Excellent video!!!! One thing to add, double check the extension cord ground end to end for continuity. It's very likely to be good, but never assume 🙂
Thank you, John. I recently bought a house and was attempting to replace three connected smoke alarms (they were 30 years old). The first detector was getting no power to it when wired, although the wires were "hot", according to my non-contact tester. Thanks to your guidance at 5:15 of the video, I was able to determine black & ground were showing 120 volts but black and neutral were showing zero. I traced the white wire all the way back to near the circuit breaker, where I found it had come loose from a wire nut in a separate junction box. As soon as I reconnected that, my new smoke detector started working. Not sure how long it would have taken me to find this without your video (I had even called the manufacturer for guidance and they were stumped). Cheers!
I learn something new every day. Thanks for teaching me about the extension cords as a jumper wire. I always tested my signal wires for a short to ground and then I would take the grounds and tie them to the signal wires for my tests. I've never had to test my installations because I was sure of the correct wiring.
Yeah, using grounds or neutrals to make a test loop can be useful too, but that can't be used in every situation. The extension cord idea came to me in a moment of frustration and it's a good trick to have up your sleeve.
Nice. Love all the little extras you include in your content. We have a hardwired smoke detector in the laundry room and in the upstairs hall. They've been there since 1980 and they work. Never had any desire to touch them except for testing. A bit on the ugly side but they are in unobtrusive locations so we just leave them alone.
The 80s were a long time ago! You really are supposed to change them out every 10 years or so, and the new ones with the combination of smoke and CO are actually improved. They also have a voice command now, so it will let you know if the problem is smoke or CO. The carbon monoxide is no joke--you go to sleep at night and you don't get up in the morning. Ever!
John - you are a genius guy. Just for suggestion -You could have used tone generator to check continuity between two points - regardless of distance. You put tone with toner on one end and hear signal on the other.
Yes, a tone generator can work for some people--I used to use them for telephone circuits back in the day. Today, though, my hearing is pretty badly damaged for a number of reasons and I wouldn't be able to hear the tone.
Hi John, Just one observation. When you tested the red for voltage, you put your leads between the red and black. If someone had connected those two wires together somewhere, the reading would still be zero. You would only see voltage at that point if the red was connected to the other phase. In this case a check between red and white might save a nasty surprise. Cheers
I could have been clearer on that point. What I was testing for was double voltage, or a 240 volt reading between the red and black. On more than one occasion I've found where somebody miswired cables within a circuit, and the red wire is often the culprit. Sometimes two cables go through a box fed by different breakers and somebody ties them together. I did a bath remodel one time where two breakers were feeding a single cable! That was a head scratcher! So in this case I was concerned that perhaps somebody had used the red wire for another purpose or wired it where it shouldn't go. I was speculating that maybe that would be the reason the boxes were abandoned, since that would probably cook the detectors. Since I found zero across the red and black I knew that only one breaker was feeding the circuit and I also I knew that the red wire was not shorted or tied to neutral or ground. If I had found 240v I would have looked for a second source of power tied in somewhere. If I had found 120v I would have looked for where the red wire was connected or shorted to ground or neutral.
Thanks for the video. There is another possible reason that the homeowner switched to battery powered detector vs powered/linked detectors. In my brand new house I have 10+ linked detectors. One night they all started going off. There was no smoke. I assumed that one had failed but had no idea which one! It was a nightmare. Many of them require a ladder to access. My first thought I have no real need for these to be linked and that I was better off with individual battery powered units. .
Yeah, I can understand your frustration. It is a fire code requirement for the detectors to be hard-wired and linked in many areas, though. In NJ, where I live and work, when a home is sold to a new owner, the municipality checks the detectors and issues a CO. Honestly, I think the only reason this example in the video wasn't flagged is because during covid a lot of the inspections just weren't getting done. Incidentally, for your situation there is usually a light or other indicator when a detector has a problem. If you have ten, that's a lot of checking for sure!
