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My house is currently equipped with USI 1204 interconnected smoke detectors. They need to be replaced, and I see that model has been discontinued. I don't know if I'll replace them with the same brand. Would I be correct if I assume the wiring for the connections from smoke detector to smoke detector in the house should work with any brand of interconnected detectors as long as all the detectors are compatible? "The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people." "Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy." "I did," said Ford, "it is." "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?" "It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want." "You mean they actually vote for the lizards." "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course." "But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?" "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in." | ||
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| Just for the hell of it  |
Smoke detectors are normally wired with 3-wire. So you would have you bare(ground), normal black(hot), white(neutral), red(this would be the carrier for this application and wired to the intreconcted wire on the smoke detectors). Yes the wiring should work for any intercented smoke detectors. _____________________________________ Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. Jack Kerouac | |||
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| Member |
Yep, what I've got is 3 wire w/ a red carrier. I was assuming I could just replace with different 3 wire smoke detectors if I replace them all, but I wasn't sure. Thank you. "The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people." "Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy." "I did," said Ford, "it is." "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?" "It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want." "You mean they actually vote for the lizards." "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course." "But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?" "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in." | |||
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| Thank you Very little  |
Most new have adapters that allow fitting of different connectors, snaps right into place if you need. | |||
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| Get my pies outta the oven!  |
That's not always true. I did a whole set for my BIL who bought a 20 year old home and needed to change out those detectors ASAP. I ended up wire-nutting new plugs onto the existing wiring but it's easy enough. Just remember to shut off the juice! His turned out to be on two different circuits. | |||
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Member |
Last year we replaced our detectors, needed to wire nut the new bases in. I'm old and a couple are up high, we had a young apprentice electrician do it, minimal expense, good for another 20 years. ________________________________ "Nature scares me" a quote by my friend Bob after a rough day at sea. | |||
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| Member |
Yeah, the new ones all seem to be made like this. The ones I'll be replacing don't, they're connected directly with wire nuts. "The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people." "Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy." "I did," said Ford, "it is." "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?" "It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want." "You mean they actually vote for the lizards." "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course." "But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?" "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in." | |||
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Ammoholic |
It's super.easy to do yourself. Buy all new ones, because you are probably past the ten year life of them. Stick to BRK/First Alert or Kidde. They are the most widely used and have good warranties. Depending on age of the home you may want to bring to current standards, which is one per bedroom and one outside of the bedrooms, if your bedrooms are far separated they you may need a second one outside the bedroom with a minimum of one per floor regardless of if there's a bedroom on that floor. If you have any gas appliances at all, then the units outside of bedrooms should be combo smoke and CO detectors. If you are uncomfortable with electrical work, it will take an electrician ~10 min per unit plus 10 minutes to test them after installation. So a five bedroom house with three floors would be 8-10 detectors and 1hr 40min install, plus testing = 2hr Labor plus trip charge and misc wire nuts and/or screws. If you don't have them in the bedrooms then time would obviously be shorter, but I'd recommend adding either hardwired or wireless ones to area's where you are deficient (if you are missing locations). Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| In the yahd, not too fah from the cah  |
10 years. After 10 the sensors and the sealed batteries are no good anymore. | |||
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His Royal Hiney |
If you remove one of your existing detectors, you'll find the smoke detector connected to a matching plug but the plug will be connected by wire nuts with the wires color coded. When you buy a new detector, it comes with the connector plug that will replace the exiting plug. You just have to unscrew the wire nut (after killing the power) and replace the connector plug one to one. I did that last year. I replaced about 7 detectors, one of the new replacements was a google smoke detector and the other was a 10-year battery detector because it's on the vaulted ceiling. One of them had only two wires, I believe. "It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946. | |||
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| Member |
Yep, I pulled one down and it says right on the back to replace in 2018. I didn't even move into the house until 2022 lol, so I guess they're all long past due and this particular malfunctioning unit is a blessing because I had to look at them. I'm comfortable replacing them myself, but I wanted to be sure the interconnection worked the way I assumed it did before I started taking things apart. We have a small house that has good coverage with 6 detectors, so it works out perfectly to just buy a case. "The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people." "Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy." "I did," said Ford, "it is." "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?" "It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want." "You mean they actually vote for the lizards." "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course." "But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?" "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in." | |||
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| Ammoholic |
Sounds like you are on track. Just match color to color. Even for a novice it won't take much more than 10 minutes each. With testing you should be able to knock it out in under 1.5hrs. When I do it, even if they have compatible plugs I redo the connections and replace the wire nuts to make sure everything is tight and well connected. Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| Thank you Very little |
IF you are going to replace them all, First Alert and others have multi pack deals, on single or multi detectors as well as talking/interconnected so that all your units are wifi connected, you can use an app to monitor, get alerts, etc. They have a onelink unit with an LED light, got that for the hallway detector and have it set at night to low so it also acts as a night light. Nest sells something similar if you are in the Nest family. | |||
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