Safety - First of the year, everyone replace your smoke detector batteries in your house and outbuildings.

Snattlerake

Member
Location
OKC
I am a retired low voltage technician and I want to remind all of you to replace your smoke detector batteries at the beginning of every year. It sure beats getting annoyed at the chirp at three o'clock in the morning telling you about a low battery. Ask me how I know.

Some more information you may not know about. CO or Carbon Monoxide detectors have a shelf life of 5 to 7 years. After that, they may give false alarms or worse, no alarm.

Even the commercial CO/smoke detectors have the same shelf life.

If you have an alarm system that the smoke detectors are connected to, PLEASE check to see if the system is monitored and if it is, call the monitoring company and tell them you are replacing batteries in your detectors, and want to put the system on test. Replace the batteries then test the devices by the proper procedure using the button provided on the detector. Then call the alarm company back and ask them if they received the signals. If they did, you are good to go for another year. If not, call your alarm technician. The Simplisafe system I have at the house for some reason dumps all my smoke detectors from the device list when I get an update for the system. I'm still fighting them about it.

Here is a pro tip, put the system on test, pull off the cover of a detector and check which battery you will need making sure all the detectors are the same. If there are any that are different, check those for their battery type. I never liked to do a half of a job because I didn't have enough or the wrong battery. Some smoke detectors are hardwired to the alarm system and do not have batteries. The alarm system then provides the battery backup. If you do not have a regular service tech for your alarm system, it is easy to check the voltage on the battery using a Volt Ohm Meter or voltage tester. Before opening any alarm system cabinet, CALL the monitoring company to prevent the boys in blue or red from showing up and in some places a hefty fine.
 
I think after a while the sleeping ends and one becomes dead; so, yes, you will sleep right through the noise. Please replace batteries at least once a year. Even those with a 10 year life span have batteries that need changing. That 10 years is the devices' end-of-life, not battery life.
 
I think after a while the sleeping ends and one becomes dead; so, yes, you will sleep right through the noise. Please replace batteries at least once a year. Even those with a 10 year life span have batteries that need changing. That 10 years is the devices' end-of-life, not battery life.
Wrong.
As I said, every smoke detector in my house is a SEALED UNIT with NO REPLACEABLE BATTERIES. Made by Kidde model P3010L. Right on the box it says "10-year sealed-in Lithium Battery Operated."

So, now you are going to tell me that the manufacturer is wrong? And that what I have in my hand is not what I have in my hand??? Please do some checking before you tell me that I can replace my battery - that I cannot replace.
 
I am a retired low voltage technician and I want to remind all of you to replace your smoke detector batteries at the beginning of every year. It sure beats getting annoyed at the chirp at three o'clock in the morning telling you about a low battery. Ask me how I know.

Some more information you may not know about. CO or Carbon Monoxide detectors have a shelf life of 5 to 7 years. After that, they may give false alarms or worse, no alarm.

Even the commercial CO/smoke detectors have the same shelf life.

If you have an alarm system that the smoke detectors are connected to, PLEASE check to see if the system is monitored and if it is, call the monitoring company and tell them you are replacing batteries in your detectors, and want to put the system on test. Replace the batteries then test the devices by the proper procedure using the button provided on the detector. Then call the alarm company back and ask them if they received the signals. If they did, you are good to go for another year. If not, call your alarm technician. The Simplisafe system I have at the house for some reason dumps all my smoke detectors from the device list when I get an update for the system. I'm still fighting them about it.

Here is a pro tip, put the system on test, pull off the cover of a detector and check which battery you will need making sure all the detectors are the same. If there are any that are different, check those for their battery type. I never liked to do a half of a job because I didn't have enough or the wrong battery. Some smoke detectors are hardwired to the alarm system and do not have batteries. The alarm system then provides the battery backup. If you do not have a regular service tech for your alarm system, it is easy to check the voltage on the battery using a Volt Ohm Meter or voltage tester. Before opening any alarm system cabinet, CALL the monitoring company to prevent the boys in blue or red from showing up and in some places a hefty fine.
Is that a replacement for the traditional twice a year "Change your clocks, change your batteries" ?

 
Wrong time of the year to change them. Battery life in diminished as old product batteries are in stores.

Best to change them on the Fall and Spring equinox. (y)

If you find the 9VDC lithium batteries, they last 20 years without needing to check them. But at $9 a pop!
 
