Cheap eBay 9v alkaline battery lasted 9 years in smoke detector

[JEDI]

Smoke detector started chirping today.
I put it in there on Dec 2014.

I think i bought a 6 pack.
Don't know when i bought it since eBay's purchase history only goes back 3 years. I think it was $1 per battery including shipping.

Used the last one to replace this one.
That means i replaced the smoke detector batteries on the other 2 floors already.

Does the local fire dept get kickbacks from Duracell/Energizer to tell people to replace their smoke detector batteries every year when you move the clocks forward in the Spring?


Edit:
Here's the package the new battery came in.
Lol @ 2018 sell-by date.
Lets see how long it lasts this time

 

[sdifox]

Err you sure you don't need to replace the smoke alarm?

 

[balloonshark]

The smoke detectors in this building do not like cheap batteries. I tried them and the detectors kept chirping.

The manual said to use duracell batteries. The lives of the people in this building are worth the $6 for 2 pack of duracell batteries every 2 or 3 years.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Maxell? From that era? Like their DVD-R discs, probably Made In Japan.

 

[Hans Gruber]

View attachment 85893

Smoke detector started chirping today.
I put it in there on Dec 2014.

I think i bought a 6 pack.
Don't know when i bought it since eBay's purchase history only goes back 3 years. I think it was $1 per battery including shipping.

Used the last one to replace this one.
That means i replaced the smoke detector batteries on the other 2 floors already.

Does the local fire dept get kickbacks from Duracell/Energizer to tell people to replace their smoke detector batteries every year when you move the clocks forward in the Spring?

The real question. Does the smoke detector actually work? Or did you have a dead smoke detector and a dead battery for years in your home.

 

[JEDI]

The real question. Does the smoke detector actually work? Or did you have a dead smoke detector and a dead battery for years in your home.

Pressing the test button on the smoke detector worked.

But i guess I need to light a match to really test it?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Smoked detectors work excellent for 7 years then their detection time slows. They rapidly decline after 10 years. This is why new units have a 10 year barttert built in. Replace that damn smoke detector.
Also to my understanding as of 3 years ago or so the “chip” that they use has been upgraded. New versions have fewer false alarms and at least per my fire department you don’t need the different units for the kitchen any longer.
Replace the damn detector to be a cheap f-er.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Pressing the test button on the smoke detector worked.

But i guess I need to light a match to really test it?

Here's a pro tip. Get the first alert combo smoke and carbon monoxide (Costco) 3 pack When on sale they are $75. You can link them together just like hardwired units. You can add as many units to the daisy chain. The best part is that they take AA batteries instead of 9V batteries. There is no logical reason a smoke detector would need a 9v battery. I have the voice detectors that scream at you and sound an alarm that even a deaf person could hear. It gives you an audible warning to change the batteries every couple of years. The bonus is no false alarms.

I would avoid anything that links wifi or Z-wave for safety and security reasons.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Sometimes I even wonder about the smoke detector expiry and how critical it really is. It's not like they're that expensive, but I do hate to throw something out in the landfill if it still works. Either way you should be testing these now and then anyway.

When my parents had a house fire that originated outside and went into the attic, when FD opened the attic hatch their smoke detector from 1986 sprung into action pretty quickly. That incident did made me realize though that having a smoke detector in the attic might also be a good idea... but accessibility can be an issue in most attics unless it was designed to be conditioned and has a proper access area.

 

[sdifox]

Whut? I have never heard of attics that is not accessible through a hatch. Usually in closets.

 

[pete6032]

Sometimes I even wonder about the smoke detector expiry and how critical it really is. It's not like they're that expensive, but I do hate to throw something out in the landfill if it still works. Either way you should be testing these now and then anyway.

When my parents had a house fire that originated outside and went into the attic, when FD opened the attic hatch their smoke detector from 1986 sprung into action pretty quickly. That incident did made me realize though that having a smoke detector in the attic might also be a good idea... but accessibility can be an issue in most attics unless it was designed to be conditioned and has a proper access area.

The cheapest ones here at HD are literally $5 each. It's a no brainer.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Whut? I have never heard of attics that is not accessible through a hatch. Usually in closets.

Yeah and you have to move all the stuff out to get to it, you also can't really go far in the attic or at least it's a pita to do so as you are crawling on insulation trying to not step on the drywall. Not something I'd want to do at 2am to change a battery. Although a wired one that runs on 120v and has external battery pack that is accessible from outside the attic could work. I'm kind of surprised this is not a thing really. In most houses a fire in the attic will go undetected until it's too late.