Nice, clear video. I didn't get exactly what I was looking for but did get a few things of value. I just replaced all of the smoke alarms in my house and wondered what that "shower cap" was for. Finding the answer to that wasn't a burning question for me but I was a little curious. And yes, aligning that 3-prong plug can certainly be tricky, especially for old eyes up on a ladder. Although I didn't need it for this project, that continuity testing approach is something that I'll put in my back pocket for future need.
The shower cap is included for use during construction. Drywall dust and paint overspray can clog up and ruin the sensor inside the unit. Ideally the detectors are removed during work, but during new construction one trade won't touch the work of another trade, so they include a shower cap to protect the units while work is being done.
So I am having a issue with fire alarms randomly going off of course always in the middle of the night, waking everyone up, this has been on going for several years now, I have replaced all the units purchased all new units, both fire alarms and combo CO/FIRE units, checked manufacturing dates, they are all manufactured within 2023-24. Just to defend the previous homeowner, I am at a point now where I may disconnect the hard wiring on them all and go full battery operated units, it is extremely annoying dealing with this. It's creating a situation where the alarms are going off and numbing our response to them, I live with my elderly mother in law and she is getting less and less responsive to the alarms just randomly going off in the middle of the night. Is there a way to check the alarm units for bad resistors, and or functioning prior to putting them in service? I plan on taking your tips and testing the lines and making sure they are all working and I am getting proper voltages etc. But I do not believe that I am buying units that are continuously faulty or defecting I get maybe 1 in like 10, but I've had to replace all (9) units and everything was good for about a month and we just had another false alarm last night, so it's really getting frustrating now.
If I follow your story correctly, you were having problems with the original alarms randomly going off, then you replaced ALL of the existing alarms with new ones? And yet the problem persists? That's troubling. Before you blame the detectors or the electrical system, I think you should consider the idea that something else is actually setting off one, which then sets off the others connected through the wiring. There are a number of reasons smoke detectors can give a false alarm, including high humidity in a house, steam from showers or cooking, smoke or heat from cooking, insects getting inside the unit, dust or dirt in the air, or strong chemicals stored nearby. I think you should look at some of these factors first. It may be that you just need to move one detector to a better location, or reduce humidity in the house, etc.
@@enduringcharm thanks for responding, several of the alarms began alarming little over 18 months ago, after inspection, i noticed many of them were nearing end of life, so i began replacing them, with newer units, as some of the newer units began giving false alarms, I attributed it to faulty units, eventually all units were replaced. All was quiet for about 4 weeks then it started happening again, it appeared to be the unit in our master bedroom, triggering the rest of the house. Since all the units are “new” im not giving the dust factor much weight in our situation, now the potential for flies to crawl around and trigger i suppose, but why does it seem to like that specific unit and location is strange. As for humidity, uh not very humid in the house, there is no smoke or excess steam or fog in the area that seems to trigger the one unit in question. I have currently disconnected the hard line power from the unit and have not had an incident for over a week, will continue to monitor and eventually reconnect the hard line power to see if it false alarms again.
Well, you've narrowed it down to one unit, so that's a start. It is possible you have one defective unit. As for the electrical system itself, it's hard for me to imagine why that would be setting off alarms. I believe the signal voltage between units is something like 5 to 9 volts DC, so a short or something shouldn't be a trigger. One test you could do is swap the master bedroom unit with another and see if the false trigger follows the unit.
@@enduringcharm I'll consider that, since the two units that might be problematic are currently on battery power, no false alarms yet. I plan to put one back on the hardwire soon, and leave the single unit, that is the suspected culprit on battery, once things are confirmed I'll rejoin it with the hardwired units and see if I get a trip, then I'll know its either that location (ie wiring) or that specific unit, which then I'll either swap out that one unit, I have spares already, but rather than just changing them and hoping it doesn't trip, I'd rather systematically determine what is the issue, the units themselves or the hardwiring. I've already checked the voltage at the plug and I'm seeing 120-124V so I think that's good, but I might need to check resistance at that line as well and see, also check resistance of the smoke alarm unit itself, I don't know of a way yet to check the resistance of the smoke alarms before I connect them, in the manuals it does specify a resistance not greater than 10 ohms. I'll keep plugging away and figure it out, but it has been quite nerve racking.
