So while painting our house, we removed a smoke alarm from the ceiling. Little did I know it was hardwired in the ceiling. While getting the alarm down the power and neutral wires sprung back and shorted with each other. This shut off 4 other light fixtures in the vacinity of the alarm and thy will not turn back on. I checked the bulbs and the fixtures and nothing looks wrong. None of the fixtures are getting power on my meter. I reset all breakers too. Also strange that the outlets in the rooms with the light fixtures still work, it only took the light fixtures with it! What can I check before I call an electrician?
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Hardwired smoke alarm got shorted
- Thread starter Aaroncl
- Start date
did you unplug the smoke or did you take the wires apart at the connection?
if they shorted it sounds like you did the latter. were there any other wires in there that could be loose or not get re connected? you are sure you reset the breakers ?
it's not uncommon for lighting circuits to be separate from outlets
if they shorted it sounds like you did the latter. were there any other wires in there that could be loose or not get re connected? you are sure you reset the breakers ?
it's not uncommon for lighting circuits to be separate from outlets
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
You may have fried a poor splice with the short.
Gonna have to start opening all the boxes and fixtures on that circuit.
Gonna have to start opening all the boxes and fixtures on that circuit.
I reset all breakers to make sure. I unplugged the pigtails from the detector and the pigtails is what shorted after the detector was removed from the ceiling. There are other wires in the box for the detector but they look undisturbed. I'll check them anyway. I got nervous that something in the attic got melted since I figured my outlets and fixtures would share a breaker but didn't see anything (tight attic I might add tho)
Does the light switch have power at it or thru it? Maybe fried the contact on the switch. You can check with voltmeter getting continuity when switch at on position. Breaker off.
Should have 120 at the feed wire at the switch if the other outlets work like you said
Should have 120 at the feed wire at the switch if the other outlets work like you said
justsam
Well-known member
Yes, most splice connections either for the device or to pass through will be at the fixtures, not at some separate junction box.
Were there two or three wires at the smoke detector? If three than it is a communicating system and I would expect all other smoke detectors to be without AC power and they should be giving an audible or visual indication of such.
I would hope it is not the case but is it possible that someone wired these to the load side of a GFI? Reset any GFI's you may have.
Were there two or three wires at the smoke detector? If three than it is a communicating system and I would expect all other smoke detectors to be without AC power and they should be giving an audible or visual indication of such.
I would hope it is not the case but is it possible that someone wired these to the load side of a GFI? Reset any GFI's you may have.
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
check your other smoke alarms, normally they are all on the same circuit, and the third wire also goes to the other alarms so they all go off at the same time.