True or False: Smoke detectors may be supported by their current carrying conductors.

True or False: Smoke detectors may be supported by their current carrying conductors.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Sometimes

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that electrical devices must be physically supported by proper mounting hardware, not by the wires that supply them. Smoke detectors are designed to be fastened to a mounting plate or backbox that is attached to the building structure. The current-carrying conductors are only meant to carry electrical power; they are not intended to carry weight or resist pulling forces. If a detector were hung by its wires, the strain could loosen or damage terminations, loosen connections, or injure insulation, creating safety risks and potentially violating electrical codes. That’s why the statement is false: the correct method is to support the detector with the mounting hardware, not with the conductors themselves.

The key idea is that electrical devices must be physically supported by proper mounting hardware, not by the wires that supply them. Smoke detectors are designed to be fastened to a mounting plate or backbox that is attached to the building structure. The current-carrying conductors are only meant to carry electrical power; they are not intended to carry weight or resist pulling forces. If a detector were hung by its wires, the strain could loosen or damage terminations, loosen connections, or injure insulation, creating safety risks and potentially violating electrical codes. That’s why the statement is false: the correct method is to support the detector with the mounting hardware, not with the conductors themselves.