Smoke Detector Installation - Wiring Hardwired Smoke Detector First Alert BRK9120b6CP

[@Tiretrack]

I’m thankful for people like you that actually take the time to make a perfect video. Thanks again!

[@davidkenzo1965]

A trick : you can watch movies at Flixzone. Been using them for watching all kinds of movies lately.

[@philipcash9261]

@David Kenzo Yea, have been using Flixzone for since november myself :)

[@myutube1960]

Excellent explanation! Just wanted to add, that you should shutoff the power, before you start the installation. Thank you, for sharing!

[@mmarco8787]

I should have looked here first. Just got shocked because I followed bad directions.

[@Conljw]

Literally what I came to the comments section to see. I know when in doubt shut it off, but it's an extra step I don't want to bother with if I don't have to. It may seem like common sense, but some people just aren't as handy as others lol ask me about exercise science or human anatomy and physiology, I got you. Handy-man work, not so much....

[@MrOutshine1]

Wow you’re right he did not mention shutting the power before starting and three years later no updated video. No subscribing to this channel!

[@toolsiesampat2737]

Beautiful demonstration bro now I will not be afraid to hook up smoke detectors thank you man

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

No problem 👍

[@dukepeterson]

This was exactly the video I needed to see! Thank you!

[@faqui1969]

you should also show your first box, where power is coming in with just a 12-2.

[@Dankennsteinn]

You saved my ass man. I ripped my over sensitive piece of shit alarm off the wall while trying to cook something in the oven after it wouldn’t stop beeping for 5 minutes. Just trying to make a fucking pizza after work am I right? Anyway after shutting off the breaker I figured I shouldn’t wing electric shit so I googled it and this popped up. I figured it would be easy as shit and you showed me the way. Preesh my friend. You the man.

[@Clutchscorer]

I was going crazy wondering what I do with the orange wire! Thank you very much, sir.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Oh yes, I’m glad I could help!

[@michellelarue-sonjablue]

So helpful...I didn't know what to do with the orange wire cap since it didn't look like the white and black caps!

[@Mikey83943]

Gal darn, all your videos are super helpful. I'm building my house now and doing the wiring. It's suspiciously easy.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

I remember learning from my Dad growing up and how fortunate I was to have someone show me how to do those things. I’m so thankful to have this opportunity to share what I know. Thanks for watching!

[@21gonza21]

Oh my! My first time seeing you with out a hat 😂 I am loosing hair also , but the worst part is I don’t look good in hats, consider your self lucky

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Yep it happens! Hair is overrated anyways. Thanks for watching the video!

[@ramannagra67]

Thanks you explained very well.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You are welcome!

[@btaxel]

Nice video. Safety first...turn off the power via the breaker first.

[@ofduarte]

Hey Josh, question that I have is, why did you run 12-3, could you get it done with 14-3? And how much amperage are they pulling? Thank you!

[@rudyardgomeas6042]

Some jurisdictions require 12 gauge in homes. That's one reason.

[@randypaul5427]

I have a questions: do your smoke detectors (Daisy chained) connect to a separate circuit? I guess what I mean is does the initial detector connect directly to its own breaker? If not how is the first detectors receiving power? Is it coming from a regular 12-2 wire, and daisy chained via 12-3 wire? Thanks so much! I love these videos Josh!

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You got to use 12/3 wire when you daisy chain these. You do not have to get the power directly from the panel box as in a dedicated circuit. You can hop out of a receptacle anywhere for the power source. Hope that helps!

[@WilHansen]

Thanks for the video Josh! Wouldn't the first detector only have 1 orange wire (linking to the next detector)? i.e. - I'm not pulling 12-3 wire from my panel for a smoke detector circuit.. Also, couldn't this be done with 14-3? Thanks!

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

The wire for power will be a two wire. Then the wire going to the next new detector will be a three wire. I have a video coming out Sunday morning detailing this. Stay tuned!

[@johntaylor4870]

Awesome video, thank you.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Thank you John!

[@jimwiskus8862]

Great job sir! Thank you.

[@Mogman150]

I assume the first smoke detector has one line that is just 14-2 (power in), with 14-3 jumpering between all the rest of the detectors?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

That should do the trick, yes!

[@b.c.g.9754]

First smoke detector will be 14-2 (12-2) Wire the 2 whites, 2 reds, and 3 blacks together.

[@KhalidAli-lb2lc]

Thank you so much

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You’re welcome!

[@SouthernRedneck-pn5pd]

Why is there a ground wire for? In case of a metal receptacle box to be grounded?

[@lucys4751]

Thank you so much for this great video!!

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You are welcome! Be sure to subscribe!!

[@juicer911]

Great video. I have never installed smoke detector. Great explaining how it is code to have them all go off, when one goes off. So, in a garage, is there a standard smoke detector or a CO detector?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Just a standard detector. I have always wondered if then will start making people use CO detectors if they use propane or wood.

[@camaro6810]

@@TheExcellentLaborer Where are you located? Our code requires CO detectors as well as smokes, what are you using for heat? Any fuel source requires CO detectors here, I found it was easier to buy a combo smoke/co pack of 4 for my project from menards, had them cheaper than amazon...combo alarms are expensive, luckily I have a small home I'm building, but if it was a big place it would be pretty easy to have a couple hundred bucks in combo alarms in the house.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

I’m in West Virginia. We have no code on using a CO detector with any type of heating source. It seems like a decent idea in general though. Sounds like it wouldn’t cost that much more money then. Where are you located?

[@camaro6810]

@@TheExcellentLaborer Wisconsin back in 2011 Effective Feb. 1, Wisconsin became the 24th state to mandate installation of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. The law requires a carbon monoxide alarm on each level of all one- and two-family residences having any fuel burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage. Fuel burning means anything other than electric heat. It does cost about double, smokes are cheap at about $13 each for cheap ones, CO detectors are more, around $15ish, but combos are around $20-25 each...so if you only had to use smokes then it would be half price...the silly thing about combo alarms is that when I mount the smoke/co combo alarm its not in an ideal location for a CO detector, the smoke should be by the ceiling and the CO should be by the floor, but the code doesnt call for heights, just locations, so you can meet code without being optimally placed.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

That is goofy! CO drops to the floor. Having the detector in the ceiling is nonsense. That’s like a lot of codes, most are silly just for them to stay relevant.

[@dungeonviper2606]

Would the first detector also only have one red wire?

[@ewoksalot]

That (First Alert) orange tip you remove at 1:55 looks so suspiciously like an antenna I was questioning that very decision... but... it's about the only thing that makes any damn sense. Thanks!

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Yeah that’s what I had to do to get it to work. I’m glad I could help. Thanks for watching!

[@user-yz3uh3lg8l]

Great video but my 30 year old house has smoke detectors have red, black, green and yellow wires coming from the ceiling. I’d like to put a harness on and upgrade them as I suspect they are out of date but I’m not sure how to go about it with 4 wires vs the three you showed

[@SeaRobin335]

very good video. quick dumb question - if you didn't have the wiring set up in your house, you could just install a battery, mount them on the wall, and treat them like working, disconnected smoke detectors, right? The wiring is just about making them synchronous with each other? Let's say I live in a NY apartment where I would hear one from anywhere

[@butosi25]

Is the actual smoke sensor on the face of the alarm? I know the alarm trips when smoke gets inside the ionization chamber, but where does outside smoke actually enter the alarm? Do the notches on the sides where you twist/mount the alarm into the brackets have any smoke sensors? I don’t think they do, but I just wanted to make sure. Great video. Thanks for walkthrough.

[@glendawiegman4527]

You're supposed to remove the battery activation tab and test the unit before attaching it to power. This will prove that the battery is working.

[@PaulCalabro]

Why do some units in my house have two live, 2 neutral, and 2 comm wires while others only have one live, neutral, and comm? What is the reasoning for that?

