Disabling ADT Smoke Detector

Hello,

We purchased a home that has ADT system installed. The service is not active but the system still sounds off when a sensor is triggered (e.g. front door opened, window opened, etc). We haven't decided yet if we're going to reactivate with ADT or choose another company.

For the meantime, I want to disable/remove one of the smoke detectors on the 2nd floor and use that spot/hole instead to mount a wireless access point. I don't think removing it is a safety issue as there's another smoke detector 6 feet away from it (they're both in the same hallway) and there is a smoke detector in each bedroom.

As I removed the detector, things started beeping so I just put it back. Is there a way to disable/remove that one smoke detector without affecting the others?

I don't see any model number on the ADT panel but here's a picture of it: http://imgur.com/a/Vvg5i

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

They are all wired together so removal of one sets the others off!

 

Welcome to the forums.

As mentioned... they are wired in a series string and removing one puts the system into trouble.

What would be more help is the model number off the back of the smoke head and a fairly close picture of the wiring on the base. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

 

I suspect the device is a wireless smoke detector.

If so, simply remount the base back in a different location; put the head back in place and enter your [code] + 1 as if disarming. It may take a couple of entries to clear the trouble.

 

If you look inside the beige metal alarm cabinet that houses the main control panel, there should be a PROM chip about 1" by 1" and on that chip should be a white sticker with something printed starting with 'WA'.

The full WA number will be your system's module number and verifying that should help us with diagnosing your issues and providing you with options for monitoring as well.

 

Hello, sorry for the long delay in replying back to my own thread. I do want to correct my previous post...

I tried removing the smoke detector again and paid more attention. It was only the panel that was beeping NOT the rest of the detectors. I was going to press the code on the panel but I only managed to press "2" and the beeping stopped. I did notice that the panel no longer reports that a door is open when the door sensor is triggered. It just says something like, "Fault fire alarm chime off".

I posted more pictures here: Smoke Detector - Album on Imgur

The number on the sticker of the PROM chip says...

WAK4406-4
CUS7


Since the beeping stopped, is it "safe" to pull out the base it was connected to? Although it would be nice for the panel to go back reporting when a door/window is opened.

Or perhaps pull them up back to the attic, reconnect the detector, and leave it in the attic? What would be your suggestions? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Even unmonitored, this is still a life safety system and I hate to see a working detector removed, so I'm curious as to why?

The rewiring to eliminate the detector is simple, but remember possible unintended consequences.

 

Hi, ThisOldMan. We wanted to replace that spot/hole and mount a wireless access point. Wife didn't want to add more things mounted on the ceiling, so I started exploring the thought of replacing. I only thought removing that one detector is "okay" since there is another detector 6 feet away from it, from the same hallway, and there is a smoke detector in each bedroom so those are covered.

What kind of rewiring done that would eliminate the detector?

 

The other detector nearby is probably one of the standard 120V smoke alarms.

If you are determined to remove the detector:

wire nut the two brown wires together
wire nut the two black wires together

Tuck them back in the box and put your cover plate on.
That will maintain the continuity to your remaining detectors and clear the trouble.

Just realize that this unit is generally a higher quality device than the residential grade smoke alarms.

 

Thank you for your replies. I started to wire nut the wires as you instructed, but I ended up just pulling the wires in to the attic and reattaching the smoke detector up there. The nearby smoke detector that wasn't blinking is now blinking again.

However, the panel keeps sounding off "Fire fault alarm chime off" when the door/window sensors are triggered. Is there a way to "reset" the messages on the panel?

 

Enter your code + 1(off) as if disarming. You may need to do so several times.

 

I tried doing that but it doesn't seem to change the behavior.

 

You may not want to leave that detector hooked-up in the attic. Below is from a typical smoke detector's instructions:

"LOCATIONS TO AVOID FOR SMOKE ALARMS
... Where the temperatures are regularly below 40° F or above 100° F, including unheated buildings, outdoor rooms, porches, or unfinished attics or ..."

Heat can destroy some components and cold can make them operate erraticly. Your detector may never cause a problem, or it could go into alarm unexpectedly. There is no way to tell. Go into your attic between 3 and 4 PM on a sunny day and see what you think.

 

Hi, ThisOldMan. Thank you for the tip. I took out the smoke detector and went back to the "wire nut route".

Regarding resetting the audio alert when a sensor is triggered, is there a way to reset that as well?

 

If you are still getting a zone trouble for that zone, that means that the system is not seeing the resistor at the end of the line. It's a supervised circuit.

Chime Off just means that you have turned the chime function off. It's turned on and off using the [code] + 9 command.

Do you have the basic user manual for your system?
Do you know the model number of your system? ("ADT" systems are usually rebranded Honeywell Vista panels, but some of them are DSC panels.)

 

Unfortunately, there were no manuals left by the previous owner for me to refer to. I did a search for the "WAK4406-4" ID on the PROM chip that Sterling D asked me and Google results show "Honeywell 5881EN" so it might be that.

 

That's the model number of the wireless receiver. What is on the wiring diagram of the door of the metal box with the main board and battery? If it's relatively recent, the odds are that it's a "Safewatch Pro 3000" aka Vista 20p.

User manual: https://www.security.honeywell.com/d...a15p_20pUM.pdf

Installer manual: http://superioralarm.net/wp-content/...2/vista15p.pdf

 

Sorry, I missed it from when I took a picture of the metal cabinet with the diagram. It says Vista-10SE.

 

Ah, you have an older model. Ignore the previous. The SE series are _somewhat_ different from the P series.

User manual: https://www.security.honeywell.com/d...via30pseUM.pdf

Installer manual: http://alarmhow.net/manuals/Ademco/C...n%20Manual.pdf