! Thank you
perfect, exactly the info I needed. Thank you!
Thank you for the demonstration.
Thank you, I really appreciate the video.
Very detailed video. Learned a lot. Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Informative to the point 👍
Thank you
@zacwilson7590 Thank you for the positive feedback!
Thank you for sharing 👍👍
Clear Explanation and Easy to Understand
Thank you!
Will have to try your pre-wrap your stranded wire method. Stranded wire is always a PITA
Thank you so much for the great information! For someone who has never worked with electrical items before, this video helped me out a lot! I was able to install my 6 smoke detectors, wiring and detectors, without problems! Thanks again!
That's great! Well done.
good day sir, I am an electrical student that just recently followed you. I will be grateful if you drop a detailed schematic diagram of this particular exercise and the rest so that I and other newbies in the field could have a form of reference to grow on. Thank you
Thanks for the great video
Very well and clear explained
Thank you for the positive feedback!
Your handling of wire is almost magical...
Great video. Thank you.
I appreciate your positive feedback :)
Thanks a lot very organized and neat work
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great video.
Thank you this happened to be the first video I saw and it was the same smoke detectors so everything was perfect
Awesome, thank you for the positive feedback and well done!
Great video, thanks.
Thank you for the positive feedback!
Thank you! I’m a noob that’s brave/dumb enough to attempt a panel move and full rewire solo-ish. I figured this was how it worked but any potential mistake would have been multiplied by 6. Cheers for the piece of mind!
Brave indeed, I’ve got faith in you though. Thank you for the positive feedback!
Good video
Thank you
Very helpful video, Thank you so much.
I'm glad you found it helpful. Thank you for the feedback.
Can you do a separate video to show how you spin your pliers around like you did early in the video? ;)
You must be a drummer; that was smooth!
Hahaha, lots of time spent with pliers in hand, sadly not a drummer.
Agreed and an excellent video.
Am I right in assuming that if you're only installing one alarm you only connect the black and white and disregard the red tucking it up inside?
Exactly. The red or sometimes orange may come from the factory with a rubber tip to insulate it.
This is video is perfect for DIYers like me...Thank you so much!!!! (I am a subscriber now...)
Thank you for the great feedback!
Thanks great info 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Thank you good video
Great video
Thank you! Let me know if you want to see something covered.
Perfect thank you explained very well
Thank you for the positive feedback :)
Good tutorial- thank you
Appreciate the positive feedback :)
Well done! Thanks!
Appreciate the positive feedback :)
Great job brother
Thank you!
Great Video thank you
Appreciate the positive feedback!
That is wonderful that you are helping people so I asked you my smoke detector has wires going to it I have sprayed it with air and it's still going off I held it down for 20 seconds it's still going off I have been dealing with this for over a month please tell me what else I can do
@Gladys Murphy Thank you for the kinds words :) Sounds like it is faulty, should be replaced.
Good presentation....
Thank you!
Amazing, I was confused , about the homerun 12/3 or 12/2
So 12/2 going to first box detector and 12/3 jumps between the other boxes
Yes, you can actually use size 14 for smoke feeds and jumps between them. So 14/2 feed then 14/3 between.
Thank youuuu! This is wat I was looking for in the comments. I thought so but nice to confirm, much cheaper to be safe than sorry lol
I did 5 of these Smoke/CO2 detectors, only thing, I continued the 14/3 to the panel box. How do I wire in - what happens with red? Or, do I have to use 14/2 to the box? Love the videos! Great to see them and confirm I'm doing it right!! Thanks
Oops haha, yeah you can just cap the red wire nicely tucked in the corner of the panel. Leave it capped as well in the first smoke box. The whole feeding cable should be 14/2. The first red wire comes from the next smoke and attaches to the first smoke with just those 2 wires only under the marette. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching and the positive feedback!
First off, thanks for your informative and clear video.
If you have any insights on wiring described below, I'd appreciate any input/feedback/thoughts.
BACKGROUND: I replaced 3 hardwired (ionization- style) smoke detectors with combination smoke/CO detectors (one per floor). Now I want to replace a very old photoelectric-style detector on our bedroom level that is located less than 2 feet from the replaced ionization-style detector. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the photoelectric detector no longer exists. Replacing the ionization detectors was easy, as they had a snap-in adapter on the back with the typical red, white and black wires. The photoelectric one I want to replace, however, is connected to 6 wires (red, black, white, green, blue, and yellow) with the wires poking through a very small hole in the ceiling. The 6 wires then connect to 4 screws inside the detector (screws are labeled 1-4): yellow & white to #4, blue & green to #3, black to #2 and red to # 1). I'm not sure why there are extra wires and what they might connect to (might it be for a security system)?