Well, the problem with the wire tracer style tool is that you can have false positives when a neighboring wire touches or crosses over the one you are testing. They are okay for getting a general sense of a circuit, but to be certain when it counts I would prefer having a meter.
After unplugging my detector I noticed the orange wire is waxed over (as expected, it's the only alarm so is not used in conjunction with other alarms) the black wire is connected and the white wire is bare at the end and not connected, is that normal for the white to be like that ?
If we are talking about a single, AC powered detector then at a minimum you should have the hot (black) wire connected and the neutral (white) wire connected. Without both connected it should not work unless it is running on backup battery power or the bare wire ground was improperly used. It is possible the white wire just came loose if it was not well connected in the first place.
Did all this and one of the units isnt getting the led lit. It was the same location that was bad when called to swap out the detectors. Continuity and 120 v checked out fine at all lcoations. I swapped to a different detector and same result no led at that location. Should I run new 3 wire? But the detectors all tested to communicate to each other during my test. Just no green led at that location and is odd. Any ideas? Maybe missing something unknown.
It's difficult to offer advice without seeing the problem in person. One thing I don't know is the meaning of the green LED for the detector--does your manual have any advice about that? If the detector is getting power, and if pushing the test button on the detector also sets off the other ones in the house, then maybe there isn't a problem with the wiring. Maybe the green light pertains to the status of the backup battery, for example. Did you have the backup battery removed when you were doing your testing?
@@enduringcharm I tested all of them connected with battery first with the breaker off and all communicated then put breaker on and created smoke to test and that too was successful. Then walked to each unit to take my photo of completion and notices the green led was lit only on 2. Did a swap with one that the led was lit green and it didnt light at this location which is what makes no sense as the led is internal. And I have the battery still installed. Didn't focus on that during initial install as I had a bright light shining there so wouldn't see it anyways. But maybe there still is a wiring issue. I am going back tomorrow I will pull the battery out at that location and and see if it chirps or sets off the detector while it's still hardwired if not then there has to be some issue with the wiring. I'll check the voltage too. Thx for the response as it gets me moving mentally to troubleshoot. The owner did say that location came from a different source a light so the power is not in series. Only the red wire is in series. I'll update there may be others who run into old setups and need to see how other solved.
They put them on with a bedroom. We have a monitored fire alarm we want to use. How can we keep the bedroom powered up and disconnect smokes? Preferably altogether from the boxes
I'm not sure I follow your question--are you hoping to disconnect the hard wired smoke detectors in other areas of your house from the one in your bedroom?
Just bought a hard wired with battery smoke detector installed it and it works with the hard wire and battery but doesn't connect to the rest of the hard wired smoke detectors in the house? I am curious did I get a bad smoke detector or is it because the 2004 smoke detectors are too old and will not detect the new one! Yeps Parent is a cheap ass! Just wonder if anyone can shed some light on the subject! Parents are stubborn! Thank if you responded
Well, there are several possibilities. One, you may not have made a good connection with the signal wire when you installed the new unit. You can pull that apart and check. Two, it is possible you have a bad signal wire, although if it worked with the old unit that is unlikely. Three, it is plausible that the old and new units are not compatible, although most are interoperable. In any case, the old units from 2004 are eight years overdue for replacement and really can't be trusted anymore. I surmise you are a young adult living with the 'rents or trying to keep them safe in their own house? The best approach would be just to replace all of the old detectors with combo smoke/CO detectors. You can buy them in bulk packs of various numbers and maybe it could be an early Christmas or Hanukkah gift?
@@enduringcharm Thinking it might either be a bad connector in the new unit plug wire itself, there is power going through the wire to the new unit tested it but don't know if that interconnector wire is communicating with the new unit, if that makes any sense. ha . If the older units are 18 years old and different wiring connections to them for the interconnector wire I assume that would be a issues with both the new and old ones communicating with each other, But going to take the new unit back and get another one thinking I might go with either the same type of smoke alarm unit because yes its cheaper and yes adult living with parents which is another story in itself. The other concern is getting at least three smoke and CO unit for each level of the home one in the ulitity room, one by the stairs and the other in the family room but one parent is wanting portable plugs-ins now for CO. MMM Decisions! Thanks for responding too Much Appreciate!
