Turn OFF POWER on a Hardwired SMOKE ALARM and Live to Tell about it

Do you need to replace a hardwired smoke alarm? Did a live hardwired smoke alarm wire detach and you want to reattach without dying? Sometimes it's not as easy as you think to located the dedicated circuit for the smoke alarms in your breaker box. We show you how to troubleshoot and safely determine how to temporarily cut power to your smoke alarm. We also explain what a GFI is and why it's needed in certain parts of the home.
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Turn OFF POWER on a Hardwired SMOKE ALARM and Live to Tell about it

[@Scope951]

Oh my god thank you. This has saved me so much stress from blindly testing all circuits in my house.

[@HandzforHire]

I'm glad it helped! Have a great day!

[@Scope951]

@@HandzforHire thanks!!!!

[@HandzforHire]

@@Scope951 You're welcome!

[@kylehill1523]

@@HandzforHire We just did it for our manufactured home (2014) and ours are tied to the closet lights ironically which killed ALL the smokes at the same time: . Not sure if that's the way it's suppose to be I'd think it would be tied to the bedroom lighting circuits but nope! The rest of the house was still powered but the closet lights and smokes..

[@HandzforHire]

@@kylehill1523 Oh wow. That is interesting! Well at least you discovered, and can mark in your breaker box!

[@StephenLawton]

Spot on! I must have missed one of the 15 circuits when i went through what I thought was all the first time. Piece of cake once I found the right one.

[@HandzforHire]

Awesome, glad it helped!

[@PeterJTamburro]

I've been waiting for this video all my life. Same thing has probably happened to everybody. Thanks, Jay!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

Hi Jay, just wanted to share that I FINALLY decided to follow the steps you shared in this video of how to find the "main connection" for the hardwired smoke detector. Mine was in my Master Bedroom. After turning off the main breaker I changed ALL of the batteries and I NO LONGER have the chirping sound. Your video was THE ONLY video that helped me. Now I'm binge watching your home Maintenance videos. Thank you soooooo much.

[@HandzforHire]

Hello! You're welcome! I'm so glad it helped! I watched a few of your videos and subscribed to your channel. You're doing an awesome job too!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

@@HandzforHire Awe, thank you for the support. I've recommended a few single friends to your channel, including my daughrers. You are more of help thank you will ever know. Thanks again...have a blessed day.

[@HandzforHire]

@@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi Thank you! You have a blessed day as well!

[@steveleo2010]

Wow thanks. I had to replace old smoke alarms and had the same problem finding the right circuit. Found it on the master bedroom switch (15Amp) and got the job done. Thanks again.

[@HandzforHire]

Awesome!! So same as my setup. Glad it helped!!

[@TheLite0003]

Thank you so much!! I bought an older home and the jerk owners before me removed the smoke alarms, never replaced them and the breaker box was not labeled. Your video saved me a lot of guesswork.

[@HandzforHire]

So glad it helped!

[@neilbrookins8428]

Rather than running up and down the stairs, a faster option is to run from the circuit breaker to the nearest smoke alarm and look for the green light. For example if your circuit breaker is in the basement, run to the smoke alarm in the basement. This is much faster than climbing stairs. Since all the smoke alarms are on the same circuit, when the green light goes out in the basement, the smoke alarm in the master bedroom will also have no power.

[@EvonDee]

Thank you!!😊 Mine was the master bedroom, master bath has a separate breaker. My amps were 20.

[@HandzforHire]

Oh wow, 20 amps! Glad you figured it out!

[@frankinsensed8058]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@juxtapos99]

Thanks for the bedroom tip. Mine happened to be on a GFI breaker for the outlets of a bedroom. I was about to give up and wire the smoke alarms without turning off the power like a few times previously. But I figured I might as well try the GFI breakers and one of them was money! I had 4 alarms to install so having the power off helped of course.

[@HandzforHire]

Awesome, glad it helped!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

Hello Jay....over a year later I referred back to your video because the birds were chirping from my Smoke Detectors AGAIN... 😩. I'm Soooo glad I noted in my last comment where my main box was located, because I forgot to note "that" in the main circuit box. I will sleep well once again without the chirping beeps through the night. Thanks AGAIN 👍

[@HandzforHire]

Haha, welcome back! I sometimes re-watch my older videos like flushing the tankless water heater video because I forget small procedural details. I hope you're well. Have a great day!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

@@HandzforHire I'm doing well thank you. Continue to share those helpful videos with your touch of humor. Blessings to you and your family.

[@HandzforHire]

@@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi Glad to hear! Thanks!

[@willjames5572]

Thanks for the video. I had the same experience with a couple Firex G-6 alarms. One additional tip I learned (the hard way) is that if you're using the power light on the alarm as an indicator that you've shut off the correct breaker, you may need to wait a few minutes for the light's capacitor to fully discharge. In my case, when I saw the power light blink shortly after switching off the breaker, I assumed I had shut off the wrong one. I went through all the breakers like this, wasting a lot of time, and questioning whether the alarm was even connected to a breaker in the first place. Afterwards, I found your video and tested only the 15A breakers using an AC voltage detector instead. I found the correct one (which was shared with the master bedroom) on the second try. Lesson learned. New alarms installed. Thanks again!

[@HandzforHire]

Oh wow! That is a good lesson. Those LEDs don't need much current to light up! I'm glad the video helped and you were finally able to find the correct one!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH. I subscribed to your channel BECAUSE of the information you shared and the extra nugget about GFI at the end.

[@HandzforHire]

You're very welcome! Thank you!

[@BirdMom023]

Your video was a great help, today, when you taught about the 15-amp circuit. Thank you so much!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! Glad it helped!

[@pdubs7069]

I am here for help!!! Same situation 🤣 Driving me nuts!!

[@HandzforHire]

Haha, hope it helps!