Any idea on what is needed to hardwire a new detector in this 6-wired location and what these 6 wires represent? If needed I'll hire an electrician, but have completed simple electric work (e.g., replacing ceiling lights, etc.) and, if straightforward, would prefer to do myself.
That sounds like low voltage wiring. What size are these 6 wires? What size/colour is the cable they come out of? Sounds like what you might find if you take an old thermostat off the wall. Maybe those wires go back to a monitor board/panel of some kind somewhere else in your house. It's possible it's part of the security system as well. Sounds like you've got some investigating to do :)
@@theelectricalguide I'm not sure what size wires they are, but I can say they are a good bit smaller than the typical gauged wire I've encountered in an outlet/light switch. Unfortunately, I don't know what size/colour of cable they come out of; to do so, I'd need to start cutting into the ceiling (since the hole they come out of is about the size of the nearby screw hole used to attach the detector to the ceiling) and, as of yet anyway, I'm not ready to make a bigger hole. Will have to do additional research. Thank you for your input-- it's greatly appreciated.
@@jmackay7055 Those are low voltage for sure. Likely part of a brown or grey cable, I'd guess approx. #18 AWG size. They most likely go back to a board or panel of some kind. Look around your house, maybe a security panel/box near your pane;? Good luck!
Great info thanks. How could you incorporate temporary silencers?
Most detectors have a temporary silence button on the face of the device. Look for a detector with a "hush" button for temporary silencing.
Your idea of a lighting circuit indicating a problem is good, but is not code everywhere. In my area the detectors must be on a separate circuit. Your install instructions were excellent!
The codes I refer to are mostly Canadian codes and sometimes Ontario codes. US and Canadian codes are very very similar but of course they do differ in some small ways.
That's a weird code, the reason why it's typically on a lighting circuit is so you know that if the light is off there is a visual indicator that no power is going to the smoke detectors, I wonder what the rationale for putting smoke detectors on a dedicated circuit is. They don't draw very much.
@@MichaelMillers smokes in USA require battery back up so if you you lose 120v feed the battery back up smokes will chirp
@@jerseybil1 Thank you I did not they would chirp if power was loss good to know thank you
@jerseybil1 maybe some smoke detectors chirp when they dont have power, but most chirp because the battery is getting low.
Good video
Thank you for the positive feedback.
Very nice
Appreciate the positive feedback!
New Sub here. Thanks for the content⚡
Thank you for the feedback, glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Thankyou.
Thank you sir
I'm glad it was helpful for you!
Great video! But dammit I gotta go buy 14-3 wire now to link them together. Lol
Simple, to the point. Sounds like Mel Gibson
Thanks! I always want to know how they do this installations. I do the low voltage Fire alarm systems installation and program but always customer ask me how this works and finally I found a video to explain me how they are wired. Just need to know now hot they connect these devices to a 120 VAC bell or/and 120 VAC strobes...
Perhaps there is a small transformer within the strobe or bell? 120v > 30v or something? I've seen 120v strobes and bells though :)
Good video….. I want to add a Kidie heat detector into my garage. The main house has all the detectors already connected. My problem is that my flat roof house has no access to the attic. How can I connect the red wire so that all detectors will work correctly? The main electric panel is in the garage also, so I can access the fire alarm loop in the main box.
It is likely that the circuit access from the panel you're asking about is a 2 wire without a red interconnection. Unfortunately you will need a 14/3 from the closest other interconnected device in order to ensure they all go off together by tapping off the red from that device. Another popular type of alarm interconnection technology is wireless interconnect. This method uses radio frequency communication to connect the alarms, without any electrical wiring needed. These alarms are battery-operated. I suppose you could try and run with that but I expect those to cost more.
Could you come to my duplex, and show us how you would do it by installing it into my attic and then running it to the breaker box. Give me a complete picture you know.
Haha a complete picture yes of course - where is your duplex?
I have 3 smoke detectors and 2 smoke/CO that are all supposed to be interconnected. Two smoke/CO detectors are connected but the smokes are not. All have interconnecting red wires. They are now all Kidde but same results with Kidde and X-Sense mixed.