The plug in style CO detectors are okay too. The Kidde Nighthawk is one example. But, it doesn't cost much more to get a combined smoke/co unit, and that should set off the whole house if needed. As you saw in my video, you can test the signal wire if need be, but if none of the other units are working when the new unit is tested then it's more likely to be the new unit or the connection near the new unit.
Many hardwired smoke/co alarms do have a battery backup. Typically there is a little door on the edge of the alarm which slides or pops open to expose the battery. The hissing sound is not normal, and may indicate excessive dirt or dust in the unit or possibly the unit is just due for replacement. The rule of thumb is a ten year lifespan, and you can check for a date printed or stamped on the unit.
In my house the white neutral wire that is in the connectors is disconnected from that orange glue cap looking thing, the alarm won’t go off and that’s the only thing I can see wrong with the detectors
Without being there it's hard for me to tell, but the neutral is definitely needed to complete the circuit. Possibly somebody disconnected the first wire they grabbed if the detectors were going off. You can put a meter on the white and black wires and see if you get 120 volts. If you do, then you can reconnect the wires as they should be and test your detectors.
That's also possible if the original installation was poorly done. The wires should be twisted together with a pair of lineman pliers (or similar) BEFORE the wire nut is used. If the loose connection is the stranded copper wire with the solid wire, then perhaps the wrong size wire nut was used.
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Excellent video!!!! One thing to add, double check the extension cord ground end to end for continuity. It's very likely to be good, but never assume 🙂
Thank you, John. I recently bought a house and was attempting to replace three connected smoke alarms (they were 30 years old). The first detector was getting no power to it when wired, although the wires were "hot", according to my non-contact tester. Thanks to your guidance at 5:15 of the video, I was able to determine black & ground were showing 120 volts but black and neutral were showing zero. I traced the white wire all the way back to near the circuit breaker, where I found it had come loose from a wire nut in a separate junction box. As soon as I reconnected that, my new smoke detector started working. Not sure how long it would have taken me to find this without your video (I had even called the manufacturer for guidance and they were stumped). Cheers!
Great troubleshooting, and I'm glad my video was helpful!
I learn something new every day. Thanks for teaching me about the extension cords as a jumper wire. I always tested my signal wires for a short to ground and then I would take the grounds and tie them to the signal wires for my tests. I've never had to test my installations because I was sure of the correct wiring.
Yeah, using grounds or neutrals to make a test loop can be useful too, but that can't be used in every situation. The extension cord idea came to me in a moment of frustration and it's a good trick to have up your sleeve.
The extension cord idea is a great tip.
It's so obvious now that you've said it. Brilliantly simple!
Nice. Love all the little extras you include in your content. We have a hardwired smoke detector in the laundry room and in the upstairs hall. They've been there since 1980 and they work. Never had any desire to touch them except for testing. A bit on the ugly side but they are in unobtrusive locations so we just leave them alone.
The 80s were a long time ago! You really are supposed to change them out every 10 years or so, and the new ones with the combination of smoke and CO are actually improved. They also have a voice command now, so it will let you know if the problem is smoke or CO. The carbon monoxide is no joke--you go to sleep at night and you don't get up in the morning. Ever!
@@enduringcharm We'll have to look in to that. I'd love to have smoke/co in tandem. Certainly affordable enough. Thank you.
@@enduringcharm is the dectetor connected with switch?
@godwin usman There should be no switch in the circuit.
John - you are a genius guy. Just for suggestion -You could have used tone generator to check continuity between two points - regardless of distance. You put tone with toner on one end and hear signal on the other.
Yes, a tone generator can work for some people--I used to use them for telephone circuits back in the day. Today, though, my hearing is pretty badly damaged for a number of reasons and I wouldn't be able to hear the tone.
Thank you so much, that was a tremendous help!
I learned something new. Thank you.