[@stephaniesauceda3815]

If you're replacing an old detector and the new one comes with that wire set, do we replace the wires already in the ceiling with the new ones? Or will the new one work fine without doing that?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

If the old wires adapt to the new smoke detectors it should work fine. If they do not plug into the new smoke detectors they need to be switched out with the new harness. I hope that helps!

[@davidanaya6840]

My wiring only has Black, White, and ground wires? In this case would the red or orange wire be left disconnected?

[@BenGates101]

To clarify can I splice into the middle of the run and add a leg off that?

[@yohelcolon6399]

Than you, Sir.

[@Robmooda]

well done - good vid work too. Robmooda

[@BenGates101]

So I have to add 2 smoke detectors to rooms that they were never installed in. Can I just go to the nearest smoke detector and run wire out of that to the new smoke detector. It would make it a three way splice in the detector box

[@outofthebiz]

The one I am replacing has a yellow instead of a red. Would it go to the orange?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

Here is the link to the smoke detector in this video :First Alert Smoke Detector Alarm: amzn.to/2SyrBLb Have you ever installed a smoke detector?

[@IncidentMusicLabs]

Needed to know how to wire it to the breaker

[@RobertMOdell]

well, no description of how the wires connect to your breaker box or why you have a dangling ground wire, or where the red wire originates.

[@joey2703]

What about the beginning of the circuit? Where does the orange connect or does it?

[@briancappelletty5036]

My house came with First Alert smoke/Co hardwired detectors installed. If I want to add an additional one, do I just tie into the closest one and run a new line from there, or do these have to be in series?

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

This question right here!!!

[@MrVGamer]

I tried it and branched off one of the existing smoke detectors and they all still communicate with each other. It doesn’t matter if they are in series or parallel.

[@brynduffy]

What voltage is the red wire, because there is just ground (copper)and white and black?

[@charlesvretis2156]

I just saw another video that showed the red wire is just 9V DC

[@robertochavez8196]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing. What breaker size is for the smoke detectors?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You can use 15 amp or 20 amp circuit. Hope that helps!

[@robertochavez8196]

It does help, thanks!

[@drewdown826]

@@TheExcellentLaborer smoke detectors need separate circuit?

[@HeatherKruel]

I did everything and it's not lighting up green fml. lol. but when I hit the test button the battery worked at least

[@GrmnShprdGrl]

I have these same detectors in my house. Recently 3 of them are giving me the end of life chirp. I purchased replacements, but I have a question about them. When replacing, is there a way to unplug the harness and just plug in the new one or do I have to disconnect the wires and start over? I can’t seem to figure out how to unplug the harness so I am guessing I need to rewire them.

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

You should be able to just unplug the harness and plug in the new one. Hope that helps!

[@GrmnShprdGrl]

@@TheExcellentLaborer I thought so too but I can’t. They click in and I can’t find a way to pinch that piece out of the way so the plug will come out.

[@playerzero0000]

@@GrmnShprdGrl use a small flat screwdriver to gently pry out the plug if you’re having trouble pulling it with your fingers. However, smoke detectors with battery backups don’t have an end of life, the chirping you hear is the low battery alarm. Replace your battery and hang it back up.

[@FirstLast-hh8ty]

Do the smoke detectors need it’s own breaker?

[@johnforeman9926]

How do you wire the main panel for those?

[@anilkumar1971]

For me, it is very hard to remove the PIN (hard-wired) from the smoke detector. Does anyone have any tip on how to remove the pin from the unit without damaging fingers?

[@kenklose]

Why such a heavy gauge of wire? 14-3 isn't sufficient?

[@mrmaddocs68752]

The First Alert 9120B6CP is actually 6 First Alert 9120B's

[@elainenilsson5472]

Mine came with 2 harnesses and I can't figure out why

[@kaylatullis9517]

I'm having trouble getting the alarm to release from the base. What do I need to do?

[@TheExcellentLaborer]

I’m not sure..

[@daverobach4599]

Pry the base a bit with a flat head - the paint may be causing it to stick. I did that with mine

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

Annndd what if there is no wiring in the damn ceiling? Then what?

[@fyafeelings3976]

Perfect video. Thank you