How to Change a Fire Alarm on a Vaulted Ceiling

Use a ladder to reach the fire alarm. The height of the ceiling will dictate the type of ladder you need. For a considerably high vaulted ceiling, such as those over 20 feet, you will likely need an extension ladder. You may be able to use a rolling ladder for lower ceiling. Never set the ladder on a rug. If you use the ladder on hardwood, place rubber feet on the bottom of the ladder to prevent marring your floor.

Use an electric lift. Electric lifts enable you to reach any point of your ceiling, even the middle, without trouble. The lift is more stable than a ladder and also reaches higher than most ladders. If you don’t have an electric lift, you may rent one.

Turn off the power to the alarm if the unit is hardwired. Never attempt to change a hardwired alarm while power is still running to the alarm; doing so can be fatal.

Replace your current smoke alarm unit by unscrewing it or peeling it off from the ceiling. Most hardwired smoke alarms require you to simply twist the unit counterclockwise to dislodge it from the ceiling. A smoke alarm that’s battery powered typically sticks to the ceiling with an adhesive backing.

Pull the connector in the back of the alarm out of hardwired unit and unscrew the back plate. Untwist the electrical wing nuts from the existing connecting wires. Strip off a small amount of insulation if necessary and connect the new wires to the house wires with the use of a wing nut. Connect same-colored wires. If the new alarm’s connecting wire colors do not match your house wire colors, consult the smoke alarm manual for a diagram on how to secure the wires to one another.

Screw on the new back plate that came with the new hardwired unit, then line up and connect the connector piece to the back of the alarm. Insert a battery into the battery compartment of the alarm. Snap or twist on the unit to the back plate. If you are replacing a battery powered alarm, peel off the plastic backing to reveal the adhesive and stick the device to the ceiling.

Test the battery powered alarm by pressing the small button on the face of the alarm. The alarm should begin to beep. If you installed a new hardwired alarm, reset the alarm per the manufacturer’s directions, then test the alarm by pressing the small button.