Very well explained. Thank you
Hi John, Just one observation. When you tested the red for voltage, you put your leads between the red and black. If someone had connected those two wires together somewhere, the reading would still be zero. You would only see voltage at that point if the red was connected to the other phase. In this case a check between red and white might save a nasty surprise. Cheers
I could have been clearer on that point. What I was testing for was double voltage, or a 240 volt reading between the red and black. On more than one occasion I've found where somebody miswired cables within a circuit, and the red wire is often the culprit. Sometimes two cables go through a box fed by different breakers and somebody ties them together. I did a bath remodel one time where two breakers were feeding a single cable! That was a head scratcher! So in this case I was concerned that perhaps somebody had used the red wire for another purpose or wired it where it shouldn't go. I was speculating that maybe that would be the reason the boxes were abandoned, since that would probably cook the detectors. Since I found zero across the red and black I knew that only one breaker was feeding the circuit and I also I knew that the red wire was not shorted or tied to neutral or ground. If I had found 240v I would have looked for a second source of power tied in somewhere. If I had found 120v I would have looked for where the red wire was connected or shorted to ground or neutral.
Thanks for the video. There is another possible reason that the homeowner switched to battery powered detector vs powered/linked detectors. In my brand new house I have 10+ linked detectors. One night they all started going off. There was no smoke. I assumed that one had failed but had no idea which one! It was a nightmare. Many of them require a ladder to access. My first thought I have no real need for these to be linked and that I was better off with individual battery powered units. .
Yeah, I can understand your frustration. It is a fire code requirement for the detectors to be hard-wired and linked in many areas, though. In NJ, where I live and work, when a home is sold to a new owner, the municipality checks the detectors and issues a CO. Honestly, I think the only reason this example in the video wasn't flagged is because during covid a lot of the inspections just weren't getting done. Incidentally, for your situation there is usually a light or other indicator when a detector has a problem. If you have ten, that's a lot of checking for sure!
Great job John. Can’t believe the box with the red, black, and white all taped together. Were you in the Navy? Sailor-proof? Lol.
Ha! Yes, I spent a little time in the Navy. Of course, it's a myth that anything can be made sailor-proof!
Very helpful, thanks!
I'm not getting any power to my smoke detector wires; what do you suggest I check first
Nice, clear video. I didn't get exactly what I was looking for but did get a few things of value.
I just replaced all of the smoke alarms in my house and wondered what that "shower cap" was for. Finding the answer to that wasn't a burning question for me but I was a little curious. And yes, aligning that 3-prong plug can certainly be tricky, especially for old eyes up on a ladder.
Although I didn't need it for this project, that continuity testing approach is something that I'll put in my back pocket for future need.
The shower cap is included for use during construction. Drywall dust and paint overspray can clog up and ruin the sensor inside the unit. Ideally the detectors are removed during work, but during new construction one trade won't touch the work of another trade, so they include a shower cap to protect the units while work is being done.
So I am having a issue with fire alarms randomly going off of course always in the middle of the night, waking everyone up, this has been on going for several years now, I have replaced all the units purchased all new units, both fire alarms and combo CO/FIRE units, checked manufacturing dates, they are all manufactured within 2023-24. Just to defend the previous homeowner, I am at a point now where I may disconnect the hard wiring on them all and go full battery operated units, it is extremely annoying dealing with this. It's creating a situation where the alarms are going off and numbing our response to them, I live with my elderly mother in law and she is getting less and less responsive to the alarms just randomly going off in the middle of the night. Is there a way to check the alarm units for bad resistors, and or functioning prior to putting them in service? I plan on taking your tips and testing the lines and making sure they are all working and I am getting proper voltages etc. But I do not believe that I am buying units that are continuously faulty or defecting I get maybe 1 in like 10, but I've had to replace all (9) units and everything was good for about a month and we just had another false alarm last night, so it's really getting frustrating now.
If I follow your story correctly, you were having problems with the original alarms randomly going off, then you replaced ALL of the existing alarms with new ones? And yet the problem persists? That's troubling. Before you blame the detectors or the electrical system, I think you should consider the idea that something else is actually setting off one, which then sets off the others connected through the wiring. There are a number of reasons smoke detectors can give a false alarm, including high humidity in a house, steam from showers or cooking, smoke or heat from cooking, insects getting inside the unit, dust or dirt in the air, or strong chemicals stored nearby. I think you should look at some of these factors first. It may be that you just need to move one detector to a better location, or reduce humidity in the house, etc.
