I have 2 smoke detectors wired to the electrics (linked in with the lights), Im replacing them with new more modern battery operated smoke alarms. My question is when i disconect the alarms this will leave live wires exposed. How do you isolate them so they can be tucked into the ceiling safely without causing a fire hazzard?

Why would you want to do that?

Is my question.....are the old units faulty??

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Is this in a flat and the detector wired to alarms.

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Thier wired into the lighting circuit, and they keep going off for no reason. I had the system checked and no fault was found. Best way to sort the problem is to take them out and replace with battery ones. Problem is when I do I will be left with live wires hanging (the problem) and a small hole in the ceiling (not a problem) is it safe to use one of those plastic connector blocks and electrical tape?

WRONG the best solution is not to fit battery ones but to purchase some quality new MAINS powered ones which are interlinked. The old ones most liely were linked so if one went off the others did. By removing these and replacing with battery ones you are making your house more unsafe rather than safer.

Nick

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If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

If you really MUST remove them (or any other electrical fitting) you should disconnect the cable from the supply end - in this case where it connects to your lighting circuit - and completely remove the cable.

Drilling or cutting into a live cable that's been capped off and hidden in the ceiling is just as likely to kill you as hitting one that's still connected. Difference is, if it's still connected you can see the device it's connected to on the surface and stand half a chance of knowing that it's there.

What a mad thing to do I am at the moment in the process of replacing my unreliable battery operated smoke alarms for the more reliable mains powered units

Why are you not replacing like for like

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/ ... index.html

i 100% agree with the above, it would be absolutely LUDICROUS to remove mains operated ones and replace with battery ones.

buy some decent ones as in "mains operated battery backup" as above.

there are cheaper versions of that though from wholesalers.

I bought some aico smoke detectors for about £15 each last year after recomendation from this forum. These were to replace older mains alarms that had failed.

The only reason i'd go for battery ones would be if wiring was not in place, and not easy to put in.
If you've already got the wires, then mains alarms every time.

If your wiring includes the 3rd wire for the interlink then you can wire multiple alarms to all sound if one is triggered. If not, then you can buy an additional radio base for the aico ones that does the interlink over radio.

Have a look at these on ebay

HTH
J

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I am not a pro.

THIS IS A STUPID IDEA

why on gods earth would you risk your safety????????
mains powered alarms are the mains for a reason and 9 times out of ten have battery back up so have you replace the battery in them 1st

I assume your detectors are mains powered with battery backup (quite common).

Have you checked the battery isn't dead?

Some alarms will beep once a minute when the battery is flat, others will beep constantly for a few seconds then stop....

They do wear out over time, but have you tried hoovering out any dust from them which might be setting them off?

If you really want to take out the mains alarm then disconnect the cable where it connects to your lighting circuit. It is probably going to be less hassle though if you buy new mains powered ones though.

if the mains ones are removed and replaced with battery could it not be against building regs if they were originally fitted when alterations were made???

That's what I was getting at with my earlier post, especially if its a multi-occupancy building

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General consensus seems to be...










obvious....

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Verwood Handyman
I Know it says I'm On-line, but I might have just left myself logged in, whilst I'm out....