# Smoke Alarm Under Drywall



## Detr1 (Jan 27, 2013)

This is really happening. I recently had my basement finished. I have a chirping smoke alarm (low battery i'm sure) in the basement. It is a hardwired/9v battery smoke alarm. Sounds like the smoke alarm is somewhere in the drywalled ceiling. It must have been in a spot where it was not seen. I sure hope there is an easier solution than tearing holes in my new drywall.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm not seeing any other way to do it.
Use a glass againt the ceiling with your ear to it and narrow it down and start cutting.


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## Detr1 (Jan 27, 2013)

There has to be another way.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Sure cut the floor out above it, but that might be a little harder to fix.


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## Detr1 (Jan 27, 2013)

Only 2/3rds of the basement is finished. I have access to the wires from the fuse box. I was thinking of trying to find the 120 wire of that smoke alarm and disconnecting it. Then letting the battery beep itself out. Then using that same wire to hook up a new one.


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## rossfingal (Mar 20, 2011)

Well - 
your smoke-detector shouldn't be buried under the drywall.
Have the people who dry walled it, come back and find the smoke detector.
I can hardly, believe this!
"RF"


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## Detr1 (Jan 27, 2013)

I'm certain it was an accident. They would never have done it knowingly. I'm guessing tt may have been on a beam sideways so it was not easy to spot.


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## rossfingal (Mar 20, 2011)

Accidents happen!
After you get the people that dry walled over it -
Have them repair the holes in the dry wall - that they created, from their
"accident"!


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## Detr1 (Jan 27, 2013)

Poking holes in the drywall and getting them to repair their work was already on the table. I was really searching for alternatives. It may be awhile before they get here.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

That beeping can go on for weeks if not longer.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

The glass to the ceiling, or stethoscope works in finding the culprit. Then you just have to cut a hole in the drywall, pull to place in a old work box, so the detector is on the ceiling, not behind it. Now the other curious question is, how many junction boxes are hidden behind the ceiling and walls that were dry walled.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Detr1 said:


> I was thinking of trying to find the 120 wire of that smoke alarm and disconnecting it. Then letting the battery beep itself out.


I think this might just be the simplest answer. 

DM


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Detr1 said:


> I was thinking of trying to find the 120 wire of that smoke alarm and disconnecting it. Then letting the battery beep itself out. Then using that same wire to hook up a new one.


Can't do the last part of that. That would leave a buried junction box(the one with the beeping smoke) under the drywall. That is against the electrical code.
You either need to find and expose it or abandon it completely so there are no live wire left. I wonder what else they might have covered up.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

All of my hardwired come from one J/B. If he were to disconnect the hidden one and run a new line, no box should be left anywhere and he should be fine, yes? .....dead line and soon to be dead battery.

DM


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Just one of the many reason to go with a suspended ceiling and not sheetrock in a basement.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

DangerMouse said:


> All of my hardwired come from one J/B. If he were to disconnect the hidden one and run a new line, no box should be left anywhere and he should be fine, yes? .....dead line and soon to be dead battery.
> 
> DM


Yes you will be fine as long as there is no power in the cable it can be buried.

In an attempt to find it have you considered setting off the alarm. Setting off one of the others should set off all of them.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

joecaption said:


> Just one of the many reason to go with a suspended ceiling and not sheetrock in a basement.


Joe,
when I was finishing my basement, my electrician buddy (fireman I worked with) purposely left one of my old smoke detectors up in the drop ceiling right below my bedroom. It would only beep in the middle of the night, and not that frequently. It took me about 6 weeks to figure out what it was. He laughed like hell. That was ten years ago. I'm doing his kitchen right now. You know what they say about paybacks. 
Mike Hawkins


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

We where switching over to CO2 detectors and I just put them in a plastic bag and threw them in my trash trailer which sits on the edge of the property about 75 ft. away from the house and forgot all about them. A few weeks later I kept hearing a really faint beeping. I looked every where in the house, in the basement, out in the garage, and nothing.
It got louder outside which made no since because the nearest house is several hundred ft. away.
A month later when I needed to use the trailer I figured it out.
It was a Homer Simpson moment. Dout.


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## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> I think this might just be the simplest answer.
> 
> DM


I would think not. Unless the home is old, all the detectors in the house are likely ganged. Disconnecting a wire might disable all of them.

If they are ganged, what I would do (with someone assisting) is push the test button on one of them. That will set all of them off, probably making the hidden one easier to find.


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