
How to Install Smoke Detectors in a Suspended Ceiling
- Remove the ceiling panel that you're attaching the smoke alarm to from the ceiling runners.
- Set the mounting kit base-down on top of the ceiling panel.
- Trace around the mounting box and its wing tabs with a marking utensil so that there is a visible cut-out line on the face of the ceiling panel. ...
- Slip the mounting box through the opening, folding in...
How do you wire a smoke detector?
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Where to install smoke detectors?
Smoke alarm market is expected to grow from USD 804.08 million in 2017 to USD 1.29 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.53% during the forecast period. The potential advantages of installing Smoke Alarm systems in the residential sectors and growing awareness ...
How to install a smoke detector?
“If we go to any property that has no detection, we will carry out a full home fire safety visit, provide battery-operated, stand-alone smoke detection, and also ensure to advise the occupant about the new standard for the fire and smoke alarms required by the legislation in all Scottish homes.”
Can smoke detectors be mounted on a wall?
Wall-mounting is an increasingly ... above a fireplace because heat and smoke can cause damage, but nonetheless it’s a popular option where a tilting mount makes great sense.

Can smoke detectors be mounted on the ceiling?
Smoke alarms should be mounted in or near bedrooms and living areas, either on the ceiling or the wall. Ceiling mounting it is typically preferred as it allows the smoke alarm to be placed more centrally in the room.
Where is the best place to hang a smoke detector?
Where should smoke detectors be placed? According to the NFPA, the best place for smoke detectors is inside and outside the bedrooms and on every level of your home, including the basement.
Do smoke detectors need to be hardwired?
Smoke alarms are required in all residential dwellings (single family homes, multifamily homes, hotels, rental properties, dormitories, etc.). Smoke alarms in newly constructed or renovated dwellings are required to be hardwired with a battery back-up, interconnected, and UL-listed.
Should smoke alarms go on ceiling or wall?
If you mount it on the wall, place it four to 12 inches below the ceiling and away from corners. Keep them high because smoke rises. Never place them any closer than three feet from an air register that might re-circulate smoke. Don't place them near doorways or windows where drafts could impair the detector operation.
How do smoke detectors go on high ceilings?
Gently push the alarm upward along the ceiling, until enough magnets disengage and the alarm is resting in the carrier. Holding the arm vertical, telescope it down until the smoke alarm is safely in your hands.
How far from ceiling should smoke detector be?
12 inchesWall-mounted alarms should be installed not more than 12 inches away from the ceiling (to the top of the alarm). If you have ceilings that are pitched, install the alarm within 3 feet of the peak but not within the apex of the peak (four inches down from the peak).
Which is better hard wired or battery smoke detector?
Once installed, though, hardwired smoke detectors are better than their battery-powered counterparts in every major aspect—safety, efficiency, maintenance and compliance with local codes.
How do you install a hard wired smoke detector?
InstructionsMark Locations for the Smoke Detector Boxes. Find the best locations for the smoke detectors. ... Make Cutouts. ... Run NM Cable to the First Box. ... Run Cables to Other Boxes. ... Insert Cables into Electrical Boxes. ... Mount the Boxes. ... Install Mounting Plates. ... Connect the Smoke Detectors.More items...•
How do you wire a hardwired smoke detector?
Electric install hardwired smoke detectors.Step 1: Turn Off the Power. ... Step 2: Cut the Holes. ... Step 3: Run the Wire. ... Step 4: Attach the Wires to the Electrical Boxes. ... Step 5: Secure the Electrical Boxes. ... Step 6: Wire the Smoke Detector. ... Step 7: Put It All Together. ... Step 8: Connect to the Circuit.
How can I install smoke detector without drilling?
Putting up a smoke alarm without drilling is super easy. All you need is a pack of VELCRO® Brand Heavy Duty Stick On Coins. Stick one side of the hook and loop coin to the ceiling, and the other half to your smoke alarm. Then simply stick it on!
Where in the bedroom should a smoke detector be placed?
2:183:45Where to Put a Smoke Alarm or Smoke Detector in a BedroomYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can mount the smoke alarm in this area. The preferred place to mount a smoke alarm is. TheMoreYou can mount the smoke alarm in this area. The preferred place to mount a smoke alarm is. The center of the room.
How close should a smoke detector be to a bedroom door?
The locations for ceiling-mounted smoke detectors installed on a smooth ceiling for a single or double doorway must match the centerline of the doorway no more than five feet from the door and no closer than 12 inches to the doorway.
How far away does a smoke detector have to be from a wall?
For wall mounting (if allowed by building codes), the top edge of Smoke Alarms should be placed between 4 inches (102 mm) and 12 inches (305 mm) from the wall/ceiling line, below typical “dead air” spaces.
