How to Calibrate Kidde Smoke Detectors

When properly calibrated, all of your Kidde wireless smoke detectors are interconnected -- so if a fire is detected in one part of the house, all of the smoke detectors will signal the alarm. Since they are not connected by wires, you need to set the dipswitches on all of the smoke detectors, before installing them, to ensure that they're wirelessly connected and working properly.

AA batteries (3 per unit)

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the Kidde wireless smoke detectors from their packaging. If you are connecting new smoke detectors to old ones, remove the older detectors from their bases. Place all of the smoke detectors together.
- 2
  Locate the dipswitch on the back of each unit. The dipswitch is a small narrow piece with eight tiny switches in a row.
- 3
  Set the dipswitch by moving some of the tiny switches with the tip of a pencil to configure your home's ID pattern. You create this ID yourself. If you are calibrating new detectors with older ones, you must use the ID already set on the older detectors.
- 4
  Move the switches on each smoke detector with a pencil so that each dipswitch has an identical ID pattern.
- 5
  Install three AA batteries in each smoke detector or, if the smoke detectors are electric, connect each one to the AC power.
- 6
  Press the "Test" button on one of the units. All of the units should make an alarm sound simultaneously. After the test alarm stops, press the "Test" button on the next detector; repeat until you've tested all of the detectors. If any of the detectors fail to alarm, check the battery placement or AC power connection.

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