How Often Should You Change Smoke Alarm Batteries

Practise you actually have to replace your fume alarm batteries?

October 27, 2022

"Change your clock, change your batteries."

Fire safety officials and the Energizer Bunny take been working difficult to drum it into united states (no pun intended) for years: whether you lot hire or own, when daylight saving fourth dimension ends and y'all turn back the clocks, it'south also a expert fourth dimension to put new batteries in your smoke alarms.

Yep, every year, they insist, fifty-fifty if the old ones nonetheless take some life in them. And even if you lot accept hardwired alarms, you want that battery back-up in example of a power failure.

Sounds similar overkill, right? How frequently do all those alert batteries really demand changing? Why non wait until they actually die? The thought of landfilling a pile of batteries every year hurts fifty-fifty more than the cost of replacing them.

The thing is, this annual safe campaign isn't just about selling batteries. Smoke alarms draw a very low corporeality of ability — until they go off. Then, to be loud, they need a skillful stiff supply. If your abode is on burn down in the heart of the dark, you desire those alarms to SCREAM at you. Working batteries that aren't fresh might not have enough juice to get the job done.

It's an easy example of improve safe than sorry.

Almost ii-thirds of abode burn down deaths happen in homes where the fume alarms aren't working, or that don't have fume alarms at all, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Your risk of dying in a habitation fire is cut in half when you lot have working smoke alarms. (Carbon monoxide is also incredibly deadly; many fume alarms likewise discover CO, simply confirm that yours does.) And so let's alter those batteries!

Hither are some tips that will aid with the task and continue yous and your family safe.

Pry before yous buy

Well-nigh fume alarms use ix-volt alkali metal batteries, but some use AA. So if this is the first time you've replaced yours, exercise open up the bombardment compartments on your units and cheque before heading to the shop. You wouldn't want to waste that extra hour.

Relieve the rechargeables for the remote

Green points for thinking of it, but alarm manufacturers do not recommend using rechargeable batteries because they tend to lose their charge faster.

Skip the lithium batteries

Hither's another idea that sounds good in theory, but isn't. While ix-volt lithium batteries final longer than alkaline metal batteries, when they die, they die fast, says Consumer Reports. That means you'll have less alarm that they've gotten weak (your alarms should chirp if the batteries get depression).

Go with a brand proper noun

Why have the run a risk of using an off-brand just to salve a few bucks?

At that place'south 1 style around this annual chore

There is an exception to the every-year rule. Some newer smoke alarms have a sealed lithium ability supply that lasts the life of the alarm, x years. If your alarms have no visible battery compartment, this must be what you lot take. These alarms are about twice as expensive simply will probably pay for themselves in batteries.

Is it fourth dimension to supercede the alarm itself?

The date it was manufactured should be on the back. Estrus and smoke sensors get less sensitive as they historic period, so if it's x years one-time, supersede information technology.

Dispose of quondam batteries properly

Batteries often contain toxic metals, sometimes mercury. Some states don't allow any type of battery to be thrown in the trash, so check your city or state'due south rules.

Plus, used batteries often aren't 100 percentage dead yet. They tin can potentially exist shorted by contact with each other or other metal objects, and so leak, overheat, or rupture. The super-safe matter to do, especially with nine-volt batteries, is to encompass the contacts with masking, duct, or electrical tape.

Examination your alarms monthly

Most people don't, even though it'south incredibly easy: just push the test button. After all, things happen. Yous could get a dud bombardment, or information technology could get fatigued down fast for some weird electrical reason. We recommend putting a monthly reminder in your domicile maintenance calendar. When you test, vacuum off dust too, to assistance foreclose faux alarms.

Filed Under: For Homeowners