USI Electric Smoke Detectors and ELM M1 Gold Panel

[Eric2XU]

Hey everyone,
 
I am moving and in the new house there are 8 or so smoke detectors in the house. They are all USI Electric with three wires, white, black, and yellow with a quick connector. I am guessing that is a two wire??? If one goes off, so do the others. 
 
I want to get the smoke detector network connected to a new ELK M1 Gold alarm panel via Zone 16 right? 
 
I am assuming that yellow wire is the communications channel between all of the detectors. I also assume I can not just take a splice from that and run it to zone 16 right? I do know USI offers the USI-960 for "accessories". Per the manual they say its not recommended for use with alarm panels:
 
<I couldnt post urls but google for USI-960-manual.pdf>
 
But from my limited understanding all it does, is create a open / close relay. Isnt that what the ELK needs? Why shouldn't it be used for this purpose? Also I keep hearing things about EOL (end of line), I have zero way to know which smoke detector is in fact EOL, they are all already installed. 
 
So I don't know what to do, could I just use the 960, and tap onto the line and hope the until closest to the alarm panel is EOL and if not oh well? Is there another brand of detector I can buy that will use the existing wiring that is less sensitive to EOL?  
 
Hoping someone shead some lights on what I should be doing. I dont mind buying new detectors but I can not rerun new wires, ideally I would love to just buy new USI units as they are already mounts for them throughout the house. 
 
Thanks in advance! 
 

 

[ano]

If these are 120V smoke detectors each with a 9v battery for backup, the best to do is leave it alone. These are required by code, and should not be connected to a monitored panel like an ELK.  Buy some 12V smoke alarms that are designed to be monitored with a panel (there are many types out there) and connect those to the panel. You might want to place them in different locations than the other smoke alarms to give you better coverage.  Relay or no relay, you don't connect smoke alarms NOT designed to connect to a monitored panel to a monitored panel. You only connect smoke alarms to a panel which are designed for that purpose.

 

[pete_c]

Welcome to the Cocoontech Forum Eric2XU! 
 

I am moving and in the new house there are 8 or so smoke detectors in the house. They are all USI Electric with three wires, white, black, and yellow with a quick connector. I am guessing that is a two wire??? If one goes off, so do the others.

 
Typically you will see 120 Volts AC wired smoke detectors with little 9 volt batteries (backup power) in a home.  These were put in by the contractor's electrician.  Black is hot, white is neutral and yellow is the "traveler" between the smokes.  Note too that these are live always on 120 Volts AC wires; unless you shut the power to them off at the breaker. 
 

 

If they are a few years old you may want to replace them.  Here I recently (well a couple of years ago) replaced all mine and my home was built in the early 2000's.  You did mention though it was a new house; so then the smokes are probably new too.
 
They are not made for connecting to an alarm panel; rather they are there to alert you or occupants of the home to a fire/smoke; and that is it.  (well too if my wife is burning something in the kitchen I will know about it one floor up or one floor down).

 

I want to get the smoke detector network connected to a new ELK M1 Gold alarm panel via Zone 16 right? 
 
I am assuming that yellow wire is the communications channel between all of the detectors. I also assume I can not just take a splice from that and run it to zone 16 right? I do know USI offers the USI-960 for "accessories". Per the manual they say its not recommended for use with alarm panels:

 
You can install new LV (low voltage) smoke detectors to your Elk Panel.  This would be an autonomous smoke detector network.
 
I have mine set up separately in zones today (guessing its a bit much and it was a real PITA to wire up). 
 
It was a DIY learning experience for me.
 
There are two wire and four wire smoke detectors available today.  You can get really granular or not with these.
 
Many are adjacent to the smokes that were installed by the contractor.  It does look a bit busy if you stare at the ceilings sometimes; but I do not these days.

 

[Eric2XU]

Thanks everyone for the replys. Its crazy to think that all that installation is useless. I guess I was hoping there was a replacement unit that would leverage the 120V wiring and then have its own relay out to the panel. 
 
Since that is not an option from what I am hearing I guess I will get a second smoke detector network, however since its two story I don't have the option of wiring them together (no way to get the wires around the 1st floor). Is there a wireless system that I could wire one end to the ELK but then the other one or two I buy would just communicate back wirelessly? 
 
Regardless if wireless or not can you recommend units that would work well with the ELK M1?

 

[drvnbysound]

Elk has their own wireless, 2-way, smoke detectors:
 
http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-6050-smoke-detector
 
This does require their 2-way transceiver:
http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-m1xrftw-two-way-wireless-transceiver-for-m1-controls

 

[Eric2XU]

Very cool but for the transmitter and two units would cost 350$. What about a less expensive wired model recommendation? 

 

[pete_c]

Since that is not an option from what I am hearing I guess I will get a second smoke detector network, however since its two story I don't have the option of wiring them together (no way to get the wires around the 1st floor).

 
Where there is a will; there is a way.  It might not be an easy way; but its there anyways.
 
I built a chase here from the attic to the basement in my two story.  The first floor is wired from the basement and the 2nd floor is wired from the attic.
 
This would be the most cost effective way.  Then as mentioned you have wireless.

 

[Del91574]

If these are 120V smoke detectors each with a 9v battery for backup, the best to do is leave it alone. These are required by code, and should not be connected to a monitored panel like an ELK.  Buy some 12V smoke alarms that are designed to be monitored with a panel (there are many types out there) and connect those to the panel. You might want to place them in different locations than the other smoke alarms to give you better coverage.  Relay or no relay, you don't connect smoke alarms NOT designed to connect to a monitored panel to a monitored panel. You only connect smoke alarms to a panel which are designed for that purpose.

Yes.
Also, if the wiring was done "correctly" from a continous loop topology and there are no intermingled branch circuits with the 120V, you could technically leverage the cabling, however the smoke detectors are not usable, nor would it be advisable to go with any mixed system, relay or conversion method to connect any 120V detector to the panel.