@jimg.allentown -
So, now you are going to tell me that the manufacturer is wrong? And that what I have in my hand is not what I have in my hand??? Please do some checking before you tell me that I can replace my battery - that I cannot replace.
Sorry I blew smoke up your skirt. My apologies. I did learn something new today about smoke detectors, and the very short fuse some participants on this forum have.

Again, my apologies.
 
Wrong.
As I said, every smoke detector in my house is a SEALED UNIT with NO REPLACEABLE BATTERIES. Made by Kidde model P3010L. Right on the box it says "10-year sealed-in Lithium Battery Operated."

So, now you are going to tell me that the manufacturer is wrong? And that what I have in my hand is not what I have in my hand??? Please do some checking before you tell me that I can replace my battery - that I cannot replace.
Code in New Jersey requires 10 year sealed. Even if they are hardwired, the battery back-up has to be 10-year sealed.

 
Somewhat off topic…but only by a little bit.
Our church and the dinner hall next to it have fire extinguishers that are on a yearly maintenance contract. In other words, the maintenance company comes out once a year, tilts the fire extinguisher upside down, smacks it with a rubber mallet a few times, puts them back in the wall-mounted holder and puts a new tag on them that says they are good for another year.
Last Fall, a farmer who lives about a mile down the road had his combine and the affected field catch fire during harvest. Other neighbors ran into the church and dinner hall and grabbed all the fire extinguishers and drove out to the fire. Of about a dozen extinguishers that were grabbed, I think only two or three of them worked. The rest were inoperable. So much for the reputation of the maintenance company. 🤷‍♂️ Anyway, they’ve all been replaced, but you might consider replacing your fire extinguishers if they are old. In our case, it’s good that the church or the dinner hall didn’t catch on fire. We also are wanting an explanation from our maintenance company, which hasn’t given us any acceptable answers just yet. It would almost be cost effective to throw them away every year and just buy new ones.
 
@jimg.allentown -

Sorry I blew smoke up your skirt. My apologies. I did learn something new today about smoke detectors, and the very short fuse some participants on this forum have.

Again, my apologies.
Not so much a short fuse as you basically called me out as being either ignorant or a liar.

I made a statement that I couldn't change my battery and the reason why. You then posted that I was wrong. You basically told me that I didn't know what I was talking about?!?!? Really? While I have the old one that I just replaced in my hand, and you're telling me that I'm wrong? This one I had taken apart to see just what was in it. Two batteries soldered fast to the circuit board with retaining wires also soldered to the board keeping them in place.

You shot from the hip, and I responded. If that means that I have a short fuse, then so be it. Now that everybody is on the same page, we can continue on about our business.
 
Somewhat off topic…but only by a little bit.
Our church and the dinner hall next to it have fire extinguishers that are on a yearly maintenance contract. In other words, the maintenance company comes out once a year, tilts the fire extinguisher upside down, smacks it with a rubber mallet a few times, puts them back in the wall-mounted holder and puts a new tag on them that says they are good for another year.
Last Fall, a farmer who lives about a mile down the road had his combine and the affected field catch fire during harvest. Other neighbors ran into the church and dinner hall and grabbed all the fire extinguishers and drove out to the fire. Of about a dozen extinguishers that were grabbed, I think only two or three of them worked. The rest were inoperable. So much for the reputation of the maintenance company. 🤷‍♂️ Anyway, they’ve all been replaced, but you might consider replacing your fire extinguishers if they are old. In our case, it’s good that the church or the dinner hall didn’t catch on fire. We also are wanting an explanation from our maintenance company, which hasn’t given us any acceptable answers just yet. It would almost be cost effective to throw them away every year and just buy new ones.
I suppose it depends on the cost of the maintenance contract. BUT, non-performance by the maintenance company could cost a whole lot more in the long run if there is ever a fire.
 
@jimg.allentown - I am sorry you took my general comment so personally. I NEVER call anyone, EVER, a liar; I was brought up better than that. I just relate my experience. Good on you that you have a smoke detector that will never need any battery changing; my local store doesn't have such things so I was unaware of them.

Have a good day and a great New Year.
 
We get the Darwin Award:rolleyes: Both myself, and K'kins, are smokers. This sets the smoke alarms off..........so we've disabled them. Yeah.....stupid, I know. We count on the pup to wake us up, which is sketchy at best.
 
I use 9v lithium rechargeable batteries in my smoke and water alarm. I change them every 6 months.
I wired my waiter alarm to turn the well pump off is it detects water on the basement floor.
 

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