Electrician help - mains smoke detector - SV650.org

sauluk · 23-12-12, 04:26 PM

Very random for a bike forum but this place is a wealth of information!

Just replacing our old smoke detectors which had passed their replacement date (Aico Ai151) for a couple of Aico Ai141's.

The wiring of detector 2 looked like this previously:

Problem is, the old detector had no ground and a battery -'ve terminal, the new ones have a ground but no battery -'ve. Instead of having 2 wires coming out of the one block for Neutral + Battery -'ve, I've now used neutral only and used the ground which was previously unused.

Only thing throwing me off is the black cable running into detector 1??:

Could someone in the know confirm this is right (or wrong!) before I flick the fuse box back on!?

23-12-12, 04:57 PM

Black cable looks like it could be a link cable between the alarms?

http://www.aico.co.uk/how-do-i-wire-hard-wired.html

sauluk · 23-12-12, 05:03 PM

The yellow wire is the interconnector as there's only one of them going into detector 1. That link does help mind - I think the black wire is the neutral to detector 1 and the blue wire neural running to detector 2.

Doesn't explain why the battery -'ve and neutral were wired to the same terminal on the old plug though?? :S

sauluk · 23-12-12, 05:10 PM

Is it because the old smoke detector had a rechargeable battery??

andrewsmith · 23-12-12, 05:36 PM

On a large size fire alarm systems its 3 wire MICC rated Cable is similar to twin and earth
Earth, Neutral (comms) and 12v (Green/Yellow, Brown, Blue. Colours might be wrong).

Looking at the wiring schematic

I think your missing a wire as you should have 4 in the back Earth, 12v, Neutral and link (black)

23-12-12, 05:37 PM

The blue to earth is whats worrying me why have they been split?

sauluk · 23-12-12, 05:46 PM

Because the old detector had no ground, this one does so I've earthed it?

The black cable in this system is the yellow one in the schematic. I'm happy with the interconnector, more concerned as to why there's a black cable running into the neutral terminal on the box!

andrewsmith · 23-12-12, 06:12 PM

If in doubt pull some new cables in. Black used to be an IEEE Reg color for Neutral (with red as live). Earth has been required for a good few years on most things
Looking at that wiring it looks a bit dubious, is it 230v or a 12v system?

sauluk · 23-12-12, 06:20 PM

230v. I spoke to a friend of mine who's an electrician and he said it looks right but just do away with the blue wire I'm using to earth as it's blanked off already - does say in instructions earth isn't needed, it's just in case you've got a stray wire.

The colours are pre 2004 so I think you're right, they just used a black neutral to detector 1 and then ran a blue neutral to detector 2. The old detector wiring threw me but it was rechargeable so think it called for slightly different wiring (i.e. needed battery -'ve to feed to neutral to complete circuit). This only calls for 3 wires, neutral, live and interconnect and I've sorted them.

I'll give it a bash - at least I know I've not got any neutral / live crossed.

sauluk · 23-12-12, 06:33 PM

Tested and flicked the mains on, working as they should and interconnected so think this is sorted. Thanks for the input guys

23-12-12, 04:26 PM	#1
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Electrician help - mains smoke detector Very random for a bike forum but this place is a wealth of information! Just replacing our old smoke detectors which had passed their replacement date (Aico Ai151) for a couple of Aico Ai141's. The wiring of detector 2 looked like this previously: Problem is, the old detector had no ground and a battery -'ve terminal, the new ones have a ground but no battery -'ve. Instead of having 2 wires coming out of the one block for Neutral + Battery -'ve, I've now used neutral only and used the ground which was previously unused. Only thing throwing me off is the black cable running into detector 1??: Could someone in the know confirm this is right (or wrong!) before I flick the fuse box back on!? __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

23-12-12, 04:57 PM	#2
thefallenangel Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector Black cable looks like it could be a link cable between the alarms? http://www.aico.co.uk/how-do-i-wire-hard-wired.html

23-12-12, 05:03 PM	#3
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector The yellow wire is the interconnector as there's only one of them going into detector 1. That link does help mind - I think the black wire is the neutral to detector 1 and the blue wire neural running to detector 2. Doesn't explain why the battery -'ve and neutral were wired to the same terminal on the old plug though?? :S __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

23-12-12, 05:10 PM	#4
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector Is it because the old smoke detector had a rechargeable battery?? __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

23-12-12, 05:36 PM	#5
andrewsmith Member Mega Poster Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Just south of salad dodging country Posts: 7,750	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector On a large size fire alarm systems its 3 wire MICC rated Cable is similar to twin and earth Earth, Neutral (comms) and 12v (Green/Yellow, Brown, Blue. Colours might be wrong). Looking at the wiring schematic I think your missing a wire as you should have 4 in the back Earth, 12v, Neutral and link (black) __________________ RIP Reeder 20/07/1988 - 21/03/2012. Always missed squire!!! Every year we meet old friends, gain some new ones, lose old ones and you always remember them all. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

23-12-12, 05:37 PM	#6
thefallenangel Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector The blue to earth is whats worrying me why have they been split?

23-12-12, 05:46 PM	#7
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector Because the old detector had no ground, this one does so I've earthed it? The black cable in this system is the yellow one in the schematic. I'm happy with the interconnector, more concerned as to why there's a black cable running into the neutral terminal on the box! __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

23-12-12, 06:12 PM	#8
andrewsmith Member Mega Poster Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Just south of salad dodging country Posts: 7,750	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector If in doubt pull some new cables in. Black used to be an IEEE Reg color for Neutral (with red as live). Earth has been required for a good few years on most things Looking at that wiring it looks a bit dubious, is it 230v or a 12v system? __________________ RIP Reeder 20/07/1988 - 21/03/2012. Always missed squire!!! Every year we meet old friends, gain some new ones, lose old ones and you always remember them all. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi Last edited by andrewsmith; 23-12-12 at 06:13 PM.

23-12-12, 06:20 PM	#9
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector 230v. I spoke to a friend of mine who's an electrician and he said it looks right but just do away with the blue wire I'm using to earth as it's blanked off already - does say in instructions earth isn't needed, it's just in case you've got a stray wire. The colours are pre 2004 so I think you're right, they just used a black neutral to detector 1 and then ran a blue neutral to detector 2. The old detector wiring threw me but it was rechargeable so think it called for slightly different wiring (i.e. needed battery -'ve to feed to neutral to complete circuit). This only calls for 3 wires, neutral, live and interconnect and I've sorted them. I'll give it a bash - at least I know I've not got any neutral / live crossed. __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

23-12-12, 06:33 PM	#10
sauluk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 697	Re: Electrician help - mains smoke detector Tested and flicked the mains on, working as they should and interconnected so think this is sorted. Thanks for the input guys __________________ Now: 12 Multistrada 1200 Was: 09 R1200GS Was: 08 CBR600RR Was: Blue SK5 Was: KMX125.. stolen..

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