Advice: Smoke Detectors and Connector

karlitob

Hi all,

Please see my smoke detector connector. I had hassle with it during the summer - it didn't look great. So I just had a battery in the smoke detector.

I've tried another smoke detector with the connector - it flashed and blew the trip switch. Any advice on what I need to do? Put in a new connector?

Thank you

aido79

karlitob wrote: »

Hi all,

Please see my smoke detector connector. I had hassle with it during the summer - it didn't look great. So I just had a battery in the smoke detector.

I've tried another smoke detector with the connector - it flashed and blew the trip switch. Any advice on what I need to do? Put in a new connector?

Thank you

The current draw for a smoke detector would be measured in microamps(extremely low). For it to trip a circuit breaker would suggest there is something very wrong with either the connector or the wiring to the smoke detector. Best bet would be to have an electrician have a look at it.

karlitob

aido79 wrote: »

The current draw for a smoke detector would be measured in microamps(extremely low). For it to trip a circuit breaker would suggest there is something very wrong with either the connector or the wiring to the smoke detector. Best bet would be to have an electrician have a look at it.

Thank you. When I changed the battery during the summer I found the connector was charred. I wonder if the problem was there all along.

I had awful difficulties with that electrician during the refurb. Just lots of small things that were wrong.

Understood - will get an electrician. Ball park price for something like this? I know it's hard to judge.

aido79

karlitob wrote: »

Thank you. When I changed the battery during the summer I found the connector was charred. I wonder if the problem was there all along.

I had awful difficulties with that electrician during the refurb. Just lots of small things that were wrong.

Understood - will get an electrician. Ball park price for something like this? I know it's hard to judge.

It's not a very big job but wouldn't be expensive. Hardest part would probably be finding an electrician to do the job as a lot of electricians would consider it to be "not worth their while".
Do you know if it trips an RCD or an MCB? Is it on the same circuit as the lights?
Try to pull the wires through the hole in the ceiling to figure out if there are connectors further back from the cables directly terminated in the connector for the smoke detector. Turn the power off before doing this and don't pull them if they don't come easily. Check for damage to the cables and try to figure out if the are wiring correctly.

karlitob

aido79 wrote: »

It's not a very big job but wouldn't be expensive. Hardest part would probably be finding an electrician to do the job as a lot of electricians would consider it to be "not worth their while".
Do you know if it trips an RCD or an MCB? Is it on the same circuit as the lights?
Try to pull the wires through the hole in the ceiling to figure out if there are connectors further back from the cables directly terminated in the connector for the smoke detector. Turn the power off before doing this and don't pull them if they don't come easily. Check for damage to the cables and try to figure out if the are wiring correctly.

Great advice. Thanks.

Not sure the difference - RCD/MCB. All smoke alarms (but not including one of the carbon monoxide) are on one trip switch (i.e. One for sockets, one for upstairs lights, one for smoke alarms). It didn't trip the large switch!!

Just pulled out the connectors. What do you reckon. Easy to rewire - I'm just wondering about the carbon monoxide not being on the same loop.

aido79

karlitob wrote: »

Great advice. Thanks.

Not sure the difference - RCD/MCB. All smoke alarms (but not including one of the carbon monoxide) are on one trip switch (i.e. One for sockets, one for upstairs lights, one for smoke alarms). It didn't trip the large switch!!

Just pulled out the connectors. What do you reckon. Easy to rewire - I'm just wondering about the carbon monoxide not being on the same loop.

I'm going to take a guess here and say that the yellow and brown wires need to be swapped. I think the singles are the interconnecting wires between the smoke alarms and should be connected to the yellow wire. Turn the power off and swap them and see if that works.

I don't think its really a big deal for the carbon monoxide to be on a different circuit but it is not good practice to have smoke alarms on their own mcb. They should really be put on a lighting circuit as it is more obvious if they stop working because the lights won't be working either.

karlitob

Worked straight away.
Thank you very much for the quick reply and advice. Boards is fantastic for this.

Can I ask - should this guy know what he was doing or is this a simple mistake?