How do I wire a smoke alarm off a light fixture?

Posted by Tony Hwang on March 28, 2009, 9:32 pm

jloomis wrote:

> Switch leg is running to the light......or......a hot is running to the
> light......with a wire going to the switch to turn it on or off.......
> The best scenario is a hot at the light fixture.....You have to test the
> wire at the light fixture and see if it is hot all the time making sure it
> is not the switch leg.
> A smoke alarm needs to be always on and not switched......
> So, if you can identify the hot lead you are in business.
> jloomis

>> Anyone know of a dual sensor, hardwired, & interconnected (wireless) smoke
>> alarm?
>> Which sensor type is more likely to go off for nuisance alarms: the ion or
>> photo sensor type?
>> A main consideration is how to hardwire one of these if all you already
>> have is a hardwired ceiling mounted light fixture right next to where you
>> want to mount the smoke alarm, but nothing else - that is, not yet anyway.
>> I am no pro contractor, but I could do it myself no problem. What do you
>> need to do wrt making it look and function as legal and safe (as need be)
>> by running directly off a nearby light fixture (with it's in ceiling
>> wires)? String a wire, under the ceiling drywall or over, need to cut a
>> oct box into the ceiling, hard-shield the wires, etc., what?
>> I bought a Kidde Pi9000CA dual sensor smoke alarm (ion & photo) that runs
>> on a (std. alkaline) 9V battery only. It has HUSH and TEST buttons. I am
>> not too concerned about not having either the interconnected (wireless)
>> feature or the hardwired features simply because you cannot get it with
>> both of these features at the same time; either is a bonus, but both is
>> the only way to go.

>
>

Hi,
I have dual sensor alarms with battery backup hard wired from basement
to upstairs(2 story) and garage. Ones in the kitchen has nuisance mute
button. On light fixtur,e hot wire is switched so it'll be difficult
without sacrificing the light and keeping the switch on always.

Posted by Tony Hwang on March 28, 2009, 9:36 pm

Tony Hwang wrote:

> jloomis wrote:

>> Switch leg is running to the light......or......a hot is running to
>> the light......with a wire going to the switch to turn it on or
>> off.......
>> The best scenario is a hot at the light fixture.....You have to test
>> the wire at the light fixture and see if it is hot all the time making
>> sure it is not the switch leg.
>> A smoke alarm needs to be always on and not switched......
>> So, if you can identify the hot lead you are in business.
>> jloomis

>>> Anyone know of a dual sensor, hardwired, & interconnected (wireless)
>>> smoke alarm?
>>> Which sensor type is more likely to go off for nuisance alarms: the
>>> ion or photo sensor type?
>>> A main consideration is how to hardwire one of these if all you
>>> already have is a hardwired ceiling mounted light fixture right next
>>> to where you want to mount the smoke alarm, but nothing else - that
>>> is, not yet anyway. I am no pro contractor, but I could do it myself
>>> no problem. What do you need to do wrt making it look and function
>>> as legal and safe (as need be) by running directly off a nearby light
>>> fixture (with it's in ceiling wires)? String a wire, under the
>>> ceiling drywall or over, need to cut a oct box into the ceiling,
>>> hard-shield the wires, etc., what?
>>> I bought a Kidde Pi9000CA dual sensor smoke alarm (ion & photo) that
>>> runs on a (std. alkaline) 9V battery only. It has HUSH and TEST
>>> buttons. I am not too concerned about not having either the
>>> interconnected (wireless) feature or the hardwired features simply
>>> because you cannot get it with both of these features at the same
>>> time; either is a bonus, but both is the only way to go.

> Hi,
> I have dual sensor alarms with battery backup hard wired from basement
> to upstairs(2 story) and garage. Ones in the kitchen has nuisance mute
> button. On light fixtur,e hot wire is switched so it'll be difficult
> without sacrificing the light and keeping the switch on always.

Hi,
Or Lithium batteries last many years on smoke alarms(up to 10 years)

Posted by jloomis on March 29, 2009, 10:10 am

That is the point. The swithch leg interups the live connection.
Many use batteries......until the batteries are dead.......
So, hot wire, or battery.....your choice.....
jloomis

> Tony Hwang wrote:

>> jloomis wrote:

>>> Switch leg is running to the light......or......a hot is running to the
>>> light......with a wire going to the switch to turn it on or off.......
>>> The best scenario is a hot at the light fixture.....You have to test the
>>> wire at the light fixture and see if it is hot all the time making sure
>>> it is not the switch leg.
>>> A smoke alarm needs to be always on and not switched......
>>> So, if you can identify the hot lead you are in business.
>>> jloomis
>>>> Anyone know of a dual sensor, hardwired, & interconnected (wireless)
>>>> smoke alarm?
>>>> Which sensor type is more likely to go off for nuisance alarms: the ion
>>>> or photo sensor type?
>>>> A main consideration is how to hardwire one of these if all you already
>>>> have is a hardwired ceiling mounted light fixture right next to where
>>>> you want to mount the smoke alarm, but nothing else - that is, not yet
>>>> anyway. I am no pro contractor, but I could do it myself no problem.
>>>> What do you need to do wrt making it look and function as legal and
>>>> safe (as need be) by running directly off a nearby light fixture (with
>>>> it's in ceiling wires)? String a wire, under the ceiling drywall or
>>>> over, need to cut a oct box into the ceiling, hard-shield the wires,
>>>> etc., what?
>>>> I bought a Kidde Pi9000CA dual sensor smoke alarm (ion & photo) that
>>>> runs on a (std. alkaline) 9V battery only. It has HUSH and TEST
>>>> buttons. I am not too concerned about not having either the
>>>> interconnected (wireless) feature or the hardwired features simply
>>>> because you cannot get it with both of these features at the same time;
>>>> either is a bonus, but both is the only way to go.

>> Hi,
>> I have dual sensor alarms with battery backup hard wired from basement
>> to upstairs(2 story) and garage. Ones in the kitchen has nuisance mute
>> button. On light fixtur,e hot wire is switched so it'll be difficult
>> without sacrificing the light and keeping the switch on always.

> Hi,
> Or Lithium batteries last many years on smoke alarms(up to 10 years)

Posted by AZ Nomad on March 29, 2009, 12:51 pm

>That is the point. The swithch leg interups the live connection.
>Many use batteries......until the batteries are dead.......
>So, hot wire, or battery.....your choice.....

Better yet, mount the SA inteligently so that there won't be any
nuissance alarms.

Posted by mm on March 30, 2009, 8:10 pm

>Anyone know of a dual sensor, hardwired, & interconnected (wireless) smoke
>alarm?

I find it easier to just see what is for sale, rather than look for
recommendations and then have to hunt for what is recommended. (That's
one reason I don't like Consumer Reports.)

>Which sensor type is more likely to go off for nuisance alarms: the ion or
>photo sensor type?

I don't know but you should have both kinds.

>A main consideration is how to hardwire one of these if all you already have
>is a hardwired ceiling mounted light fixture right next to where you want to

Is that on a switch? You don't want power for a smoke alarm to have a
switch in the circuit. (other than the circuit breaker) If so, you
can probably find the hot wire and even bother wires at the switch and
maybe it won't be hard to run them to the location. At least if
there is an unfinished attic above this floor.

>mount the smoke alarm, but nothing else - that is, not yet anyway. I am no
>pro contractor, but I could do it myself no problem. What do you need to do
>wrt making it look and function as legal and safe (as need be) by running
>directly off a nearby light fixture (with it's in ceiling wires)? String a
>wire, under the ceiling drywall or over, need to cut a oct box into the
>ceiling, hard-shield the wires, etc., what?
>I bought a Kidde Pi9000CA dual sensor smoke alarm (ion & photo) that runs on
>a (std. alkaline) 9V battery only. It has HUSH and TEST buttons. I am not

This was on Leno's Headlines a week or two ago. A smoke alarm with a
silence feature. Everyone laughed, although I think most knew the
purpose of it.

>too concerned about not having either the interconnected (wireless) feature
>or the hardwired features simply because you cannot get it with both of
>these features at the same time; either is a bonus, but both is the only way
>to go.

It doesn't seem that important to me either, but please remember to
wake the other people in your house when the alarm goes off, before
you leave.

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How do I wire a smoke alarm off a light fixture? - Page 2