I'd like to move to a hard wired smoke alarm solution vs. constantly changing batteries. Just wanted to get a heads up on what is involved in doing so, such as does it need it's own special wiring? I see usually there is a red wire in addition to the normal white & black. Is this usually put on it's own breaker? Can they tap into an existing junction box or electrical feed or does it need it's own? Any other info on the typical process of getting this done/installed would be greatly appreciated so I am a little educated when talking to electric contractors. Thanks in advance for your time and help!
Hard Wired Smoke Detectors
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Red wire is a signal wire.
SDs are wired in in 12/3 or 14/3 which has a red in it. Depends on the breaker.
SDs are usually tied into existing light circuit, can be on a rec. or mixed circuit. Rarely a dedicated circuit.
The work just consists of installing boxes, running wire/cable between boxes, tying into power circuit, installing devices.
Combo units that are carbon monoxide detectors also are popular. If you have gas appliances, maybe required, I cannot remember
If one is desired for in kitchen, use a heat detector.
All hardwired SDs are battery back up.
Code for locations.
R314.3 Location.
Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:
1. In each sleeping room. 2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms. 3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
SDs are wired in in 12/3 or 14/3 which has a red in it. Depends on the breaker.
SDs are usually tied into existing light circuit, can be on a rec. or mixed circuit. Rarely a dedicated circuit.
The work just consists of installing boxes, running wire/cable between boxes, tying into power circuit, installing devices.
Combo units that are carbon monoxide detectors also are popular. If you have gas appliances, maybe required, I cannot remember
If one is desired for in kitchen, use a heat detector.
All hardwired SDs are battery back up.
Code for locations.
R314.3 Location.
Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:
1. In each sleeping room. 2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms. 3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
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Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC, the latest NEC doesn't dictate that fire detection equipment needs its own circuit but it does say that it needs to be on a circuit that is NOT GFCI or AFCI protected. So that basically means that it needs it's own circuit since all the other circuits need to be AFCI or GFCI protected.
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Correct.....more specifically, it can't have a switch, other than the breaker that will turn it off.
Mine are powered off one of my light ckt's.....if the light doesn't work, I know the smokes are not being powered.
To the OP...
If you have attic access to run the wire, then go 14/3. If not, then you can get interconnected SD's that are wireless for the interconnection....in other words, you can tap into an existing ckt for power and the SD's will communicate with each other wirelessly..
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11,194 Posts
I would check with the local building dept on what circuits can be used. It is an item subject to local amendment in a number of jurisdictions.
Some want a dictated circuit, some say any lighting circuit, others say it must be powered by the same lighting circuit of the room in which it is located.
Edit, you might also check on the wireless communication. Last I knew, not all localities approve it.
Some want a dictated circuit, some say any lighting circuit, others say it must be powered by the same lighting circuit of the room in which it is located.
Edit, you might also check on the wireless communication. Last I knew, not all localities approve it.
Strange, many instructions say not to install in attics.
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4,548 Posts
Our inspector told me to pull it off a lighting circuit and absolutely no dedicated circuits as people will kill the breaker and the protection is gone.
Code here also specs that our bedroom units have strobe lites for the hearing impaired along with the standard alarm.
Code here also specs that our bedroom units have strobe lites for the hearing impaired along with the standard alarm.
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844 Posts
Wireless are permitted, but I've read so many reviews with people having problems with them that I ended up going with wired interconnection even though it was a pain to run the wiring from floor to floor.
Incorrect. There is an exception for a receptacle powering a fire alarm system requiring AFCI or GFCI, but there is no prohibition.
But correct that SD outlets in areas that are required to be AFCI would need to AFCI also.
Our builder put all of our SDs on their own dedicated circuit but our neighbors SDs were put on each bedroom's lighting circuit - so all the SDs are spread out over multiple circuits. Weird considering the houses were built at the same time (early 2000s).123pugsy said:
I try to periodically look up and ensure the SDs green light is on but I like our neighbors setup better. We haven't had any issues yet though and they are battery backup so I guess it's not the end of the world. Maybe someday I will have a light added somewhere linked to the SD circuit.
The smokes all need to be on one circuit. I can't see how someone could wire them across multiple circuits and not have issues or code violations.
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14,538 Posts
I have 11 smokes and they're all on one circuit. It would be a nightmare if they each had their own and I don't know what inspector would demand such silliness. I have no idea how you would run a (hardwire) interconnect if they each had their own circuit.
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14,538 Posts
That makes no sense.
If you go by code then they all have battery back up and are still alive even if you turn off the breaker. They also have low battery warning signals so if you leave the breaker off long enough, everybody will know it at some point.
Delaware requires a dedicated circuit ,but with a breaker lock to prevent the smokes from being turned off.
Bob, I think it makes good sense since there are people that would turn the breaker off and remove the batteries since the chirping would bother them. Heck even with free installation and batteries there are still people without this basic protection.
Bob, I think it makes good sense since there are people that would turn the breaker off and remove the batteries since the chirping would bother them. Heck even with free installation and batteries there are still people without this basic protection.
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