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How to Disconnect Smoke Detector Wires

The National Fire Protection Association reports that approximately two-thirds of fire-related deaths occur in residences lacking smoke detectors or with smoke detectors deactivated or disconnected. Almost all municipalities have building and fire codes requiring installed and activated hardwired smoke detectors in residences. Smoke detectors should be disconnected only to replace a defective unit or in the course of renovation or electrical work in the mounting wall or ceiling. Most hardwired smoke detectors today are interconnected. If one detector senses smoke and triggers an alarm, all other detectors on the system sound an alarm as well. Interconnected hardwired smoke detectors have an extra wire in addition to the standard two-wire connection found in stand-alone detectors.

Things You'll Need

  • Screwdriver
  • Wire nut screw-on caps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Turn the power off at the breaker box to the circuit controlling the smoke detector.

    • 2

      Rotate the smoke detector housing 90 degrees on to unlock it from the tabs on its mounting ring.

    • 3

      Pull the smoke detector away from the mounting ring and junction box.

    • 4

      Gently pry the three-wire power plug out of the back of the smoke detector and remove the unit from the wall or ceiling.

    • 5

      Unscrew the wire connectors attaching the leads from the three-wire power plug to the wires in the junction box. The black or red wire in the junction box is the "hot" wire, the white wire is the neutral wire and the orange wire is the interconnect wire.

    • 6

      Screw a wire nut cap onto the bare end of each wire in the junction box and twist it clockwise until it is tight. Tuck the wires back up into the junction box.

    • 7

      Mount a blank junction box cover over the junction box and secure it with screws.

    • 8

      Restore power at the breaker box.