Redundant smoke alarms

[MickyP10]

Not long moved in and currently decorating. We have two smoke alarm bases in the hallway, now redundant as previous occupier installed battery only rf smoke alarms. These bases are currently live. Can I just maintain their connections and poke wires into ceiling (it's a bungalow, but this bit is covered by tongue and groove board, so not easy to access)?

Thanks!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Can you find the other end of the supply cable and disconnect it?
It might be at the nearest light.

You can presumably disconnect the cable that runs between the two alarms. You might be able to remove it.

Is there a label in the consumer unit stating on which circuit it is?

 

[Wayners]

Make safe with junction box and label what it is and when it was removed. Push up behind ceiling.
Other option is buy new ones and slide on existing base as they are mains powered and linked.
I've done that with mine

Just don't bodge up and stuff away with a bit of tape around.

 

[Murdochcat]

Interesting choice to replace with RF units IF the old ones are connected by 3 core and earth

 

[sparkwright]

Which rooms have the battery only rf detectors?

Has a bungalow extension been added recently?

Trying to figure out why the mains ones have become redundant - especially because it's usually easy to add more mains detectors in a bungalow.

 

[MickyP10]

Can you find the other end of the supply cable and disconnect it?
It might be at the nearest light.

You can presumably disconnect the cable that runs between the two alarms. You might be able to remove it.

Is there a label in the consumer unit stating on which circuit it is?

Not easily. The hallway, where both are, is the only bit of loft all tongued and grooved. The 'sitting room' trip turns them off.

 

[MickyP10]

Which rooms have the battery only rf detectors?

Has a bungalow extension been added recently?

Trying to figure out why the mains ones have become redundant - especially because it's usually easy to add more mains detectors in a bungalow.

Hallway, dining room and sitting room, and no extensions built. There's also another battery only one at end of hallway!

 

[MickyP10]

Make safe with junction box and label what it is and when it was removed. Push up behind ceiling.
Other option is buy new ones and slide on existing base as they are mains powered and linked.
I've done that with mine

Just don't bodge up and stuff away with a bit of tape around.

Maybe that's the answer? And ditch the RF ones.
I wonder why they were not used...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Not easily. The hallway, where both are, is the only bit of loft all tongued and grooved.

Maybe but if you remove the alarms, you will be able to see the ends of the cable.

The 'sitting room' trip turns them off.

Do you mean 'sitting room sockets'?

It would be unusual to have them on a socket circuit.

 

[MickyP10]

Hi again
Sitting room lighting circuit. And I'm sort of leaning toward sticking new units on the bases, or just replace the whole thing like with like and ditching the RF ones. One thing, had a little look on fleabay and there are loads of the bases for sale (just the base). Why would people want to buy new bases?

 

[Murdochcat]

^^ shame you can’t buy new ones without bases

 

[sparkwright]

^^ shame you can’t buy new ones without bases

The old bases always go yellow - you can always tell if you don't change the bases.

 

[sparkwright]

Hi again
Sitting room lighting circuit. And I'm sort of leaning toward sticking new units on the bases, or just replace the whole thing like with like and ditching the RF ones. One thing, had a little look on fleabay and there are loads of the bases for sale (just the base). Why would people want to buy new bases?

If you've ever had a terminal screw that doesn't tighten, or you've broken one by accident...

 

[flameport]

shame you can’t buy new ones without bases

You can, but only in boxes of 10.
Financial savings are small, it's more about reducing waste when replacing large quantities of them at a single site.

 

[Wayners]

Hi again
Sitting room lighting circuit. And I'm sort of leaning toward sticking new units on the bases, or just replace the whole thing like with like and ditching the RF ones. One thing, had a little look on fleabay and there are loads of the bases for sale (just the base). Why would people want to buy new bases?

Reason.
Buy smoke detector and slide on old base then put the new unused base on eBay.
Who would buy a new base? That's a good question you asked and I thought the same.

Also the brand I have changed the model numbers but I discovered the new type fits the old bases. Result... bingo.