Thanks អរគុណ❤
:)
Hi. Can someone help me?? This is great video!! But what size breaker do we use? 15amp?? Thank very much!!
Yes on a 15 amp breaker, on the same circuit as lighting. Tap off the nearest lighting circuit, after the switch so the switch doesn't turn the smokes off :)
thanks
👍
Great explanation! I'm considering wiring those in an old home which currently uses battery-powered detectors only. Does the code require a dedicated branch circuit for the detectors, or can I j-box from an existing circuit?
Thanks for the positive feedback! It actually needs to be on a lighting circuit. Tap off the nearest switch box BEFORE the switch (so that the switch doesn't turn off your detectors). They have essentially no load so any lighting circuit is likely fine. This way if they ever stop working you'll notice when your lights also don't work :) Hope that helps, good luck!
@@theelectricalguide That makes sense, thanks again!
I noticed you used octagon boxes. I am adding some Gentex interconnected smoke alarms to an existing home (old work installation) and was going to use 3x2 switch boxes. Can the octagons be mounted in an old work style? Do you generally prefer them over switch boxes?
Hello hetouahta htneuohtnueo
I always use octagon boxes for smoke detectors. They come with octagon mounting brackets spaced for the two mounting screws on the octagon box. 1104 or 3x2 device boxes aren’t meant for smoke detector installs they only have mounting holes for regular style device mounting screws such as switches or receptacles. That being said you also want your smoke detector on the ceiling because smoke (hot air) rises therefore you’re mounting the boxes to the joists and the average 1104 box (3x2) aren’t designed to be mounted to joists. I strongly recommend octagon boxes and cutting the drywall ceiling to suit if need be. You are also able to purchase retro fit (old work) octagon boxes if you cant access a joist for some reason. Hope this answers your question :)
@@theelectricalguide Thank you for your reply! Yep, makes sense. In my case the home has radiant ceiling heat in the bedrooms which requires me to install high up on walls (although the main detector in the hallway is in a remodeled area and in the ceiling). Someday I'll replace and move.
Old work octagons are hard to find. Do the Steel City OWC clips work well if I can find an octagon with plaster ears?
@@confidentlocal8600 Yes the plaster ear octagon boxes work pretty well, the ones that you turn a screw and the ears pinch the drywall. I wouldn't suggest that for anything other than a light weight smoke detector as the ears might break through the drywall if you mounted a heavy light fixture. Good luck!
Do you know how many of these detectors can be run in a daisy chain. I am thinking of tapping into the power from one of the lights in a room, do I need an independent circuit from the panel, or can I tap the light box. I have seven to link in a house.
The detectors have very low draw, 7 shouldn’t be a problem at all. You should tap from a light circuit. Just make sure you don’t turn the detectors off with the light switch :)
How do you put one in between two detectors? Do you need to run a wire from the last one or you can just attach the wires to the previous one.
You can run a 14/3 from the closest one. They can be connected in parallel.
Do all alarms have to be fed from the same circuit? Example: the smoke detector I have outside my bedroom is already powered. I am finishing wiring my garage (sub panel fed from that same main panel) but was going to run a circuit for them, and then just send a signal wire up to the alarm outside the bedroom. It seems like that may cause some sort of issue with two different circuits powering. I figured the interconnect wires would be a stranded low voltage but it appears like it is a fairly heavy gauge wire...?
Hey MeltingRubberZ28
All smoke detector circuits should be shared on a circuit that has lighting only. Therefore if your lights were ever not working you would therefore know your smokes aren't working and are more likely to notice/rectify the problem. That being said I suggest all smokes be on the same circuit however they will still work on different circuits. The interconnect wire we use in residential is 14 AWG usually red. It is usually solid but stranded is permitted. I hope this helps!
@@theelectricalguide After planning it out, it would be stupid to not put it all on one circuit anyway. Thanks for your help!
I have red, white, and black on the old Not-working any more smoke alarms. But the plug-ins to new smoke alarms aren't the same as the old plug-ins to old smoke alarms. Can I wire with caps the new plug-ins, so I can use the new plug-ins for the new smoke alarms? Of course, I will test the new alarms afterward. Thanks for any help.
Yeah for sure, are they the same colour? Or maybe orange instead of red? Just colour match with the new plug-ins and you should be fine.
@@theelectricalguide
Thanks so much. God Bless.
@@aquafishes Happy to help, come back again with any other questions :)
Can you interconnect smoke detectors, by adding a wire between them if they are on different circuits?