[@SilverVeloz]

Thank you. I'm just about ready to replace mine with new ones. This helps tremendously 🙂👍

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped!

[@lisawithers6696]

Oh my goodness, such great info and made my job of changing out my batteries!!!!

[@HandzforHire]

I'm so glad it helped!!

[@tahoemike00]

Thanks Jay. Only reason that I searched this out is I got a jolt on the first unit that I needed to replace. As well, as soon as I disconnected one of the leads in the harness (the hot one of course) then ALL of the alarms in the house sounded -- and kept sounding until I connected up the hot again. And got bit again. lol. Then I found your video. Thanks! I had to go through about 9 of the 15 amp circuits to find it, but I did. And it wasn't the master bedroom, which I tried first :-) Thanks again.

[@HandzforHire]

I'm glad the video helped, but sorry you had to get zapped a couple of times before finding it. At least you'll be setup for next time! Have a great day!

[@jkk393]

This saved me a lot of time! Also, two unrelated helpful tips. 1). If your dishwasher suddenly doesn't power on, first check underneath your sink or nearby cabinet. Electricians will typically install a "light switch" that makes it convenient for them to turn power off at the dishwasher, rather than at the breaker box. If someone accidentally flipped that switch, it will turn the dishwasher off. same applies near the furnace. 2). If your first floor bathroom outlet doesn't work, check the 2nd-floor bathroom GFI outlet to see if it has been tripped.. Electricians may tie those two outlets together.

[@HandzforHire]

Awesome, and those are great tips!

[@tjle4900]

This is great tip, thanks for sharing!!!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@gnurxer]

You the man, thanks for the research!

[@HandzforHire]

Thanks!

[@mcguiganmike]

Thanks so much. Trying to change out my smoke detectors and this was a ton of help.

[@HandzforHire]

Awesome! Glad it helped!

[@Pk-bf9ro]

Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a widower and I wasn't sure what to do with a hard wire smoke alarm.

[@HandzforHire]

Sorry for you loss, but I'm glad the video helped.

[@ledforthehead23]

Great video, found the circuit, and also mine was on my master bdrm 15amp.

[@HandzforHire]

Oh, that's great! I'm glad it helped!

[@maksgeography6440]

Same issue here! Thank you for making this video... I have 6 smoke and one CO detectors to replace... imagine running back and forth trying to locate the circuits for all of them! I thought about just shutting the power off for everything over 40 amps... and just going from there, but this helps a lot!! Thank you!

[@HandzforHire]

I thought about cutting the power to the breaker, but then I thought about all the clocks I'd have to reset each time I needed to work on the detectors. Lol. The mission was to label in the box and then share to help others save time. Glad it helped!

[@maksgeography6440]

@@HandzforHire Thanks to your video I just flipped all the 15 amp breakers. So what could have been a half day job took about an hour. Thanks again!

[@HandzforHire]

Glad to hear!

[@kyokushinnojoe]

Gold. Thank you

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped!

[@ivanwill]

Thanks for sharing this. Your tip about the 15 gauge breaker, really helped to narrow down what my smoke detectors were connected to.

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped!

[@ivanwill]

@@HandzforHire Last weekend I installed 3 more Nest smoke detectors. The scary thing is, 2 years ago when I installed the first one, I could not find a breaker for it and presumed it was not wired (with a hot wire) and just changed it. The more you know...

[@HandzforHire]

@@ivanwill wow! Well at least you lived to tell about it!

[@neighborator]

I am installing a couple carbon monoxide/smoke detectors to comply with foster inspections. You saved me a lot of time and headache. Thank you!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! I'm glad it helped!

[@audigit]

I discovered that burning smudge (which is a natural way to clean surfaces and the whole place) which is a great way to remove all trace of a previouse owners habits of smoking, or just being smelly. So, thank you!

[@meenakshivenkataraman7260]

Thank you so much!!!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@158922able]

just what i need thank you!

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped!

[@timtim2500]

*The lesson that starts at **05:50** is very important, THANK YOU for sharing this*

[@bustyjoe]

Good catch. Thank you!

[@JosephGalo]

Oh geesh!!! Thank you so much for doing this! Our circuit breaker is in the garage, and it's like 100+ degrees in there, the running in/out, up and down the stairs is stressing me out! On a side note, I lost 16 pounds before I found your video :).

[@HandzforHire]

Lol, glad it helped and you could eventually resolve with this video remotely in the AC.

[@markwillis7019]

You ROCK! Thanks!

[@HandzforHire]

You too! Thanks!

[@Adnan-cq7rn]

Thank you!!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@ginnyberg9271]

Thank you

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@GBiv78]

Be careful not just isolating the whole house because a lot of breakers are only single pole and some voltage can still be present between the neutral and ground. As potentially inconvenient as it is, I usually just throw the main switch to be safe

[@bustyjoe]

My experience is get a good head light, throw the master and spare yourself the grief. This is interesting and if I'm ever in an older home that's poorly label the circuit breaker or poorly wired the home I'll take this more careful and insightful approach. Thank you!

[@drewsterdu_8221]

And I’m just doing this instead of finishing the video (I am glad I watched though!!).

[@boston-strong8887]

Wow. This is great. Thank you so much. This helps a great deal. Trying to replace interconnected smoke & Co2 detectors all over the house, but the voltage meter kept beeping every single time. It was weird. We just couldn't find that hot wire connection on the breaker panel, so now, we're going to take your advice, work with the 15A switches and I'm sure we'll find it. What a PITA.

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped! I hope you found the right one!

[@buildersedge888]

Hi Jay. Hey man. Great video! I've spent much of my weekend trying to figure out wich breaker controls the smoke detectors in my 30 year old home. Yes...I still have the original hardwired detectors. They've never been swapped out. In reading the comments below from others, one gentelman made a good point. He said the light still blinked on his smoke detector even after he turned the power off. He determined that indeed the subject detector did not have power by using a tester like the one you have in your video. Anyway, I'm off to the hardware store to purchase a tester. Not only will it save my ass from getting electrocuted, it will also help to let me know that the power is in fact OFF. Thanks again for putting this together.

[@jayherrigel]

Glad you like it and hope all goes well with your voltage detector!

[@TinaICXCNIKA]

It's 2:48AM and I just fell in love with you because really, don't chirping smoke detectors usually go off in the middle of the night?! THANKS MAN, for explaining this! Just subscribed 👍🏻

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! I'm sorry it had to be 2:48AM, but I'm glad it helped! Hopefully you've had some good sleep since. Lol.

[@kylehill3643]

@@HandzforHire For us it tends to be 11:00pm most times. Twice it happened at 2pm in the afternoon.

[@HandzforHire]

@@kylehill3643 Always at the most inconvenient time, right? Haha

[@Celtic-Texan]

Thanks for making this video. I'm replacing all my smoke detectors(10 of them) with a newer brand that has a different connector, so need to do some rewiring. So when I went to the circuit breaker I noticed the same thing with none labeled "smoke detectors" and also couldn't figure it out when attempting to trace the wires in the attic. So now knowing that they're likely on 15 amp breakers to one of the bedrooms it will be much easier to narrow down now.

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! I hope you are able to find it quickly!

[@chrislee1931]

Finally, a video instruction that works. Searched endlessly online and on youtube, and got no real help, until I found this video. Jay, you saved me tons of time! I successfully located the dedicated circuit breaker for the smoke detectors, thanks to your video. Thanks Jay!

[@HandzforHire]

Chris Lee glad to help!

[@phyllisjrcrestorationdecordesi]

Yeah, me too. I looked at NUMEROUS VIDEOS...EVEN one done by a FIRE MARSHALL....NO HELP AT ALL. Mine chirped endlessly for over 4 years every 60 seconds tag teaming. I got used to it, but when my cousin moved in with me she couldn't sleep so I had to do something. Jay is my Household Maintenance Superman.

[@vwithers1584]

Can you help please? I don't have a voltage detector thingy! I don't know if I need to switch off a switch on the fusebox. I don't have a switch labelled smoke detector on there. I have ones labelled: lighting, lighting, sockets, sockets, shower, cooker. On the left of those is 2joined together red switches/switches saying main switch. It's a very cheap, 15 year old, basic smoke alarm. How do you know if you have to flick a switch on the fusebox, please!? I have pressed the hush button for 20 seconds but it's not resolved the chirping. Would I electrocute myself by not pressing a switch on fusebox off, then twisting plastic cover off to see which battery I need please? I have a 9v here. To stop it chirping temporarily, can I turn the plastic cover anticlockwise, safely without flicking a switch off on the fusebox!? (I think circuitboard is same as fusebox, isn't it)!?

[@boardgamedicey5024]

I’m having same issue,so you found the wire to the bedroom,in the video I saw you twist the wires,did that help stop the chirping?

[@vksmith1194]

thank you for the directive on the 15V breaker control -- silence!

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! Glad it helped!

[@joannac9194]

Thanks

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome!

[@HandzforHire]

@NRHTX for some reason I can't find your comment to respond, but hopefully this gets through to you. I have purchased First Alert on Amazon, and I just updated the link. Thank you for letting me know about the broken link. Hardwired smoke alarms have a battery to continue to protect if the power goes out. The battery can last up to a couple of days with no power. Have a great day!

[@anneschwan4178]

So I take it that one end of the run ends up in the panel and the other end ties into a 15 amp switch and that is correct, yes? or is that overkill to shut off?

[@wildwillie6132]

Hey Jay. Thanks for the video. It confirmed many of my thoughts. My problem is even more complex. I have no power at the smoke alarm! (Darn.) Worse yet, I have a concrete home and cannot trace the conduit. (Holy darn.) So, I am going to begin by going to the closest outlet. Please wish me luck.... Bill

[@HandzforHire]

Oh man, that’s tough and super annoying! (Holy darn lol) Did the smoke detector recently stop working? Did you do any electrical work elsewhere that may have impacted the circuit? For example, did you change out an outlet? Finally, are other outlets or lights on the same circuit working or is the whole circuit dead? That might help you determine where the problem is located. If the whole circuit out, it’s likely as issue at your breaker box. Bad fuse? If almost all the circuit is working and a smoke detector or two is not, then it sounds like a wiring issue. Best of luck and let me know how it goes!!

[@venih5155]

​@@HandzforHirehi, I don't suppose he ever posted how he tracked which wire provided juice to the rest of the units -- did he? I tried a wire tracer but it only showed there was connectivity between all the smoke alarms, but couldn't find anything at the main panel. How can I tell which unit has the actual wires connected to provide power? Shouldn't there be extra connectors in one of the units?

[@paradoxstudios6639]

After unplugging my alarm, the orange wire is waxed over (usual) the black wire is connected to the harness plug and the white wire is disconnected and bare at the end, is this good ?

[@crazylouie68]

Great video. I have similar issue. Need to replace smoke detector in living room, i turn off circuit breaker switch to living room but i still have power ( lights, tv ). I turn off switch to adjacent rooms and power still on. Is this a circuit breaker issue or something else. ? Thanks

[@HandzforHire]

Thanks! Hmmmm, that's interesting. My first thought is that your box is mislabeled, but you'd hope that an electrician would have gotten it right. You'll often have an outlet circuit separate from a light circuit, but it sounds like when you turn off those switches, you still have lights and outlet power. Question, if you turn off living room and adjacent rooms at the same time, does that do the trick? You may have some wires touching which is creating essentially two power sources for your one circuit. Those are all the things I can think of. Good luck and please keep me posted!!

[@markrutter2342]

So, so helpful. Good god. Thank you!

[@HandzforHire]

You’re welcome! So glad it helped!

[@irinachamberlain]

When I was replacing a battery in my First Alert smoke detector I noticed the ground wire was disconnected. I kept turning all the circuit breakers off and still had power coming into the smoke detector. The tip of looking for 15 amp breakers associated with the bedrooms was what I was really looking for. I followed this tip and in a minute or two I connected the wire and the problem was solved. I want to thank Jay for this learning lesson, it was greatly appreciated.

[@HandzforHire]

My pleasure, sir! I went through the same process as you, so my hope was to save someone the to figure it out. I'm glad it helped!

[@onlyme8870]

I had to shut 6 breakers off. As these things are so old and never had gang boxes. Also someone ran a wire from 6 different locations like u mentioned. And were individually powered. Probably in a early 2000s someone ran a red wire to get them in series so they'll all trip when 1 does. So definitely be cautious and make sure each one is not live before service. I labeled the breakers by SM/CO.D 1 through 6. No I didnt rewire a Singe line. And added shallow gang boxes. This is diy but if i encounter this again id suggest the owner to get it professionally sorted.

[@HandzforHire]

Oh no. Sounds like someone from the past created a nightmare for you. Glad you got it sorted, but good advice to get a professional moving forward.

[@VP-fr3cj]

Thanks! Now I can get some sleep until I can fix it asap

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped (at least temporarily).

[@donwald3436]

Can I explain binary search for you?

[@louisbrucetatarsky9817]

Just curious, (I'm not recommending this,) but could you remove the breaker panel cover and look for the different gauge wires?

[@HandzforHire]

I imagine so, but you'll still have a ton of very similar gauge wires in the box. I think you'd still have to go through the process.

[@vanessabranch4081]

Thank you. My smoke detectors are 15 years old and need to be replaced. The green lights went out when I turned off the 15 volt to the Master bedroom. Thanks again...KZbin, Dad..

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped! -KZbin Dad 😂😂😂

[@DIYtime]

You can also turn off half of breakers first (eg entire left side). Test wires. Now you know which side it is on - either on the left or right. Then turn off half of the breakers again on the side you know it is on. Split it in half again and again, until you find it. With 70 breakers it will take you no more than 5 tries instead of 70.

[@HandzforHire]

That's a great idea. I started out trying save myself from shutting down everything like computers and resetting clocks, etc. If I had just jumped in feet first, your method would have worked well. Have a great day!

[@DIYtimeTech]

@@Markkrochuk1979 I don’t have 70. It just proved the point. With 70 breakers it will take you 5 tries using my method, vs. up to 70 tries if you do them one by one.

[@Markkrochuk1979]

@@HandzforHire you have a ton of high amperage breakers, what are you doing in that house? Hahahah

[@HandzforHire]

@@Markkrochuk1979 Lol mad scientist

[@vwithers1584]

Can you help please? I don't have a voltage detector thingy! I don't know if I need to switch off a switch on the fusebox. I don't have a switch labelled smoke detector on there. I have ones labelled: lighting, lighting, sockets, sockets, shower, cooker. On the left of those is 2joined together red switches/switches saying main switch. It's a very cheap, 15 year old, basic smoke alarm. How do you know if you have to flick a switch on the fusebox, please!? I have pressed the hush button for 20 seconds but it's not resolved the chirping. Would I electrocute myself by not pressing a switch on fusebox off, then twisting plastic cover off to see which battery I need please? I have a 9v here. To stop it chirping temporarily, can I turn the plastic cover anticlockwise, safely without flicking a switch off on the fusebox!? (I think circuitboard is same as fusebox, isn't it)!?

[@justinkopec5593]

Great video I was looking for a solution to this same issue I’m having!!

[@HandzforHire]

Glad it helped! Before I made this video, I looked around online and couldn't find anything that had a straight forward answer. Hopefully this saved you a little time!

[@donaldhughes5728]

Jay like you, I searched everywhere - all the KZbin videos on this question. I couldn't find the answer but you're so learned, I thought you might know the answer. I simply want to disable my hard-wired smoke detector. Not remove it not change it - just disable it so it doesn't keep going off from the least little bit of smoke. If I take the cover off of my hard-wired smoke detector from the 80s and I detach the wires from the little clip can I put the cover back on the smoke detector without attaching the wires again? this way the smoke detector will not go off, (I hope )and there won't be wires hanging from the ceiling and a hole in the ceiling. you see, this smoke detector it's one of five in the house goes off whenever there is the least little bit of steam or smoke from the frying pan or the oven and I can't stand it anymore. I don't need it. I just want to take the cover off, disconnect those wires from the cover, and put the cover back on so hopefully it won't buzz/ go off anymore. do you think that's possible ?

[@HandzforHire]

Hi Donald, thank you! To answer your question the short answer is yes you can, but I wouldn't because those smoke detectors are there for a very good reason. The professionals recommend replacing your smoke detectors every 10 years. If yours are from the 80s then they have 30-40 years on them. This might be why they are so sensitive and go off so easily. Years of dust can make them wacky. Before you disconnect for good, I'd try switching the one that's causing you issues out with a new one. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@TheBertLocker]

Just finished staring at my breaker panel, found nothing, came inside, found this video, further exploration will be done later this week.

[@HandzforHire]

Nice! Hopefully you found it!

[@gilzskillz]

replaced all of mine woth same model but new ones and now when testing the one in the master bedroom does not make a sound they would all go off when when you pressed the test button on any of them they would all come on now the bedroom does not make a sound took it off changed location and worked just not in my bedroom

[@HandzforHire]

That's so bizarre! Just curious, but did you use a voltage detector just to check and make sure you have power to your detector in your master bedroom?

