My client's safety is my number one priority when I'm inspecting a house. If I come across a smoke/carbon monoxide detector that doesn't work, you guessed it, it goes on the report. Every room in the house should have an operational smoke/carbon monoxide detector installed. One very simple reason that they might not work is the battery. An easy way to remember this task is to change the batteries when you change your clocks every six months. Some fire departments will actually give you batteries for free! So, follow this quick and crucial tip before an inspection to avoid another "nit-picky" item on the report.
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Kevin, if you put in the 10 year batteries----then you replace the whole unit when it dies. One of the things that most people don't realize is that the unit themselves have a 8-10 year life----people keep changing the batteries in smoke alarm/detectors that may or may not be "fully functional."
I can't tell you how irritating it is to have an open house where the smoke alarms are chirping. I've learned to carry some of those square batteries around with me. I like a noisy open houses, but I prefer the noise coming from foot traffic rather than smoke alarms.
Charles,
Where does one find 10-year batteries? I finally got so frustrated when the cost of batteries skyrocketed a couple of years ago that I switched to rechargeable batteries. I'm finding, though, that even rechargeable batteries have a useful life; they can't just be rechared forever and ever.
Jim, here is a link to Amazon to buy "Ultralife"
The reviews on the Ultralife were scattered here and there. I did like the one woman who said that she had seven smoke alarms, all high up on her ceilings and thus requiring a ladder. She said she was more likely to die from a fall off the ladder than from a fire. She's correct.