Smoke detector and CO detector is a big liability item. There are hard wired detectors and standalone detectors. I heard that we need to replace detectors every 10 years. Is 10 year cycle also true for hard wired?
I just bought some hard wired smoke detectors and found that their socket doesn’t match the existing base! Have to return them and find matching ones. Manufacturers make people’s life so difficult, can’t they make with standard socket?
Also if the house is hard wired for smoke detector, I assume that we can just place a smoke/carbon monoxide combo detector on it and satisfy the requirement for both, right?
As you said, Is 10 year cycle also true for hard wired?
Yes, as per National Fire Protection Association, recommends that we all need to replace our detector when it is 10 years old.
Manufacturers make people’s life so difficult, can’t they make with standard socket?
Well, I can understand your issue, because I was also dealing with the same problem. I also had a hard wired smoke alarm, as it is connected with our home’s power supply I had found it very difficult to replace the detectors. But, my neighbor had suggested me to consult our local Electricians Downingtown PA team, as they are experts in replacing hard wired smoke detector. After hiring the electricians they had disconnected the electrical wires and unscrew the mounting plate from the junction box and they bought the same socket and replaced it.
As you said that the socket does not match the existing base, I think you should consult your local electrician on how to solve this issue.
Yes, you can just place a smoke/carbon monoxide combo detector on it and satisfy the requirement for both. As it is a combination of both Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms which works extremely well in detecting fires.
Never get hard-wired if you can avoid it. They are a pain. They tend to false-alarm a few months into use. And the 10 year life is because the battery back-up is not replaceable. If it’s a rental you may have no choice due to local codes. Otherwise there’s a cycle folks go through. A house is up for sale, the hard-wired detectors are re-installed, a few months in they start going off for no reason in the middle of the night, they get replaced with old-style ones and then hard-wired gets re-re-installed for sale the next time the house is sold.