[@thedude1744]

Flexing wine frig and pool. 🤠

[@anitareid6284]

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO much. Took a total of 15 minutes to find the right shut OFF. I, like you wife wanted to take a hammer to everyone of them. I am now going to make labels for everyone of them, plus put it on the DOOR of the breakers. I can't imagine living with that noise. Funny part of this it is on a breaker that a intercom that we have not used for at least 20 years. Good job and THANKS. by the way we have all 20 and some odds breakers.

[@HandzforHire]

You're welcome! I'm glad it helped, and wow, that's interesting about the smoke detectors being on the same breaker as your intercom. Perhaps the new building codes have smoke detectors on a 15A, but older ones were on 20A? Well thanks for commenting and have a great (alarm free) day!

[@kristinebryson2701]

ive bought a new smoke detector it has a battery 9 volt and way to hardwire the unit i dont want to hardwire the unit want run off the battery the green light flashes on smoke detector ervery 30 secounds is it ok for the battery only thank you

[@HandzforHire]

Hi Kristine, there are smoke detectors out there that are battery only. These are designed to conserve the life of the 9V battery. The ones that have the hardwiring, only have the 9V battery for emergency backup. In my experience if we lose power for more than a day, that 9V runs out pretty quickly. If you only want to go with battery, I'd look into capping off your wires (for the hardwire) and installing battery only rather than the combo. I hope that helps!

[@trixie1636]

How do we cut it off for good? I can’t find info anywhere on cutting off power and just using a battery powered one

[@HandzforHire]

Great question, and my guess is that you can't. Perhaps this is why smoke detectors aren't on a circuit by themselves. You can look up online or give your town a call and find out what the building code is, but I'm not sure battery only is good enough anymore.

[@susanarmstrong8701]

Thank you! I live in a 750 sq ft house with 4 smoke alarms, and when one goes off, they all go off. It's horribly loud. I want to disconnect two of them. I think this will help.

[@HandzforHire]

Susan, I can understand how loud it gets! I hope this video does help! Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[@mrbeefy9947]

I am your electrician please stop calling me 😂

[@HandzforHire]

Lol

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

Turn the whole house off with one switch. I’m not an electrician but that’s what I do anytime I think I’m going to mess with electrical stuff without dying

[@HandzforHire]

Nothing wrong with that, but then you have to reset all clocks, turn back on computers, and wait for the internet to reboot. If you can identify which breaker it is one time, then every time after, your life is easier. Both work though. Have a great day!!

[@reddboy1325]

I'm glad mine is labeled Smoke Detector in my box on it's on breaker...lucky me

[@HandzforHire]

Haha, lucky you!

[@reddboy1325]

@@HandzforHire change mine today. Great video

[@HandzforHire]

@@reddboy1325 Awesome! Thanks!

[@blurglide]

So it's just straight wall voltage? I want to install an attic fan, and my smoke detector is probably the easiest power source

[@HandzforHire]

Yes, you can probably piggyback off of the power from the smoke detector, but first I'd check how much amperage the attic fan pulls. You want to make sure you don't overload the circuit. I'd also recommend checking in with your town to make sure you do the job up to code. Good luck!

[@gailpfeiffer2331]

Not sure if anyone has had this issue. We had an old smoke alarm that was hardwired. Removed the alarm to replace to stop the chirping. But the chirping didn’t stop even though there was no alarm attached! Couldn’t find the circuit and finally turned 2 off at the same time and the chirping stopped. Got a new alarm, attached it, with new battery. And now, 24 hours later, periodic chirping continues just like before. My question. The prior alarm was put in by owners in 2007. Is there something else that ‘chirps’ besides the alarm itself that needs to be removed? Will it chirp if the new alarm is put in improperly perhaps?

[@HandzforHire]

Hi Gail, Did you happen to replace the 9V battery in the alarm itself? Even though the alarm is hardwired, it still has a backup battery in case the power goes out. Over time this 9V battery needs to be replaced and the chirping is the indicator. Good luck!! I hope it works out because I know how annoying that chirping is!

[@gailpfeiffer2331]

@@HandzforHire well guess what! We actually found that the upstairs smoke alarm (that we were sure was just fine and didn’t have a problem) was the problem. And it was just like others said…sound traveled strangely and we were so SURE it was the downstairs alarm. So, we changed the upstairs battery and reset it and sure enough, all good! It was the back up battery for sure… just the wrong alarm. Thanks for responding. \

[@HandzforHire]

@@gailpfeiffer2331 oh that's great news!! Yes, sometimes it's really hard to pinpoint the chirp. I know exactly what you mean. Glad it's all sorted!

[@kevinkennedy3242]

I'm still at a loss, I've checked all the circuits other than furnace and hot water heater(both in basement) and stove outlet and refrigerator outlet and my volt meter still beeps like there is electricity there. I'm stumped and disappointed.

[@HandzforHire]

Hey Kevin - I know how annoying these alarms can be. Worst case scenario, you can cut everything at once, check to make sure it's off, and then slowly add breakers back in to find the right one. There's not another live wire nearby that could be triggering your voltage detector?

[@boardgamedicey5024]

Did you have to power down the whole house in order to fix thoses wires?

[@HandzforHire]

No, the point was to find the exact circuit the smoke detectors were located on. Shutting down the whole house works, but then you have to reset all the clocks. If you find out which circuit and turn off the breaker, then it's easy moving forward.

[@boardgamedicey5024]

Thanks for the info

[@HandzforHire]

@@boardgamedicey5024 you're welcome!

[@tracker1ify]

Real simple flip the main breaker change your alarms turn your breaker back on

[@HandzforHire]

True, but then I'd have to shut down computers and reset every clock in the house each time I needed to work on the alarms. I just wanted to take the time to find out which breaker the smoke alarms are on so I'll save myself the trouble from here on out. Your method certainly works though! Have a great day!

