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Rewiring a Hardwired Smoke Detector WITH THE POWER ON

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Rewiring a Hardwired Smoke Detector WITH THE POWER ON gobofraggle 04-01-2008
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Posted by Pat on April 1, 2008, 7:02 pm
If you pop the breaker how will you restore power? If you get shocked will
you fall?



PexSupply QuikTrak 468x60
Posted by Frank on April 1, 2008, 7:57 pm

>I have a hardwired smoke detector that is old and outdated, that I'd
> like to switch with a new unit. The only problem is that I can't
> shut
> off the power to the alarm before I disconnect it and reconnect the
> new one. I'm going to have to do the take-down and installation
> while
> the power is LIVE.
>
> I live in a high-rise apartment building and the smoke detector is
> powered not by my unit's individual power, but off of a line brought
> in from a common hallway. There is no way to cut power to the smoke
> detector without cutting power to all the lights in the common
> hallway, which is impossible.
>
>
> So, how can I safely (or as safely as possible) change this detector
> with a new one? If I don't touch certain wires together, will I be
> OK? What are the chances I would get shocked?
>
>
> I know your first inclination will be to tell me to get the circuit
> turned off or call an electrician, but please (at least
> hypothetically) assume that neither of those options are possible.

No problem working 120V live if you know what you are doing. Sounds like you
don't, than you must ask yourself what would be the upside vs. the downside
when the building maintenance staff take care of this at no cost to you.
Shouldn't liability and ventricular fibrillation should be a major factor to
you?



Posted by Jeff Wisnia on April 1, 2008, 7:59 pm
gobofraggle@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a hardwired smoke detector that is old and outdated, that I'd
> like to switch with a new unit. The only problem is that I can't
> shut
> off the power to the alarm before I disconnect it and reconnect the
> new one. I'm going to have to do the take-down and installation
> while
> the power is LIVE.
>
> I live in a high-rise apartment building and the smoke detector is
> powered not by my unit's individual power, but off of a line brought
> in from a common hallway. There is no way to cut power to the smoke
> detector without cutting power to all the lights in the common
> hallway, which is impossible.
>
>
> So, how can I safely (or as safely as possible) change this detector
> with a new one? If I don't touch certain wires together, will I be
> OK? What are the chances I would get shocked?
>
>
> I know your first inclination will be to tell me to get the circuit
> turned off or call an electrician, but please (at least
> hypothetically) assume that neither of those options are possible.


Do you know if your smoke detector is "powered" by a 120 volt AC line or
by a low voltage line?

Do you know if the smoke detector sends a signal back to an alarm panel
to notify an alarm company that it's been tripped, or does it just sound
off in your place?

Do you know whether your "new" detector will be electrically and
operationally compatible with the existing system(s) in all respects?

If you aren't certain about all the above, stay away from that job.

Further, I'd suggest you'd be much better off taking the matter up with
the apartment building's management (if you haven't already) before you
do anything to the existing detector. I'd hazard a guess that they have
the right to be in control of things like that.

Play it safe, guy.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


Posted by Norminn on April 1, 2008, 7:03 pm
Jeff Wisnia wrote:

> gobofraggle@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> I have a hardwired smoke detector that is old and outdated, that I'd
>> like to switch with a new unit. The only problem is that I can't
>> shut
>> off the power to the alarm before I disconnect it and reconnect the
>> new one. I'm going to have to do the take-down and installation
>> while
>> the power is LIVE.
>>
>> I live in a high-rise apartment building and the smoke detector is
>> powered not by my unit's individual power, but off of a line brought
>> in from a common hallway. There is no way to cut power to the smoke
>> detector without cutting power to all the lights in the common
>> hallway, which is impossible.
>>
>>
>> So, how can I safely (or as safely as possible) change this detector
>> with a new one? If I don't touch certain wires together, will I be
>> OK? What are the chances I would get shocked?
>>
>>
>> I know your first inclination will be to tell me to get the circuit
>> turned off or call an electrician, but please (at least
>> hypothetically) assume that neither of those options are possible.
>
>
>
> Do you know if your smoke detector is "powered" by a 120 volt AC line
> or by a low voltage line?
>
> Do you know if the smoke detector sends a signal back to an alarm
> panel to notify an alarm company that it's been tripped, or does it
> just sound off in your place?
>
> Do you know whether your "new" detector will be electrically and
> operationally compatible with the existing system(s) in all respects?
>
> If you aren't certain about all the above, stay away from that job.
>
> Further, I'd suggest you'd be much better off taking the matter up
> with the apartment building's management (if you haven't already)
> before you do anything to the existing detector. I'd hazard a guess
> that they have the right to be in control of things like that.
>
> Play it safe, guy.
>
> Jeff
>
Not to mention doing something that might disable the entire system. I
have no clue whether that is possible, but you have no right to mess
with it. Let the building management replace it or embroider a pretty
doily to cover it up.

Posted by ransley on April 1, 2008, 7:10 pm
> Jeff Wisnia wrote:
> > gobofrag...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >> I have a hardwired smoke detector that is old and outdated, that I'd
> >> like to switch with a new unit. =A0The only problem is that I can't
> >> shut
> >> off the power to the alarm before I disconnect it and reconnect the
> >> new one. =A0I'm going to have to do the take-down and installation
> >> while
> >> the power is LIVE.
>
> >> I live in a high-rise apartment building and the smoke detector is
> >> powered not by my unit's individual power, but off of a line brought
> >> in from a common hallway. =A0There is no way to cut power to the smoke
> >> detector without cutting power to all the lights in the common
> >> hallway, which is impossible.
>
> >> So, how can I safely (or as safely as possible) change this detector
> >> with a new one? =A0If I don't touch certain wires together, will I be
> >> OK? =A0What are the chances I would get shocked?
>
> >> I know your first inclination will be to tell me to get the circuit
> >> turned off or call an electrician, but please (at least
> >> hypothetically) assume that neither of those options are possible.
>
> > Do you know if your smoke detector is "powered" by a 120 volt AC line
> > or by a low voltage line?
>
> > Do you know if the smoke detector sends a signal back to an alarm
> > panel to notify an alarm company that it's been tripped, or does it
> > just sound off in your place?
>
> > Do you know whether your "new" detector will be electrically and
> > operationally compatible with the existing system(s) in all respects?
>
> > If you aren't certain about all the above, stay away from that job.
>
> > Further, I'd suggest you'd be much better off taking the matter up
> > with the apartment building's management (if you haven't already)
> > before you do anything to the existing detector. I'd hazard a guess
> > that they have the right to be in control of things like that.
>
> > Play it safe, guy.
>
> > Jeff
>
> Not to mention doing something that might disable the entire system. =A0I
> have no clue whether that is possible, but you have no right to mess
> with it. =A0Let the building management replace it or embroider a pretty
> doily to cover it up.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yes if it is a building supplied system you should not mess with it,
its not yours, its under the owners controll and you could trigger an
event you dont want. So it old looking , so what.

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