Replacing a hardwired smoke alarm is a piece of cake. If you purchase a smoke alarm from the same manufacturer, you might be able to use the same wiring harness. You simply disconnect the existing ...

There are multiple reasons to convert your home to hard-wired smoke detectors. One of the most basic reasons people convert is that some battery-powered smoke detectors can be hard to reach. Moreover, ...

Your home’s first line of defense against fires and smoke are its smoke detectors. These devices pick up on smoke in the air and alert you to its presence. The idea is that the alarm will activate and ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...

Q: I changed the batteries in my smoke detector, but when I tested it afterward nothing happened. The batteries are new, but the smoke detector is very old. I know that it’s hard-wired into my home’s ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...

Q: I bought a house last year and had it remodeled. I have a home warranty plan. The detectors in my home were very old and needed to be replaced. The home warranty covered replacing all five ...

Harhara also recommends choosing a detector that uses long-lasting lithium batteries. These alarms typically last for 10 ...

Homes built after 1988 are required to have hard-wired alarms, but most homes built before then have smoke detectors with removable batteries. “The city of Aurora is not immune to that and we ...