I suppose you could… it wouldn’t be ideal nor the first option. If you’re going to run a wire between them might as well run a 14/3 and wire them properly on whatever circuit is easiest.
Thank you. I have access to the first detector where the power comes in and a 3 wire goes to the next detector in the home if I wanted to add another one from this detector is it true I add another three wire here going to the new detector?
Yes, 14/3 wire, same matching colour wiring connections.
@@theelectricalguide thank you. Love the channel
@@sushi13141 Thank you appreciate the feedback!
I know I don't have to but can I just put the smoke detectors on their own breaker and can I use 12/2 and 12/3 since I already have it on hand?
Yeah you can over size the wires no problem, but you really should put these on a lightning circuit. Before the switch of course :)
I need to eliminate one hardwired interconnected smoke detector due to wood stove install too close. Will put a battery smoke detector farther away. My question is can we remove the pigtail and put wire nuts on the hot wires and close up the hole will it affect the other detectors in the house that it was connected with? Can't find an answer anywhere. Thanks
Yes you can, as long as the colours match for your wire connections. You can't however bury a box or wires without a box in the ceiling with drywall. Just put a white blank octagon cover plate on the existing box.
Great Video. What hapens with a home retrofit where the fire alarms are not on the same circuits and not on the same floors. Can I just run a singe wire from one fire alarm to the other.
I think I see in your other posts it says to just use a 14G wire. I used a blue one? Do fire alarms count as one of your 12 box limits in a circuit? And in one of your posts you said they all should be on the same lighting circuir, that is not happening in my house as it is a retrofit and they original is already on a circuit, but my concern is that you said they cannot be on a circuit that has outlets. Is that code her in ontario when I am doing a renovation? Thanks for the info
@@BMac-dr8oc They are allowed to be on a circuit with BOTH lighting and outlets but not outlets only in Ontario. Ideally they are all on the same circuit so you can wire them together. If they are on different circuits running a cable between them may cause problems. You can always add a new one to an existing circuit with a 14 AWG - 3 cable but don't try to connect smoke alarms on different circuits you may get a short-circuit. You can also use a 14/2 cable to add a new one if you don't plan to interconnect them due to them not being on the same circuit. Hope that helps!
@@theelectricalguide Ok, that got a little confusing. So, outlets on the circuit are not a problem but must have lights too. The lights help to let you know that your firealarms are offline. Now the part you lost me. The basement appartment is on different circuits. I am going to retroft the house and add firealarms to all bedrooms. This means I will have 9 alarms on 4 different breakers. To me that seemed better and safer. If one breaker goes and they all have battery backup and are interconnected I will still get all allarms sounding? Does make sense?
@@BMac-dr8oc Yes the lights alert you to a circuit not working with detectors on it if the lights are out. You're allowed detectors on different circuits. Not all alarms will sound together if some are battery operated. The Nest detector connects to wifi and will alarm every other nest detector on the network. The Nest detectors are however expensive. You could always bring all 4 cables that attach to 4 different breakers to a junction box before the panel and connect them all to 1 cable and then into the panel onto 1 breaker. Just a thought.
Is it safe to use Wagos to connect the wires? I always have terrible luck working with the stranded wires.
Yeah for sure 👍
So the old tenants here at my house left the wires sticking out of the wall they are black, white and yellow. I'm assuming the yellow is the interconnect? So if I buy identical smoke detectors will I splice the yellow and red?
Yes it is likely the yellow is the interconnection wire. Yellow to red yup!
My old wiring is only black and white, no orange wire available, will this newer unit still work with out the orange wire
Yup, but it won’t ring when any others do. It’s a stand alone. You can just cap the orange/red wire that comes on the new detector.
Just wonder where is the ground wire for the last smoke detector go if using the plastic box?
The ground wire in your cable will still terminate on the screw in the back of the box. czcams.com/video/JuPdhC-C17Y/video.html
If the smoke detector is plastic it won't need to be bonded. Hope that helps :)
hi i am wondering as i will add a smoke detectors to the other smoke detectors, will it be ok to add a wiring to the 3 black, 3 white and 3 red plus the ground, the wiring will be 4 each color? thank you
Are you talking about 4 wires connected under 1 wire connector? Yes that is allowed as long as the connector is of the right size. Check the packaging and look for 4 - #14AWG meaning this marette or wire connector is good for up to 4 - #14 AWG size wires which is likely the size you're using. I suggest watching my video on making wire marette connections. Hope this helps!
@@theelectricalguide Yes i manage to connect it using 14-3wires.
Question if I may.
I have preexisting smoke detectors in 3 bedrooms a fourth room is now considered a bedroom. How do I add a detector into the existing run?
1) Run a 14/3 wire from the nearest smoke detector in the house. This will allow it to go off when the others do.
2) Jump power out of the nearest lighting circuit (not after the switch) and connect just the black and white from a 14/2 from your nearest lighting circuit to the smoke detector. ( this will not go off when the others do)
3) *easiest* Buy a battery powered smoke detector and mount it to the ceiling. ( this will not go off when the others do)
Hope that helps!
@@theelectricalguide thank you. I would like to keep it an electric feed as that’s what all the others are. I will try your suggestion. Thanks again
I find this helpful except that this is the easy part. Bonding those boxes and running the wire correctly (conduit if necessary Etc) is what I’m looking for. This should be a relatively easy job and an upgrade I should be able to do myself. I just want to ensure I’m doing it all correctly
Thank you for the positive feedback. You can totally do it yourself. Run your 14/3 cable through 3/4 inch drilled holes in the joists or free air fish it through some pot light holes. Mount your octagon box the drywall thickness forward of the joist face so that the drywall is flush with the front of the box. Use 2 or 3 screws on an angle into the joist. You got this!
Deep voice
If i don't want all of my smoke detectors to go off simultaneously do i not connect the red wores. Thank you
Yup, they will work independently
On a 3 level house do all the smokes go on one circuit? Run the smokes first and then after the last smoke go into a switch and out to some lights?
Yah you can put them all on the same circuit, but it needs to be a lighting only circuit, no outlets on it. Of course make sure you don't switch the smokes by accident haha :) Run a 3 wire between them as well so they may be interconnected and chime together.
@@theelectricalguide I live in Ontario and I am doing a renovation on a 35 year old house that only had one fire alarm installed. I put a fire alarm in the basement and main floor in 1991, but they are on a different circuits. I just ran a wire between the three alarms. I am now doing a major renovation on the main floor, moving the kitchen from one side of the house to the other side. I am getting an electical inspection but your video worries me. I will be installing a new fire alarm on the main floor and I will be interconecting it with the others. Will the inspector care that they are all not wired together and that they are conected via 14/2 with a separate interconect wire?
@@BMac-dr8oc The inspector won't care that they aren't wired together. I mean you can have a 100% battery powered detector that isn't on any circuit and that's just fine. Something to consider, I know they're a bit more expensive but it you can't easily interconnect them all on one circuit that's an option. Interconnection isn't mandatory. FYI some of the rules around detector installs are governed by the Ontario building code not the electrical code.
@@theelectricalguide Great point re interconnectivity during my electrical inspection.....so will keep that part simple :) No interconect. I will iterconnect them for the building inspection as they are required to be interconected because I have a basement apartment.
can I cut down the bonding wire in the last smoke detector in my house? in video 5:57
If there are 2, 1 can be cut short. If there is 1, leave it long and curled up.
What if the box is plastic. Do I have to put a ground wire to anything?
Hello Maureen. You only need to bond metal components to ground. Plastic components for your smoke detector do not need to bebonded to ground. Hope that helps!
Can u please tell me the sizes of each wire and capacity of smoke detector?
The wires sizes are #14 AWG 3 conductor (14/3) and the smoke detector would be on a standard 15 amp circuit.
You said the 14/2 was feed, is that same as "line"?
Yup! 👌
pwede po bang mahingi sa schematic digram nito po sir?
What voltage is the signal wire carry is there a normally open contact when one goes off it closes the contact sending 120v through the red wire im just curious
Usually 9v
So what do you do inside the main panel with the red and black? Do they land on a two pole breaker?
Your feed is only 2 wire. Black and white on single pole breaker - on a lighting circuit.
You would typically just steal power from your lights, panel work is not needed.
So your first home run coming from the panel needs to be 14/2 and everything there after needs to be 14/3? Great video
Hey Shawn, your feed will be 14/2 and between each box 14/3 exactly. Your home run or feed won't come from the panel though, instead it should be off a lighting circuit, so the closest lighting box nearby would ideally bring the feed in with a 14/2. Just make sure you don't accidently switch your smokes on and off with the light :p
Why does the ground wire need to be bonded to the box?
