10-Year Smoke Detectors

[Arks]

I recently discovered these smoke detectors with a 10-year battery. No more having to remember to change batteries every year! After 10 years it will begin to beep once every 60 seconds to notify you that it's time to replace it. They are not expensive. After 10 years just pitch it and install whatever amazingly improved version is available then.

They have stand-alone models, but they also have packs of multiple detectors that automatically wirelessly network with each other so if one goes off, they all go off.

 

[CSMaine]

We had a brand that several starting going off for no reason or began beeping like it was the end of the battery life after a few months and two of them after a year. The company sent free replacements (one had an issue after a year). We switched to another brand and no problem so far.

 

[GoodScout]

All smoke detectors are programmed to expire. Essentially, the small amount of radium or other radioactive material the sensor uses to detect smoke decays. Most are good for 10 years now.
Unfortunately for us, most of ours were all purchased together at the same time. So about 5 years ago, they all started chirping one after the other before I learned this.
You can find the date for your smoke detector by pulling the detector off the mounting and looking on the back.

 

[Generic]

We only use the 10 year smoke detectors, but the interconnected ones. If one goes off the other goes off. See https://www.costco.com/first-alert-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarm,-3-pack.product.100347069.html

At 10 years, you need to trash them, but that's the lifespan of any smoke detector.

 

[Arks]

All smoke detectors are programmed to expire.

Yes. My post is not intended to be about the detector life, but the battery life. I think a lot of folks still are using smoke detectors that use standard, replaceable, AA batteries that need to be changed yearly. I wanted them to know there are detectors available now that have a 10-year battery life.

 

[JimBoone]

I'm an old chicken, mine are wired and call for help if there is a problem.

 

[Arks]

I'm an old chicken, mine are wired and call for help if there is a problem.

Mine were like that, but the central backup battery still had to be replaced every couple of years (the kind of battery like a computer UPS uses), the company that maintained the system was a hour drive away, and I had to pay an $85/year monitoring charge. I finally cut the cord and went with these 10-year batteries.

Just on battery and monitoring costs, I'll save $1,000 over 10 years, which easily offsets the cost of the five $20 ten year detectors I installed.