@@enduringcharm thanks for responding, several of the alarms began alarming little over 18 months ago, after inspection, i noticed many of them were nearing end of life, so i began replacing them, with newer units, as some of the newer units began giving false alarms, I attributed it to faulty units, eventually all units were replaced. All was quiet for about 4 weeks then it started happening again, it appeared to be the unit in our master bedroom, triggering the rest of the house. Since all the units are “new” im not giving the dust factor much weight in our situation, now the potential for flies to crawl around and trigger i suppose, but why does it seem to like that specific unit and location is strange. As for humidity, uh not very humid in the house, there is no smoke or excess steam or fog in the area that seems to trigger the one unit in question. I have currently disconnected the hard line power from the unit and have not had an incident for over a week, will continue to monitor and eventually reconnect the hard line power to see if it false alarms again.
Well, you've narrowed it down to one unit, so that's a start. It is possible you have one defective unit. As for the electrical system itself, it's hard for me to imagine why that would be setting off alarms. I believe the signal voltage between units is something like 5 to 9 volts DC, so a short or something shouldn't be a trigger. One test you could do is swap the master bedroom unit with another and see if the false trigger follows the unit.
@@enduringcharm I'll consider that, since the two units that might be problematic are currently on battery power, no false alarms yet. I plan to put one back on the hardwire soon, and leave the single unit, that is the suspected culprit on battery, once things are confirmed I'll rejoin it with the hardwired units and see if I get a trip, then I'll know its either that location (ie wiring) or that specific unit, which then I'll either swap out that one unit, I have spares already, but rather than just changing them and hoping it doesn't trip, I'd rather systematically determine what is the issue, the units themselves or the hardwiring. I've already checked the voltage at the plug and I'm seeing 120-124V so I think that's good, but I might need to check resistance at that line as well and see, also check resistance of the smoke alarm unit itself, I don't know of a way yet to check the resistance of the smoke alarms before I connect them, in the manuals it does specify a resistance not greater than 10 ohms. I'll keep plugging away and figure it out, but it has been quite nerve racking.
cant you test continuety using a wire traser? they have the option to trace and also to test continuety
Well, the problem with the wire tracer style tool is that you can have false positives when a neighboring wire touches or crosses over the one you are testing. They are okay for getting a general sense of a circuit, but to be certain when it counts I would prefer having a meter.
After unplugging my detector I noticed the orange wire is waxed over (as expected, it's the only alarm so is not used in conjunction with other alarms) the black wire is connected and the white wire is bare at the end and not connected, is that normal for the white to be like that ?
If we are talking about a single, AC powered detector then at a minimum you should have the hot (black) wire connected and the neutral (white) wire connected. Without both connected it should not work unless it is running on backup battery power or the bare wire ground was improperly used. It is possible the white wire just came loose if it was not well connected in the first place.
Did all this and one of the units isnt getting the led lit. It was the same location that was bad when called to swap out the detectors. Continuity and 120 v checked out fine at all lcoations. I swapped to a different detector and same result no led at that location. Should I run new 3 wire? But the detectors all tested to communicate to each other during my test. Just no green led at that location and is odd. Any ideas? Maybe missing something unknown.
It's difficult to offer advice without seeing the problem in person. One thing I don't know is the meaning of the green LED for the detector--does your manual have any advice about that? If the detector is getting power, and if pushing the test button on the detector also sets off the other ones in the house, then maybe there isn't a problem with the wiring. Maybe the green light pertains to the status of the backup battery, for example. Did you have the backup battery removed when you were doing your testing?
@@enduringcharm I tested all of them connected with battery first with the breaker off and all communicated then put breaker on and created smoke to test and that too was successful. Then walked to each unit to take my photo of completion and notices the green led was lit only on 2. Did a swap with one that the led was lit green and it didnt light at this location which is what makes no sense as the led is internal. And I have the battery still installed. Didn't focus on that during initial install as I had a bright light shining there so wouldn't see it anyways. But maybe there still is a wiring issue. I am going back tomorrow I will pull the battery out at that location and and see if it chirps or sets off the detector while it's still hardwired if not then there has to be some issue with the wiring. I'll check the voltage too. Thx for the response as it gets me moving mentally to troubleshoot. The owner did say that location came from a different source a light so the power is not in series. Only the red wire is in series. I'll update there may be others who run into old setups and need to see how other solved.
