How to remove wired smoke alarm?

Heather_

We have a smoke alarm whose case won't close. I wanted to remove it, and so I unscrewed the screws. I thought it would be stuck to the ceiling, but it turned out to be connected to the wiring(?) through a hole in the ceiling. Anyway the screws won't go back in now. I'm not sure what to do to remove it.

MitchellMc

Hi @Heather_,

What you are seeing there is a hardwired smoke alarm, which means it is permanently connected to your home’s electrical wiring and usually also has a battery backup. The reason for this setup is to make sure the alarm still works if the mains power is lost or if the backup battery goes flat, so it is never completely offline.

At this point, the safest and correct next step is to have a licensed electrician attend. They can isolate the circuit, disconnect the wiring from the back of the smoke alarm, and make the wiring safe. Once that is done, you will be able to remove the unit completely and repair or patch the ceiling as needed. Because it is a powered smoke alarm, electrical regulations require an electrician to disconnect it, so it is not something that should be DIYed.

It’s also important to make sure your home remains properly covered with smoke alarms if this one is removed. Smoke alarms are legally required in all homes where people sleep, whether the property is owner-occupied or rented. Current requirements generally call for smoke alarms to be installed on every level of the home and in locations that provide early warning to sleeping occupants, typically in hallways outside bedrooms and between sleeping areas and the rest of the house. In multi-storey homes, each storey must have at least one alarm. If you remove this unit, it should be replaced or another compliant alarm should already be installed in that location to ensure the home remains safe and compliant.

To save on cost, it would be best to have another hardwired smoke alarm, such as the FirePro 240V Mains Powered Photoelectric Smoke Alarm, ready for the electrician to re-install, so they only have to attend the property once.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell