Replace hard wired smoke detectors? (2023 Update)

Hi, My house has hard-wired 120v smoke detectors. One went off today for a few seconds. So I climbed up to take a look, and I noticed on the plastic housing it says replace by year 2005. I tried the test button and it worked, I actually tried the test button on all the detectors and they all worked. Should I replace all the detectors? They seem to be working, based on the test button. I know there are recommendations on replacing battery operated ones but not hard-wired ones.

Thanks, Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Guay
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All kinds sound be replaced. BTW many if not all hard wired detectors have backup batteries as well. Even if you already know this maybe some others don't and that could have been why it sounded, the backup battery may be going low.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Some of these don't have battery backups. I took all mine down and put a flat metal white cover you can buy at Home Depot over the opening and then I installed all battery types. You wouldn't want to take a chance if the power should go off before the smoke arrived.

Jeff Guay wrote:

Reply to
Joey

I would think that is good test sometimes, but a better test would be to once in a while hold a lit cigarette or match nearby. I don't know how to calibrate this, but that's what I do.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

Reply to
mm

I wouldn't replace hard-wired with battery- could be a code violation, depending where you live. I would use those with back-up battery for sure. They do wear out and need replacement- forget why exactly. I've also read that smoke testing them 1-2 times a year is advisable- try not to set house on fire in the process!

Reply to
Sev

I would replace them as suggested by the manufacturer. One possibility to look at is whether your hard-wired detectors are interconnected. When I was rehabbing a 3-story house, I put detectors on each floor, hard-wired, and interconnected. One went off - they all went off. (Yes, it was LOUD). I couldn't find battery backup detectors at the time - early 90's - either they weren't available or I didn't search enough. So I also installed battery-powered detectors on each floor (not interconnected). Even for all those detectors, I spent less than $200 - cheap protection for multiple lives and a $150K house.

But I would think that hard-wired, battery-backup, interconnected detectors would be the best. Overly cautious perhaps, as I've never set a house on fire, but you never know.

steve

Reply to
steve

Statistically what you did had just the opposite effect. I've never read a story or heard of anyone dying in a fire because the power to the AC smoke detectors went off. But I read and hear frequently about people dying in fires because the batteries were dead and had not been replaced periodically. The latter is the far more common occurence.

Why didn't you just replace them with units that are AC plus battery?

Reply to
trader4

The "Test" button tests whether the sucker can make a noise, not whether it can detect smoke. (Unless, of course, pushing the "test" button on your device generates smoke not connected with electing a new Pope.)

The radioisotope may have decayed thereby exceeding its half-life by the "best if used by" date. You may just need fresher radioactive material - which means a new detector.

Reply to
HeyBub

Chances are, the detector was made in 1995. Time to replace it with a new one.

If they're all the same age, yes.

The recommendation is the same - replace smoke detectors every ten years. They are the cheapest form of life insurance available.

Reply to
Random Netizen

The probability that the power will be off during a fire is pretty low. I'd bet it's far lower than the chances that the batteries will be dead in a battery-powered smoke detector, which is probably why hard-wired smoke detectors are mandated by code.

If you're really worried, either replace the AC smoke detectors with ones that have battery backup, or keep the hard-wired detectors and add a couple of battery-powered detectors to your home.

Reply to
Random Netizen

Didn't want to go much into detail, but I replaced my hard wired AC detecters with several connected to my alarm system. So, I now have battery back up.

snipped-for-privacy@>

Reply to
Joey

Does the rittenhouse S7808 detector ahrd wired have a battery, Most of my know it all ,friends say it does? Thanks snipped-for-privacy@cox.net

Reply to
phingv@cox.net

We have hardwired detectors in this house and they have a battery for when mains power outages occur. Should have a button you can press with a broom handle or the like so you can test the battery condition. I just went and pressed the test button on mine, no beep, so I removed the battery and checked the voltage, a little low but not flat. Changed it anyway. Noticed that with no battery in the smoke sensor unit, it beeped at regular intervals, just like it would do if the battery were flat. I replace the batteries annually anyway - so I changed the battery in the other unit as well. The test beep buttons seem not to work reliably so I don't rely on them.

Reply to
Xeno

Meaning, of course, that you have replaced all the detectors with that symptom?

Reply to
Bob F

No, it was my error, I was hitting the silence beep button (test button for 3 secs). Yes, I downloaded and read the instructions. ;-)

Reply to
Xeno

Once they reach 10 years of age, they should be replaced anyway as the radioactive Americium 241 will have decayed to the point where operations will become unreliable.

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

FTR, the performance of my wired smoke detector seems consistent with what it used to be. 3 or 4 times I was pan frying hamburgers etc. and when I made the burner too hot, even though there were no flames, the smoke detector soon went off. I had to turn off the stove and either wait quite a while or fan the air away from the detector. That would stop it for a 3 or 4 seconds and then it would start up again, so I learned to wait, and then solved it by not turning the stove as high. This smoke detector came with the house, built 44 years ago.

Reply to
micky

Yeah, sure. I'd love to stake my house on smoke detectors whose performance "seems consistent" and whose age is either 44 years or a minute before you bought it (whichever is later).

Will you tell your homeowner's insurance company that you couldn't be bothered to keep them up to date when they ask you why the manufacture date on the one that was recovered from the fire was

1980?
Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

It's not the only one I've got, but I'm not getting rid of it until I think it doesn't work anymore.

I only say what I know. I can't go beyond "seems consistent" because I have no way of my own to meaure the level of "products of combusition" these past few times with 35 years ago.

Reply to
micky

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