Interconnected smoke alarm - troubleshooting

[Neptune]

Hi,

I have an aico alarm system which was mains powered and interconnected when installed 3 years ago. It's not been maintained and when I took a look recently, a couple of the detectors are missing. Only the ceiling plate is on the ceiling. Also, the interconnect isn't working. When I test any smoke detector, only that beeps and - none of the others.

I need to ensure that they are all still mains powered and restore the interconnection between them. They have a 3 core and earth cable for the interconnect.

I am pretty handy with electrics and own various tools including a fluke 2 pole tester.

I have 8 detectors. Can you please suggest a logical approach for this. Does the indicator on the detectors have any significance?

Look forward to receiving your advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[Yozza19]

Firstly ensure they all have 230v
2nd ensure they are all compatible
Replace missing alarms and re test

 

[littlespark]

How do you suddenly realise 2 of the detectors are missing? Is this a rental property you own?

are all the detectors mains and hardwired interconnect? Aico have a radio signal module that can be used instead of hardwired, so maybe the communication between modules hadn’t been set up initially. (House code)

The bases have a connection box, you can easily open the lid and visually check that there’s no loose connection. Take care, isolate supply before opening, yada yadda

Other thing I can think of is, although normally detectors are daisy chained, ie 2x 3 cores….. they might be connected from a central box and each has only one cable.

 

[Neptune]

Thanks guys. It’s a rental property and that’s why I recently came to learn about the missing detectors.
They are supposed to be hard wired. The wireless method is not being used.

is it a case of opening each detected lid and detecting power? If there are two interconnect cables in each detector and I suddenly come across a detector that has no power, is it a case of going back a detector (in the chain) and checking connections? Whilst power is secured, etc.

Does the colour of the light on the sector have any significance?

 

[littlespark]

It’ll depend on the model of detector, but I have Aico in my house, just looked, and they have a green light indicating mains power….

I think they show a red flashing light on all of them if you press the test button (I think)

 

[telectrix]

and bear in mind that not all detectors may be powered from the same circuit.e.g. downstairs detectors may be of downstairs lighting, and upstairs detectors may be off upstairs lights. thet's if they don't all comeon 1 dedecated circuit.

 

[Yozza19]

and bear in mind that not all detectors may be powered from the same circuit.e.g. downstairs detectors may be of downstairs lighting, and upstairs detectors may be off upstairs lights. thet's if they don't all comeon 1 dedecated circuit.

If this is the case there would need to be one or more radio link bases or mods

 

[Mike Johnson]

This may help you set up the house code to link them together: https://www.safelincs.co.uk/templates_safelincs/files/datasheets/468_Ei168RC-User-Manual.pdf. assuming they are all radio linked.

 

[brianmoooore]

It’ll depend on the model of detector, but I have Aico in my house, just looked, and they have a green light indicating mains power….

I think they show a red flashing light on all of them if you press the test button (I think)

Constant green LED when mains powered. Brief flash of red LED at intervals. Red LED flashes constantly on the one that's triggered, when the alarms are sounding.

 

[Neptune]

and bear in mind that not all detectors may be powered from the same circuit.e.g. downstairs detectors may be of downstairs lighting, and upstairs detectors may be off upstairs lights. thet's if they

I guess I need to lift all the lids on the bases to identify twin and earth cable as the power supply?

 

[Mike Johnson]

Just in case, the lids don't lift, they slide off once you have released the catch, see the manual in post 8.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Constant green LED when mains powered. Brief flash of red LED at intervals. Red LED flashes constantly on the one that's triggered, when the alarms are sounding.

The red LED should only flash when being set up, it should go out once all is set up and linked and not flash.

 

[brianmoooore]

I'm writing about hard wired ones. I'm sitting under one right now, and it flashes red, briefly, at regular intervals. There's another outside my bedroom door, which I can see from in my bed, if the door is left open, as it is in weather like this. It also flashes red at regular intervals.

 

[westward10]

The Aico detectors have a red light which flashes at intervals all the time, it is some kind of self test.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Perhaps yours do, but none of my Aico alarms do that, just a constant green light to show the power is on, if they did they would soon be ditched, the only time the red light has flashed is when setting up the interconnection which stops after a set time.

 

[brianmoooore]

It's a very brief single flash at intervals of minutes. If you're not looking at the detector when it happens, or not in pitch darkness and looking in the general direction, then you won't notice it.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I think I would notice it in the bedroom with the lights out.

 

[Mikegh]

I'm writing about hard wired ones. I'm sitting under one right now, and it flashes red, briefly, at regular intervals. There's another outside my bedroom door, which I can see from in my bed, if the door is left open, as it is in weather like this. It also flashes red at regular intervals.

You just need to verify the supply and the interconnect

There's radio link bases and even battery only radiolink alarms but you said u don't have those

You have to be careful as.well as you can blow the whole lot if you mix up the supply and interconnect

We call aico EI here, high quality alarms

 

[brianmoooore]

https://www.aico.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ei140RC-Series-Instuctions-Rev2-1.pdf

Page 3. Every 40 seconds, apparently, but it seems a lot longer sitting here staring at it and waiting.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Thats where we differ, I have the 3000 series alarms and they do not flash the red LED as a self check:

• Indicator LED’S: Green – power. Red – pre-alarm (CO only)/ alarm/ silence mode/ memory or battery event. Yellow – fault event
• The Ei3028 self-tests its sensors, battery and internal circuitry every 48 seconds. Any fault condition found will be indicated by a combination of yellow LED flashes and/or audible beeps.