🚀 go-pugleaf

My opinion...and worth what you paid for it:

First, smoke detector batteries are replaced so infrequently (1-2 times per
year) that it will take you a while to make up any price differential.

Also, some rechargable batteries have different voltage ranges than their
"regular" counterparts (as you state below) - which may be okay for
household electronics but could, theorectically, adversly affect the
operation of smoke detectors (I'm theorizing only, I have never tried this.)
E.g., if the voltage is sufficiently different towards the low side, the
smoke detector could produce low battery warning chirps even with a freshly
charged battery.

Also, the power curve over time for rechargables such as NiCads is different
than regular alkalines, which could affect the performance of the low
battery warning system. I seem to recall that NiCads hold very near their
stated voltage, and then drop off like a rock to 0v when they die. This
could mean that the low battery warning doesn't have time to warn you before
the voltage drops so low that it can no longer produce an audible chirp.

Lastly, but probably most importantly, safety devices, IMO, are not the
place to scrimp just to save a few cents - go with whatever the manufacturer
of the smoke detector recommends. I mean, what are you going to save...a few
dollars over the next 10 years. Better safe than sorry.

---JRE---



Bhoot Nath <bhoot@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:867o75$i3q$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Three of the six smoke alarms in began chirping a few days back. I
> presume that this means that the 9 volts batteries must be replaced.
>
> So, we thought, rather than buying alkaline batteries, why not buy
> rechargeable ones. We already have a recharger that works with
> AA/AAA/9V etc. After a few searches at yahoo.com, excite.com &
> mysimon.com we found out that cheapest mail order is about $7, about
> the same as the nearest Walmart.
>
> 1. Should we get Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
> batteries for a smoke alarm? Is there a reason to prefer one vs other?
>
> 2. We looked at an EVEREADY pack and it was marked "9 volts (Use 7.2
> volts)" ... Does this mean it would deliver only 7.2 volts? If so, is
> it safe to use it for a smoke alarm? If not, are there any rechargeable
> 9 volt batteries that deliver 9 volts?
>
> 3. On a web site, I also saw a reference to "Super long lasting,
> industrial strength 9 volt alkaline batter"  for $20, about 10 times
> what a regular 9 volt battery costs. Any one has any experience with
> this kind of battery? WOuld it last 10 years in a smoke alarm?
>
> Thanks for your feedback.
> --
> Bhoot Nath
> Email: bhoot@my-dejanews.com
>
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.