[@H-rf3mo]

I'm pet sitting for my mom while she's gone for two weeks, her integrated fire alarm has been beeping and it's annoying her neighbours. I've tried turning off every circuit in her house but it still keeps beeping. Her circuit box is super janky. The switches are barely labelled and the ones on the right side seem to have been put in backwards, so off is actually on and vice versa. I think because she is in a town house there may actually be another circuit box outside that may be controlling some stuff in her house and her neighbours house, so I'm scared to replace her alarms since I don't have a voltage detector and can't tell if there's electricity still going to the alarms or not. I have some new alarms and wire harnesses but the old alarms are from 1999 and she has never replaced them before so I'm worried there may be wire damage that could expose something and cause a fire if I move around the wires. If I call an electrician it will easily cost me like $500 to $1000 Canadian dollars. Uuuuuuggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh... 🤦🏻‍♀

[@HandzforHire]

I'm so sorry to hear all of this. Sounds super stressful. Do you have a hardware store close by? You could pick up a voltage detector for fairly cheap or I have one linked in the description that you can buy off of Amazon. I definitely wouldn't mess with anything if you can't tell whether the electricity in the circuit is shut off. That would be my best suggestion because then you can troubleshoot the switches without getting hurt. Best of luck to you!

[@H-rf3mo]

@@HandzforHire I sort of figured it out. It turns out it was my mom's new CO2 detector I didn't even know she had that was going off. She had just gotten it and put it on a shelf near the fire alarm and I guess it was faulty so it started making the end of life beep. I took the batteries out of it and it stopped beeping. The situation still isn't fully resolved though as all the fire alarms need to be replaced and the CO2 detector sent back to get a new functioning replacement. So basically now she has no functioning fire alarms and no CO2 detector if anything happens. But at least the beeping is over. 😌

[@HandzforHire]

@@H-rf3mo I'm glad you at least found the source. Hopefully everything will be okay while you wait for replacements.

[@H-rf3mo]

@@HandzforHire Thanks for the tips and letting me vent in your comments. 😂

[@HandzforHire]

@@H-rf3mo my pleasure!

[@ncsouf]

evey time i test my wires my tester says its no power and i havent even turn any of the breakers off. but my smoke alarms are working. whats does this mean

[@HandzforHire]

Hmmmm. You might have an issue with your voltage tester or the wires are off and the smoke alarms are running off the 9V batteries? How long do they last until you have to change the battery? If they're running on batteries, then it would probably be every few months. If it's running on the wires then you should only have to change the batteries every few years.

[@ncsouf]

@@HandzforHire it seems to be running off the 9 volt battery they are all wired together but the power wire seemed not to be connected to any power I'm not sure how to follow all the wiring to see where it ends

[@HandzforHire]

@@ncsouf that's definitely something you want to get fixed. There must be a loose wire somewhere. Since the smoke detectors are on a circuit with something else in your house, you'd have something else without power if you had a bad fuse in your circuit breaker. Assuming everything else is working well, my guess is that there's a loose wire somewhere. Do any of your smoke detectors have a voltage reading?

[@ncsouf]

no voltage reading on any of them

[@HandzforHire]

@@ncsouf I'm sorry I can't be more help, but it's tough to assess without being there. There has to be a disconnect somewhere between your circuit breaker box and your first or last smoke detector in the circuit. Everything in the circuit is hooked up in parallel, but hooked in series to breaker. You might need to call in an electrician to check it out. Please let me know how it goes.

[@brianlee1028]

Hey guys! Quick question. Halloween is right around the corner! I had planned on doing something really great and creepy for my family to unexpectedly experience when they come home on Halloween night. My creepy plan involves a fog machine. Never bought one before, but I work at a halloween store for the time being and got one for a pretty nice discount. It's a 400 watt machine so it's not too big or anything. The box that the fog machine comes in simply says "For Indoor use only." But When testing out the fog machine to get a better idea on how it works, my smoke detector went off! I panicked. The fog machine is pretty much needed for my halloween prank. Does this video apply to me if I want to TEMPORARILY disable every smoke detector in my house? It's water based fog, so I can safely assure you guys that no fire will ensue. I just want this Halloween prank to be absolutely awesome! Also, I know this may sound silly, but should I disable my carbon monoxide detectors too? If I take the batteries out of the smoke detectors AND flip the switches on my circuit panel, will that do the trick?? My Circuit panel says "GFI" and "Bath GFI," but that's about it. Thanks so much, guys!

[@HandzforHire]

Sounds like you’re going to have quite the elaborate setup! So cool!! I could never recommend shutting down your smoke and CO detectors or recommend temporarily covering them with plastic shower caps and rubber bands to shield from the fog machine. Be careful. Be safe. Have fun!

[@brianlee1028]

@@HandzforHire i think you just gave me an answer there! Very nice... Thank you sir!😉

[@HandzforHire]

😉

[@matthewhuszarik4173]

Aren’t your bathrooms required to be GFI circuits?

[@HandzforHire]

Yes, and my outlets are... everything with water nearby needs to be GFCI protected.

[@neilbrookins8428]

The problem of running up and down the stairs can easily be solved with two people with cell phones. One person calls the other on the phone. One person is at the circuit breaker and flips off the first 15 amp breaker and says “is that is?” The other person is at the smoke alarm and answers back yes or no over the phone. You can go through all the 15 amp breakers one by one in less than a minute this way.

[@missm661]

I know I'm late to comment but I'm laughing at yours. You're funny. Jay intentionally/unintentionally demonstrated how you can do it without a sidekick, it's a confidence booster for most of us living by ourselves.

[@mewing-gawd]

Your house doesn’t seem old, but the codes to what breaker the smoke alarms are on uses an older code. Smoke alarms in newer houses today must be on a separate circuit.

[@HandzforHire]

Really? My house was built in 2016.

[@mewing-gawd]

@@HandzforHire Then sadly your house might not follow present code.

[@HandzforHire]

@@mewing-gawd maybe not. Does it vary state to state? I'm in Florida. What state are you in?

[@mewing-gawd]

@@HandzforHire Pennsylvania

[@HandzforHire]

@@mewing-gawd cool. I grew up in NJ.

[@nathan3710]

I need to turn off one single hard wired smoke detector and I can’t fucking figure out how

[@nathan3710]

I just yanked the wires off the alarm and it turned it off. Let’s go baby

[@HandzforHire]

I hear ya bro! It's so frustrating when nothing seems to work. I hope you're able to get it fixed up okay. Be safe!

[@UnionPacificBigBoy-of8xy]

You got a SC9120B

[@HandzforHire]

80-HD THE ROBOT you called it!!

[@UnionPacificBigBoy-of8xy]

@@HandzforHire thank you

[@NyxKemo]

The smoke alarms in my house are on the same circuit as my bedroom, my bathroom, office, stairwell light.

[@HandzforHire]

Oh no! They're on several circuits or is your bedroom, bathroom, office, and stairwell all on the same circuit?

[@NyxKemo]

@@HandzforHire same circuit

[@HandzforHire]

@@NyxKemo okay wow! There's a lot happening on one circuit. Lol.

[@NyxKemo]

@@HandzforHire yep

[@purelightfromthelostplace5225]

My council just put in new smoke alarms they go off every single time I cook... So I'm just gonna start cutting wires until the fucking thing shuts up and I can cook again In my house

[@neilbrookins8428]

Your smoke detector is a BRK 9120b. If you install a new battery and DO NOT PLUG IN the AC power supply, the alarm should function correctly for a whole year, or at least 6 months on battery alone without the battery draining. If your battery goes dead in two weeks, this is NOT normal and means the alarm is defective. These alarms have a 10 year warranty. Call up customer service and they will send you a new alarm for free under warranty. This is a known defect and if you search online you can find many reports of premature battery failure. Don’t keep using a defective unit when the repair is free.

[@iluvutubealot1]

My husband's out of town and my baby won't go back to bed . Thinking I have to tough this one out .

[@HandzforHire]

I'm sorry. I hope you and your baby caught up on some sleep today!

[@LisaMaryification]

My problem is that my fuse box is labeled incorrectly. None of the fuses match up with the appliances. Because of the humidity, my alarm keeps going off and I can't find the fuse. I don't want to unplug it with the electricity flowing to it but it looks like I have no other choice.

[@HandzforHire]

I'm sorry to hear that! Try to find the master bedroom lights. It's a 15A circuit and there's a chance it's on that one. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@miemail2757]

4AM I get woken up by "low battery etc" . Half asleep I get up and change the batteries... well , I never knew that what I thought was a simple task, was going to turn into a nightmare. I pushed the "reset " button , since the "low battery" kept going , and when I pushed the button to reset the "Fire Fire! " went on ! I live on a building its about 4AM , and there is NO WAY TO SHUT THIS OFF . Finally it does , but the "low battery " keeps going loud. I looked for help in the internet , got here , I learned a lot , but I still don't know if I turned off the right breaker . The lady is still saying "low battery " and the device has no batteries now or (maybe) power, but I read that these devices have a backup source of saved energy , and that you have to push the reset button for 15-30 seconds after disconnecting the power to drain the device completely. I don't want to do that right now . I have pushed the button once quick and the FIRE! FIRE! went like crazy . hopefully it drains by itself while it keeps saying "low battery" , If not I'm going to wait when is a better time to let the neighbors know that if they hear FIRE FIRE ! coming from my place is just me CHANGING THE BATTERIES on this NOT PRACTICAL at all device. I get it is a safety issue ,but it shouldn't be so complicated to just change the batteries !! PS Thank you for posting video. Wish me luck.

[@HandzforHire]

Good luck! I know it can be quite frustrating, especially at 4AM. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@miemail2757]

@@HandzforHire Knowledge is power! I still don't know which one is the breaker for the Fire Alarm! I followed your advise about the amp 15 and to look for the logic one that could be connected to the Smoke Alarm. So the alarm it's like 2 mts from a light and on the sides are the bedrooms . I turned that one off and the light beside it and the bedroom lights went off , BUT the green light in the Smoke Alarm was still on and the 'Fire Fire, low battery " voice kept going . So I thought - well, there must be a back up energy saved in it, I'm going to wait to let it drain . TWO hours later the alarm was still going ! So I looked to see what else I could do , cause many people in the internet advised to TURN THE FIRE ALARM BREAKER OFF, before doing anything else . But I found a video that had a very similar Fire Alarm than the one I have, and there I watched how to unplug it. So I did, and it worked! But I broke my nails trying to do it , it was not easy at all. So I'm determined to contact the manufacturer hahahahha ! like seriously it shouldn't be that hard!

[@HandzforHire]

@@miemail2757 yes there needs to be an easier way! Was the 9 volt battery still in your smoke alarm after you turned off the breaker? That can definitely keep it the smoke alarm going for awhile. Do you have a voltage detector pen like I showed in the video. They are so helpful and keep me safe any time I'm messing with electricity.