They put them on with a bedroom. We have a monitored fire alarm we want to use. How can we keep the bedroom powered up and disconnect smokes? Preferably altogether from the boxes
I'm not sure I follow your question--are you hoping to disconnect the hard wired smoke detectors in other areas of your house from the one in your bedroom?
Just bought a hard wired with battery smoke detector installed it and it works with the hard wire and battery but doesn't connect to the rest of the hard wired smoke detectors in the house? I am curious did I get a bad smoke detector or is it because the 2004 smoke detectors are too old and will not detect the new one! Yeps Parent is a cheap ass! Just wonder if anyone can shed some light on the subject! Parents are stubborn! Thank if you responded
Well, there are several possibilities. One, you may not have made a good connection with the signal wire when you installed the new unit. You can pull that apart and check. Two, it is possible you have a bad signal wire, although if it worked with the old unit that is unlikely. Three, it is plausible that the old and new units are not compatible, although most are interoperable. In any case, the old units from 2004 are eight years overdue for replacement and really can't be trusted anymore. I surmise you are a young adult living with the 'rents or trying to keep them safe in their own house? The best approach would be just to replace all of the old detectors with combo smoke/CO detectors. You can buy them in bulk packs of various numbers and maybe it could be an early Christmas or Hanukkah gift?
@@enduringcharm Thinking it might either be a bad connector in the new unit plug wire itself, there is power going through the wire to the new unit tested it but don't know if that interconnector wire is communicating with the new unit, if that makes any sense. ha . If the older units are 18 years old and different wiring connections to them for the interconnector wire I assume that would be a issues with both the new and old ones communicating with each other, But going to take the new unit back and get another one thinking I might go with either the same type of smoke alarm unit because yes its cheaper and yes adult living with parents which is another story in itself.
The other concern is getting at least three smoke and CO unit for each level of the home one in the ulitity room, one by the stairs and the other in the family room but one parent is wanting portable plugs-ins now for CO. MMM Decisions! Thanks for responding too Much Appreciate!
The plug in style CO detectors are okay too. The Kidde Nighthawk is one example. But, it doesn't cost much more to get a combined smoke/co unit, and that should set off the whole house if needed. As you saw in my video, you can test the signal wire if need be, but if none of the other units are working when the new unit is tested then it's more likely to be the new unit or the connection near the new unit.
Why are my hardwired smoke alarms hissing? Not chirping. Do they also have batteries?
Many hardwired smoke/co alarms do have a battery backup. Typically there is a little door on the edge of the alarm which slides or pops open to expose the battery. The hissing sound is not normal, and may indicate excessive dirt or dust in the unit or possibly the unit is just due for replacement. The rule of thumb is a ten year lifespan, and you can check for a date printed or stamped on the unit.
They have batteries if the power goes out Battery backup And if there's a fire to smoke alarm will still work
I think I saw a RUclips video of someone doing this, with the exact same alarms, so was that RUclipsr the person of the issue? Because he moved out
Ha! Well, I hope it isn't the same person wreaking havoc somewhere else now!
In my house the white neutral wire that is in the connectors is disconnected from that orange glue cap looking thing, the alarm won’t go off and that’s the only thing I can see wrong with the detectors
Without being there it's hard for me to tell, but the neutral is definitely needed to complete the circuit. Possibly somebody disconnected the first wire they grabbed if the detectors were going off. You can put a meter on the white and black wires and see if you get 120 volts. If you do, then you can reconnect the wires as they should be and test your detectors.
@@enduringcharm problem is no one was messing with the wires, the neutral wire just came undone
That's also possible if the original installation was poorly done. The wires should be twisted together with a pair of lineman pliers (or similar) BEFORE the wire nut is used. If the loose connection is the stranded copper wire with the solid wire, then perhaps the wrong size wire nut was used.
May not have been cheap. Probably didn't know how to install.