Why do smoke detector batteries fail at 3 am?

Some guys at a certain age may have that same problem but for different rasons.

Even worse is finding NO batteries in your drawers. I've had this happen a few times.

Mine started up the other night, I rushed downstairs to see where the blazing inferno was....nothing. I reset it and the next night it did it again. After three nights of this I took and hammer and.....well its been peaceful......

Some metal detectors still use 9v.  Just like everything else that uses them, battery life really sucks.

Most metal detectors that use AA's, usually 8 of them, have close to 40 hour run times.

I remember the 9 volt from when I used to have a transister radio like most people.  When I was young, oh so long ago, I would listen to a radio station out of New York City and one of the disc jockys had a program called the pillow talk club where you would listen to the radio through your pillow when you weresupposed to be sleeping, that way your parents didn'y know what you were soing.  Many times I would wake up the next school day to find my radio dead and had to ask for a new battery.  Eventually I got caught and had to earn money somehow to pau for the batteries.

Evidently the radios were the primary reason the 9 voolts were created because the transister radios were not very big but vry popular.  Many companies in the states and other countries produced them and still do.

Rob Gronovius

 

 

Bakster

Yup, probably the same one. We had two storms this summer that knocked out power. The first one was the worst. Some areas lost power for several days. You don't realize how much you depend on it until it is gone. No power means no lights, no internet, no TV. All the usual diversions. So whats to do? Read by candle?  Blah.

 

 

 

Unlike, back in the day, when the power goes out, most of us have a smart phone that has more capabilities than the average house of the 1980s did with the power on. You just can't cook or heat. But radio, television, telephone, music, news, movies, books are at your fingertips. Even a flashlight.

 

Until your phone goes dead,unless you have a solar charger.

mfsob

Greg

I've always been curious which hallucinogen the person who designed the 9v battery drawer on those things was using at the time. 

If you find them, please, please, please share the address.

Somehow, a government contract is involved in the 9v stupidity.

At least the slide drawer is easier to deal with than the little snaps that some old 9v connectors use.

Greg

I've always been curious which hallucinogen the person who designed the 9v battery drawer on those things was using at the time.

 

If you find them, please, please, please share the address.

Somehow, a government contract is involved in the 9v stupidity.

Bakster

Yup, probably the same one. We had two storms this summer that knocked out power. The first one was the worst. Some areas lost power for several days. You don't realize how much you depend on it until it is gone. No power means no lights, no internet, no TV. All the usual diversions. So whats to do? Read by candle?  Blah.

Unlike, back in the day, when the power goes out, most of us have a smart phone that has more capabilities than the average house of the 1980s did with the power on. You just can't cook or heat. But radio, television, telephone, music, news, movies, books are at your fingertips. Even a flashlight.

Rob Gronovius

I can be sitting in the living room for hours doing nothing but reading the newspaper, but when I go to start something, go to the bathroom or get into the car and drive, my mother instinctively knows it is a bad time to call...and then she calls.

Nice one, Rob - that's a great advert!  

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, my mum was on the phone...

Glamdring

I remember that storm, our power went out for a few seconds in it and I think it damaged either my TV or the cable box, even with the surge protector.  After the outage my TV now takes 2 seconds to load the channel whenever I change it, there used to be no lag at all before the storm.  Makes channel surfing a very tedious task!

Yup, probably the same one. We had two storms this summer that knocked out power. The first one was the worst. Some areas lost power for several days. You don't realize how much you depend on it until it is gone. No power means no lights, no internet, no TV. All the usual diversions. So whats to do? Read by candle?  Blah.

goldhammer88

 

 

wpwar11

The genius that built our house put the master room detector just outside the bathroom door.  My wife gets up at 4:30 am for work.  If she doesnt close the door the shower steam sets off the detector.  Love when that happens.  

 

 

 

 

Same thing with the wife.  She and the ex were besties.   Ex came down to visit for a few days.  The house we were in had the same setup

  Ex didn't close the door all the way, and the detector went off.  Ex came out of the bathroom at about mach 3.5, headed for the front door, soaking wet and starkers.

Only reason she didn't go out the way, wife and I were laughing so hard we about fell off the couch.  Ex was both pis*Ed and embarrassed.

 

   I gave up on smoke detectors, we have dogs....a mouse farts across the street and it's all humans on deck.

I am Pele, the Goddess of FIRE! You think I leave these things to chance?

wpwar11

The genius that built our house put the master room detector just outside the bathroom door.  My wife gets up at 4:30 am for work.  If she doesnt close the door the shower steam sets off the detector.  Love when that happens.  

 

Same thing with the wife.  She and the ex were besties.   Ex came down to visit for a few days.  The house we were in had the same setup

  Ex didn't close the door all the way, and the detector went off.  Ex came out of the bathroom at about mach 3.5, headed for the front door, soaking wet and starkers.

Only reason she didn't go out the way, wife and I were laughing so hard we about fell off the couch.  Ex was both pis*Ed and embarrassed.

Bakster

 

 

EdGrune

The ladder is behind 2 cars in the garage, no 9V batteries, and the hardware store doesn't open until 8.  

Beautiful full moon, though. 

 

 

 

 

That is a good one, Ed.

A few months back I had a storm induced power outage. The whole neighborhood was knocked out. About a half hour into it my detectors started going off saying, Gas alert! Gas alert! I called a friend who is a firefighter and he said to call the fire department and have them come out and check it. He seemed concerned. I called the FD and they explained it is probably just the batteries, but they would come out if I wanted. I told them no, not at this time. So, I decided to wait it out until the power came back on.