It's basically the safety wire, if any live contacts touch the box by accident the bonded ground wire will safely divert the electrons to ground resulting in a trip therefore less likely to cause shock or fire.
Question. Hoping someone can help me as apparently Kidde’s support has disappeared during the pandemic. I had three interconnected hardwired smoke/co2 alarms. All three reached the end of their useful lives in the past couple months. I had two stand alone nest alarms lying around so I mounted those, leaving the kidde quick interconnects in the ceiling box. For the third alarm, I installed an identical kidde alarm and hardwired it into the electrical system using the existing three wire harness. I then read the instructions (🙄) and it said don’t use the red wire, which carries the 9 volt signal to the other hardwired alarms. Can someone tell me if it is necessary to disconnect the red wire? My red wire goes to the other two kidde harnesses which aren’t being used. I’d prefer to leave everything connected as when the two battery nests reach their end of life, I’d like to go back to using three kiddes and have them be interconnected. Not a big deal to disconnect the red wire but I don’t understand why I have to. Can someone explain what the issue is in my situation?
Follow up: I finally was able to get through to kidde and they confirmed I was ok to hook up the red wire even though it was not connecting to the other two nests. Here is the surprising kicker though: when I hooked up the kidde and pressed the test button, it AND the two nests went off with the kidde! I called nest. Their alarms have blue tooth and talk to each other but they said the nest will pick up “a frequency” from the kidde and sound an alarm. The kidde does not have Bluetooth as far as I know, and the person from nest couldn’t tell me if the frequency was the audible alarm or something outside of human hearing or what, but I was pleasantly surprised. Of course the nest going off won’t trigger the kidde but still...
I don't see an issue in your situation. That red wire can stay connected in your hardwired Kidde alarm and even if it goes off it may try to send a signal to the other locations which aren't currently connected which means nothing will happen. The signal voltage isn't enough to be dangerous nor would it even be able to contact anything if still wired into the harness.
Hope this helps!
Can you remove 1 detector from the series without disabling all of those in the series? I want to replace 1 with a battery operated detector.
Yes, but the wire joints still need to be made. Think of it then as 1 wired detector that has a really long wire to the next wired detector. Your battery one will of course do it's own thing independently of the wired ones.
changed mine now bedroom does not beep when testing
You put a new wired detector into an existing location with a red wire at the box already? Upon connecting the white, red and black wires you do a test somewhere else in your home and the bedroom one you just installed does not beep? Am I understanding this correctly?
Very clear, thorough and to the point. However, by simulating the install with the electrical box away from the ceiling, you miss the awkwardness that’s always involved.
Haha indeed, but I might add it's equally awkward but in a different way to film directly under a camera and mount surrounded by lighting stands and cones that I'm not trying to bump or make shadows with.
If I don’t have hardwired ones, I’d have to pretty much get an electrician to install hardwired ones right?
Hello expressfashionman89, yes that is correct. Installing hardwire smoke detectors is actually quite intrusive to your home. Lots of drywall would need to be cut and therefore repaired to do it properly. These days battery powered ones are just as good though, I don't think you really need hardwired ones. It would be cheaper to get a whole set of 'smart' smoke detectors that communicate with each other without wires than it would be to hire an electrician to come install hardwire in your whole house I'd think. Check out the nest protect. Hope that helps!
And also the smoke detectors that I have right now there are not wired so how do I do?
You can use battery powered ones that's totally fine. Sometimes they even have a frequency that will alert the other battery powered ones as well, everything in this video can be purchased from your local hardware store.
@@theelectricalguide thank you so much
@@theelectricalguide these Hardware stores that I'm going to in too, nobody seems to understand what I need do you have a cell number or are you in Houston?
@@elondamambakasa6577 Hey Dan, what is it you're asking for exactly at the hardware stores? They should all have both wired and battery operated smoke detectors. I know the Nest ones are pretty nice although they are on the expensive side. I'm in Ontario, Canada.
What box is that? Is that junction box?
That is an octagon junction box, yes.
so the red one is just data?
Not data no, think of it as a signal conductor.
How many detectors/ rooms can I put on one line ?
As many as you want, ideally the whole house will alarm if any one detector rings. Be sure to put them on a lighting circuit per code rules.
The instructions on most residential smoke detectors lists a max of no more than 1000ft from beginning to end. That’s pretty lenient for most installs.
what actual size for the wires ?
Size AWG #14