Where do you put a smoke and carbon monoxide detector?
Where to Install a Smoke and Carbon Monoxide AlarmOn each floor of the home.In each bedroom.In each hallway close to sleeping areas; if a hallway is longer than 40 feet, place devices at both ends.At the top of stairways going to an upper floor.At the bottom of stairways going to a basement.In your living area.More items...
How much weight can a smoke detector hold?
How to Install Smoke Detectors in a Suspended Ceiling. Suspended ceiling panels can hold up to 20 pounds of weight without having to be attached to the runners or ceiling above. Since a smoke alarm and mounting box weigh less than 20 pounds combined, you can install them to the panel with swing tabs. You'll simply place the alarm mounting box ...
How do I wire a fire alarm to a hard wire?
Place the panel back up into the suspended ceiling runners. Move another panel next to the one featuring the mounting box if you're wiring the fire alarm to a hard wire. Remove a knockout and slide the wiring through the hole.
Step 1
Determine a location for the smoke detector. Most are installed on the ceiling in the middle of the room. But you can install a smoke detector above the doorway on the wall.
Step 2
Hold the base of the smoke detector on the spot chosen for the installation. Make marks on the ceiling or wall with a pencil where the screw holes are located on the detector's base.
Step 3
Drill a hole on each pencil mark using an electric drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit. Ensure the holes are drilled at a 90-degree angle to the surface of the wall or ceiling.
Step 4
Insert the anchors that came with the smoke detector into the holes that you drilled. Ensure the anchors are flush with surface of the wall or ceiling.
Step 5
Place the smoke detector base up to the surface and line up the holes in the ceiling or wall with the holes in the base. Insert the screws through the base and into the wall anchors. Tighten the screws using an electric drill with a driver bit.
Step 6
Attach the smoke detector head to the base by placing it in the center of the base and twisting it until it locks in place.
How to get an alarm to hang on the ceiling?
Holding the arm vertical, telescope it out to its full length. Twist the pole segments to lock them in place. Raise the arm until the alarm is aligned with the ceiling plate. When you get the alarm close enough, the magnets will lift it out of the carrier and hold it on the ceiling.
What is the job of a smoke alarm pole?
Its job is to hold the smoke alarm in place on the ceiling, in a way that lets you remove and replace it when you need to. The arm. It's the contraption that enables you to put up and take down the alarm while standing on the floor. A pole, which spans the gap between you and the alarm on the ceiling.
How to position an alarm at take down time?
The key to positioning at take-down time is to make sure that, at the lower edge of the alarm, the rim of the mounting plate is be resting on the rim of the carrier. Gently push the alarm upward along the ceiling, until enough magnets disengage and the alarm is resting in the carrier.
Do smoke alarms have to be wired?
In other words, your alarm must not be tethered to the ceiling by any wired connections.
Can you put a smoke alarm up and take it down?
It's a gizmo that spans the gap between you and the smoke alarm, so you can put it up and take it down without your feet ever leaving the floor (photo 3). In addition to the arm, the system requires customizing the fixture that holds the alarm onto the ceiling, so that the arm can take it down and put it back up.
Location and Placement Tips
Choose between a hard-wired or battery-powered smoke alarm. A battery-powered smoke detector uses batteries, while a hard-wired smoke detector is wired into your home's circuitry. Both types of alarms will sound when they detect smoke.
Installing Smoke Detectors
Most smoke alarms come with a mounting base that separates from the alarm itself. This base will have key-shaped screw holes to allow you to fasten the base to a wall or ceiling. It's time to start on how to install a smoke detector once you’ve determined the location for your alarm.
Installing Hardwired Smoke Alarms
A hard-wired smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm is connected to other detectors throughout your home. These alarms sound simultaneously, on all levels of your home, when a single unit detects smoke or gas. All the units are wired to a 120-volt household electrical circuit and each have a battery backup.
Cut Holes for Remodeling Boxes
To prepare the wiring for an alarm in a new location, you need to install a remodeling box. A remodeling box is an electrical box that can be installed into drywall. This is one of the first steps to learn how to wire a smoke detector.
Run Cable to All Boxes
Run 14-2 NM cable (a sheathed cable with 2 wires and a ground wire) from the breaker panel to the location of the smoke alarm closest to the breaker panel. Do not connect the cable to the breaker panel yet. You’ll do this at the end of the project.
Secure Cables and Set Boxes
Use wire strippers to strip the sheathing off the NM cable to expose the inner wires.
Prepare Wires
Use wire strippers to strip 3/4-inch of insulation from the ends of the wires.
