Hi,
Is there a law or requirement to tie all smoke detectors together now?

Regards

Greg

Greg, there is,

NFPA 72

11.5.1.2 Notification

(A) Fire-warning equipment for dwelling units shall provide a sound that is audible in all occupiable dwelling areas.

(B) Where more than one smoke or heat alarm is installed for new construction, they shall be arranged so that the operation of any smoke or heat alarm causes the alarm in all smoke and heat alarms within the dwelling unit to sound.

However, note that it doesn't specificaly say wired together, could be the use of a relay(s) and multiple circuits.

Roger

My local building code requires multi station smokes 120V with 9V battery backup and installed at each living level and in each bedroom. These detectors are further required to be interconnected as Roger mentioned from NFPA 72. We adopted this current Code in 97 (I think)and the NFPA 72 requirement for interconnected Detectors was applicable for new construction for a considerable time before that


Charlie

Hi,
What does that cover? State wide, city, town or ANYWHERE?

this job had no permit or inspection.

how would relays or multiple circuits work? If they were not tied together during construction then what?

regards

Greg

[This message has been edited by mustangelectric (edited 02-05-2005).]

Greg,

Here in VA there is a statewide code that all levels have a smoke detector and that there be a smoke detector in every sleeping room and one outside the sleeping rooms and that they all be powered from the house power and all have battery backup and they all be inter-connected. Except, the state code also says we don't have to interconnect them on remodeling projects where the drywall is not removed and there is no path to inter-connect them. In that case, we are supposed to install them, but not interconnect the ones that can't be wired.

Hi,

I am guessing that NFPA 72 is only applicable where it has been adopted?

I am looking at one that was recently built where they are not interconnected.

How could this be corrected after sheetrock?

I guess a person could go back and install a whole new system but it would be awful ugly being all surface mounted.

Maybe they sell a wireless setup?

I did not do this work and do not know who did.


Regards

Greg

[This message has been edited by mustangelectric (edited 02-05-2005).]

Greg, the relays and multiple circuits would be installed during the construction.

The point I was making is that the detectors can be served from more than one breaker as far as the wording is concerned.

Many think that since a bedroom must be served from an AFCI, the mandatory detectors in a home must be supplied from this AFCI breaker if they are tied together.

This is not the case.

Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 02-05-2005).]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. This particular location is out in the stix where there is no zoning or anything..this may be why it was not done.

Thanks for the comments on the breakers this is good information!

Regards

Greg

To add to cpals statement, in MA "All power for AC powered smoke detectors shall be taken from a single branch circuit which also provides other electrical service to habitable occupiable spaces." The smoke detector installation requirements apply to new construction, substantial renovations, or if you add a bedroom.
Greg you should do some reasearch as to what is required in your area.

Hi,
Electricaman-Good morning.

In my area it varies depending on where you are doing the work. This particular location is in the boonies. No zoning, no permits no nothing..

Now if I am in the city or other place that is within a jurisdiction of some kind then yeah it is a good idea to brush up on the regs.

Even if I know the answer to a question I will sometimes run it through ecn to get some feedback. That helps because I do not know everything!

Why would the feeder fpr the smokes have to slave from a single branch circuit that is feeding other stuff? If that circuit trips and no one knows it then what?

Battery backup?

I always put mine on a lighting circuit and feed it from a ARC Fault. This covers the bedrooms.

Thanks for the replies.

Greg

Whether arc-fault protection is required depends on which NEC you're using. Here in Va., we're still on the '99 code, which requires arc-fault protection on only the receptacles, not all outlets like the '02 code requires.

I imagine that any wired interconnecting scheme would require pre-wiring at least as complicated as running 3-conductor cable, might not be UL-approved, and/or may require a difficult approval procedure.

I just finished roughing a house with 14 detectors (over 7K sq.ft.), and fed them their own circuit, using 14-3 from the first detector on. Being on another circuit didn't come up at inspection. They will of course be battery-backup units.

If anyone is interested, I do have access to a wireless detector-interconnect system. I believe it's a power-line-carrier link (similar to X-10, but not X-10). The individual detectors do not have to share the same circuit.

Larry

[This message has been edited by Larry Fine (edited 04-24-2005).]

The NFPA is somewhat ambitious in writing codes to cover all & sundry....even though very few are actually adopted anywhere. Despite this, they are usually a good source of guidance- you won't often go wrong!

That said, requirements for smoke detectors are typically found in the local building code (for new construction). The UBC, BOCA, and other common building codes all address this issue.

Another source that may be relevant is the local "housing" code, especially in the case of apartments, motels, and the like. Government subsidised housing contracts also typically mandate them.

Lesson: Knowing just the NEC is not enough.

Though not applicable except for in Federal Empoyee Housing or Federally Assisted Housing, the Federal Fire Safety Act of 1992 requires them. See 41 CFR part 101-6.