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Smoke detector installation

Smoke detectors are an essential part of every home’s fire safety plan. If you own a home without any smoke detectors then you’re probably already aware of the inherent danger you’re facing if a fire occurs in your home. It’s important to take care of your smoke detection system installation right away. If you’re looking for help from a professional RU Electrical Service has over 30 years of experience with smoke detector installations. You’re in good hands.
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When am I required to add smoke detectors to my home?

You are required to add smoke detectors to a home If you do more than a 50% remodel or when you remodel a basement that doesn’t have smoke detectors already. Sometimes, on the flipped houses we’ve wired in downtown Indianapolis, the inspector requires builders to install new smoke detectors because you likely remodeled more than 50% of the house.

Depending on the jurisdiction you may be required to install smoke detectors under other circumstances. These are going to be found in your local building code.

How hard is it to install a smoke detector?

All smoke detectors die within ten years. If you’re the owner of a home that is older than ten years and you’ve never tested or changed the smoke detectors you may not be protected like you think you are.

All smoke detectors die within 10 years from the date of manufacture. If your house is 10 years old or more, and you have not changed the smoke detectors, they may not be in working order. The radioactive disc within the smoke detector will be neutralized within 10 years and will not provide detection of smoke present. Every smoke detector has a manufactured date printed on the back, check the date to verify it is within 10 years. If the manufactured date is more than 7 years prior,it is best to change the detector. Either way, set a reminder on your calendar, prior to 10 years of this printed date, to change the smoke detector. If you haven’t changed your smoke detectors in the last 10 years you’re likely unprotected and may not even know it.

Smoke detectors are required to be installed on a dedicated circuit on the house electrical system. When it sounds off you either have a fire or the battery has failed and you need to change the battery. A 9-volt battery back-up unit is most common. The 9-volt units required the battery to be changed regularly. Every 6 months is recommended. I recommend using the 10-year lithium wired unit. It will provide nearly 10 years of worry-free service. The 10-year lithium device is designed to be functional for ten years and then at that time the lithium battery unit sounds off until you replace it. It will only sound during a fire or when the life of the detector is over. Should the unit be chirping, the unit has a fault, it can be silenced. When the silence button is pushed, the internal lithium battery is disconnected and renders the unit inoperative. Replace the silenced unit at your earliest convenience as it is not providing detection.
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Don’t wait, call us for all of your Smoke detector installation needs today!

(317) 747-3757
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Can I install smoke detectors myself?

Yes, you can install a smoke detector yourself if you also feel comfortable installing a new electrical outlet.

Proper placement in required rooms, every bedroom, the hallway outside the bedroom area(s) and 1 every floor is dictated by NFPA 72, A.11.8.3

On a scale of 1 – 10, 10 representing hardest, a single level house that has plaster walls, we would consider this a job worthy of a 6 for a DIY. Drywall walls would receive a 3 for a single level home. A multi-level home would rate at a 7-8 for the DIYer with a basic understanding of electrical wiring. The hardest part of the job is getting the wire from the service to each one of the boxes. Putting the smoke detector in place is pretty easy..You might struggle with getting between the floors on a multi-story house. In some cases, if the fishing between floors is too difficult you will need a second man to assist. You may want two men on the job to complete the task quicker.

If you’re not a person who has a basic understanding of electricity in homes then you should avoid doing this project yourself and call in a professional to provide the smoke detection your loved ones deserve.

How hard is it to replace a smoke detector?

Most anyone can replace a smoke detector. You won’t even need any tools if your replacements are the same as the old ones. If you pick a different manufacturer and/or model, then it may become a little more difficult. The back-plate and/or the power pig-tail may require changing.

If your replacement unit has a different style power pig-tail connector, the power pig-tail will need to be replaced. It is recommended to find the breaker that supplies the power to the smoke detector and turn it off prior to the removal of existing pig-tails. To replace the back-plate, should it be required, a screwdriver is used to back the screws out just enough to allow the old backplate to be removed and then install the new back-plate. Tighten the screws, plug the power pig-tail onto the back of the new detector, align the latch-tabs of detector and back-plate and twist clockwise until it clicks into place.

How does RU Electrical Service install smoke detectors?

Determine where they have to go
Follow all building codes for placement
Gather materials
Start at the panel
Bring the circuit into the attic
Cut the boxes in
Run the wire to the boxes
Replace the insulation
Wire the pigtail
Attach the base plate
Install the smoke detector
Push the test button
Rinse and repeat
Make sure all of the smoke detectors talk to each other. All will sound when one sounds
Clean up our mess
Collect payment for a job completed to your satisfaction.
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Don’t wait, call us for all of your Smoke detector installation needs today!

(317) 747-3757
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Why should I trust RU Electrical Service to install my smoke detectors?

30 years of being in the business we instruct our techs on the proper placement and the proper installation of smoke detectors. We have researched and tested different manufacturers and designs of smoke detectors to know which designs are the right units for the application. Sometimes the more expensive one is not the best one, the same can be said for the least expensive. R U Electrical Service brings 30 years of smoke detector installation to the table to provide the correct detector in the correct placement, to provide you the best detection of smoke, to warn you and your loved ones of potential danger.

What kind of options do I have when choosing a smoke detector?

Available are hardwired smoke detectors, hardwired with battery backup and battery-powered only. Detectors that use a 9-volt battery or 10-year lithium non-replaceable battery for stand-alone operation are for protection where there is no wiring for hardwired detectors. These units are better than no detector but they are not a replacement for code required hardwired requirements. The battery-operated units may or may not ‘talk’ to other units, check the packaging/labeling to discern which do provide communication and which do not.

There are hardwired 9-volt battery back-up smoke detectors and my favorite the 10-year Lithium hardwired smoke detector. Hardwired units will ‘talk’ to one another and sound off when one detects smoke.

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