I go to bed, trying to sleep, but good luck with the detectors doing that every few minutes. Well-- the power kicked in at about 11:30 PM. And guess what? The detectors kept chiming. S O B! Now I have to go get batteries. I hop in the car and try finding a place that was open. There were still some areas with no power, this was not an easy task. I found a gas station that had power, I go in, asked the guy where the 9v batteries are. The guy looked at me weird like I was gonna rob him! He was watching my every move. Maybe that is a line robbers use?  "Hey!  Where are the batteries!  Stick em up!"  He seemed relieved when I forked over the money and I walked out. Lol. Seriously dude. Do I look like a robber? Ok, I didn't shave for a few days but..

I go home and install the batteries. This is no easy task. The dectector upstairs is mounted on a high ceiling. I have a 6 foot ladder and I had to stand on the top step (not supposed to do that) and brace myself against the wall. I am sleepy eyed and not as spry as I used to be. I am praying I don't fall off and land at the bottom steps. Thank goodness the detector didn't fight me as I tried to install it.  I get them all installed and guess what? "Gas alert! Gas alert!

Dang it.  Now what.  I decide -- ok-- lets push the test button. The detectors start chiming on all the floors, talking back at each other. I am thinking... my neighbors are gonna wonder what the heck is going on over there in the middle of the night. After a minute of this-- halelujah-- it stopped. Shaking my head. 

That is what I get for not changing the batteries once a year. The detectors are hard wired but if the power goes out, the batteries kick in. 

THE END

 

 

I remember that storm, our power went out for a few seconds in it and I think it damaged either my TV or the cable box, even with the surge protector.  After the outage my TV now takes 2 seconds to load the channel whenever I change it, there used to be no lag at all before the storm.  Makes channel surfing a very tedious task!

Hutch6390

 

seastallion53

Murphys law.

 

Over here we call it Sod's Law - same thing.  It's also responsible for making the phone ring when you get into the bath.

 

In the US, there is a car insurance company that has an ad on TV where a James Bond type character is in the heat of an escape heading for a rooftop helicopter and his mother calls, talking about squirrels in the attic and nothing.

Mothers call at the worst time. I can be sitting in the living room for hours doing nothing but reading the newspaper, but when I go to start something, go to the bathroom or get into the car and drive, my mother instinctively knows it is a bad time to call...and then she calls.

seastallion53

Murphys law.

Over here we call it Sod's Law - same thing.  It's also responsible for making the phone ring when you get into the bath.

The genius that built our house put the master room detector just outside the bathroom door.  My wife gets up at 4:30 am for work.  If she doesnt close the door the shower steam sets off the detector.  Love when that happens.  

Ha ha, we have a Facebook page for our gated community and someone posted the same question. It’s very annoying for those things to go off in the dead quiet of the night while one is sound asleep only to fall out of bed dazed and confused due to the extra loud beeps. And for those that have dogs you know how that goes!

I have eleven smoke detectors in this house (hardwired with backup batteries), and I recently realized they were all 20 years old!  So I replaced them all with high quality units, all identical models, with 10 year backup batteries.  One way or another, I won't be here when they wear out, and it will be someone else's problem. 

Stu is correct.

"Temperature has an effect on batteries (Sure, why not) and that when a battery is on its last legs the temperature change at night from warm to cold takes the last little bit of juice and the beeping starts. "

Low temperature will decrease the current output on a battery. A perfect example is how you car battery will have decreased current in the winter especially after a cold night.

My Brother is a Highschool science teacher.  He was asked this very question so he tasked his students with coming up with hypothesis.  The one that makes the most sense (At least to non-sciency me) is:

Temperature has an effect on batteries (Sure, why not) and that when a battery is on its last legs the temperature change at night from warm to cold takes the last little bit of juice and the beeping starts. 

As far as I know (I was NOT a science major.) it sounds like a reasonable hypothesis as I've always had the "Beepening" happen in the spring/fall months when we open our windows at night and don't run our heater.

Really miss Mythbusters as I feel they could solve this for us.

Most smoke detectors today are hard wired and the battery is just back up in case the power fails.

If you change the batteries every six months (usually recommended at the daylight savings time change), you will be replacing batteries twice a year before the battery starts chirping.

The cost of 9 volt batteries is about $4-5 a piece. I have a two story house with attached garage, finished basement, 4 bedroom, 2½ bath and there are like five smoke detectors.

So for $20-25 bucks every six months I don't have an issue with the battery dying at an inopportune time of the day or night.

Also remember to replace your smoke detector every ten years, many of the newer units come with ten year sealed batteries.

October is Fire Prevention Month, so now is a good time to do this.

https://www.angi.com/articles/how-often-should-i-replace-hard-wired-smoke-detectors.htm

EdGrune

 

 

Bakster

That is what I get for not changing the batteries once a year. The detectors are hard wired but if the power goes out, the batteries kick in. 

 

 

 

We're urged to check/change batteries twice a year - DST start and DST end.  The latter is 2 weeks and a few days away.    Why couldn't the battery just wait!

 

Amen! 

Bakster

That is what I get for not changing the batteries once a year. The detectors are hard wired but if the power goes out, the batteries kick in. 

We're urged to check/change batteries twice a year - DST start and DST end.  The latter is 2 weeks and a few days away.    Why couldn't the battery just wait!

Gamera

No 9 volts???

Whenever I need an AA battery for a remote or something I have an entire drawer full of AAAs.

Whenever I need an AAA I find an entire drawer full of AAs.

 

Somehow batteries mutate back and forth depending on what you need...