[@miemail2757]

@@HandzforHire Hi! This Smoke Alarm uses two AA batteries, and the first thing I did was to take them out to replaced them with the new ones. But then watching your video led me to the info that First you have to take the batteries out, then turn the electricity off (through the breaker, and you will know is the right breaker , cause light on Smoke Alarm goes off, and the alarm itself too) , then press the BUTTON 15-30 seconds to drain the power saved in the Smoke Alarm, then you replace the batteries, then turn power on. And yes, I will buy the voltage detector pen, thank you for bringing the subject up, I was going to ask you for its name :)

[@vwithers1584]

​@@miemail2757I think I'm in the same or similar predicament as you. I don't have any switches labelled smoke alarm on my fusebox/circuitboard. So which video did you watch pls? Or which switch on fusebox/circuitboard did you turn off!? I do have a 9v battery here now, however im not bothered so much about changing the battery, just want to stop the chirping safely without electrocution myself, ideally without switching off any fusebox switches if it's possible

[@Kamawah]

I turned off every breaker in the panel and the smoke detector wire is still hot. I even tripped every GFCI still no change. There's is no sub panel.

[@HandzforHire]

Kenneth Kerr sorry to hear you’re having a tough time. By code hardwired smoke alarms have to run through a circuit breaker. Do you have an old home? Are you using a voltage detector or multimeter to tell its still hot? 9V battery removed from detector?

[@Kamawah]

@@HandzforHire The house was built in 1999. I unplugged the smoke alarm and used a fluke volt detector, similar to what you used in the video and the black wire is still hot (chirping) with all the breakers off. I can't figure it out.

[@HandzforHire]

Kenneth Kerr oh man. That’s tough. The only thing I can think of is maybe an alarm system? Do you have an alarm system that is separate from your breaker box? Maybe the smoke alarms are hardwired into that circuit?

[@Kamawah]

@@HandzforHire I do have an alarm system (ADT) I will check it out.

[@Kamawah]

@@HandzforHire Hi , I still cannot find the breaker for the smoke alarms. I put the new smokes up but they are only running on battery for now. The old ones were 20 yrs old and no good. When I do find where the smokes are powered I will let you know. Thanks

[@wol6492]

Why not shutting off the main circuit breaker.. the whole thing..! Why bother to find the very circuit that is attached to the SD

[@HandzforHire]

That's definitely a good option, but I figured I'd pinpoint the circuit and save myself shutting down electronics and resetting clocks each time I needed to cut the power on the smoke alarms. Now it's marked and as long as I live here, I can access that one circuit. Have a great day!

[@dittery]

I just want to turn the electricity off in my bedroom while i sleep for reasons i dont care enough to explain. Wheneveri switch off the fuse for my bedroom, after 20 minutes all the fire alarms across the entire house will start sirening as if there is a fire.

[@gbigsangle3044]

You get the wife and yourself on cell phones. You stay near one with the tester. Have her trip breakers one at a time. You will find it quickly. BUT. Why do you care? The battery drained because if you had a loose wire the backup battery was used instead of house power and it drained quickly. The battery are meant for short haul when a fire cooks the power house power and they can still warn for a few hours. Notice there is a white/black and a yellow or red wire. The extra wire is used to link the detectors together to act as as a whole house warning system. The ONLY way to get rid of the chirp when the backup battery dies is to get a detector with no battery backup at all...they are illegal in CA of course. Or you can get a commercial detector that runs all the house-powered detectors off a motorcycle battery in a central location (that has to be prewired in new construction). Or you can get the CA mandated 10-year nicad battery backup units. Or you can just suffer like the rest of us with this absurd system.

[@neilbrookins8428]

Your statement about smoke alarms not being on a gfci circuit is misleading. Of course you are correct that smoke alarms would not be protected by gfci since that would increase the chances that it would trip and loose power and therefore not work. But the gfci that you show in the video is only at the outlet. That same circuit BETWEEN the circuit breaker and the outlet is NOT gfci protected. It is entirely possible to have OTHER devices powered by the same circuit breaker which are NOT gfci protected. For example, in my own kitchen, the circuit breaker that supplies power to the outlet for my refrigerator is not gfci. The refrigerator is not gfci protected. But that SAME outlet has two sets of wires- the ones getting power from the breaker and another set supplying power to kitchen countertop outlets. And ALL the kitchen countertop outlets are gfci protected. So, if a ground fault trips the outlets in the kitchen and cuts power, you are protected from shock. But the refrigerator still keeps the food cold on the SAME circuit.

[@oldguywisdom2904]

Trying to understand why you were running up the stairs. There should be a smoke detector on every level. They are all on the same circuit. Just open the box closest to your panel and save a lot of running when you're testing

[@HandzforHire]

Haha, well I am a long distance runner, so no big deal, but your point is valid. Have a great day!

[@aseed89]

i turned off the breaker that powers the smoke alarm (green light shut off) but the alarm kept chirping lol

[@HandzforHire]

Hi aseed - there's usually a 9V battery in the smoke detector as well, so if the power is off, that's where the chirp is most likely coming from. I'd test that 9V to see if it needs to be switched out.

[@18436Melissa]

Okay, i think you know what's more convenient? _a exit sign_

[@rinthecatdumpling]

Currently 2:42am... My smoke alarm has been yelling at us about low batter and fire for the passed hour

[@HandzforHire]

😁😬 Ugh! I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you guys were able to get it sorted out.

[@Prosecute-fauci]

That’s always when it seems to happen. I have never once had a smoke detector begin to chirp when it was a convenient time of day

[@mova_2020]

Great now I know how to find this shit and turn it OFF forever. Stupid alarms go off on my complex all the time 🤬🤬

[@HandzforHire]

Lol, I hear ya man. Good luck, but stay safe!

[@mova_2020]

@@HandzforHire haha yeah thanks 😅. My apartment is killing me. The alarm turns on/off in the weirdest hrs of the day like 3am/5am/1am, you name it. I pull my hairs because of this stupid thing 😂

[@HandzforHire]

@@mova_2020 Oh man. That's the worst! I hope you're able to work it all out.

[@Tesseract95]

cut the power