Why are we bombarded with reminders to replace the batteries in our smoke detectors, just because we’ve changed the clocks due to Daylight Saving Time?
Why should I throw out perfectly good batteries and replace them with new ones? I know they are good because my smoke detector, like every one I’ve ever seen in my life, has a low battery warning. THAT is when a sane person changes it. When that annoying low battery beep starts. Of course, some people are idiots and just remove the battery and never replace it. Hence the assumption that we are all idiots and must replace still working batteries with new ones. Is this some kind of a scam to generate battery sales?
Ah well, I’m off to drain the gas out of my car and replace it with new stuff. Got to be sure it doesn’t run out without warning.
Most of the “experts” recommend changing the batteries every 6 months. They probably will last a lot longer than that, but the rationale is “better safe than sorry.” It’s not like a new battery is a major financial investment.
And if you’re replacing them every 6 months, then Daylight Saving Time serves as an excellent trigger to remind you.
‘Better safe than sorry’ only makes sense if there is no warning when the battery is low. But all smoke detectors have a low-battery warning beep. So it’s just stupid.
And it may not be a major financial investment, but there are a hell of a lot of smoke detectors out there. Usually more than one per house. That’s a lot of new batteries purchased needlessly and a lot of perfectly good batteries going to the landfill/recyclers.
You don’t have to throw those batteries away when you take them out of the smoke detector. You can put them in a drawer and replace them when your remote/radio/clock stops. Better that/those then a smoke detector.
Sure you don’t have to throw them out. You don’t have to take them out in the first place, since unlike your clock radio the smoke detector will let you know when they get low before they are completely dead.
The time change as was originally used as a reminder to TEST the smoke detector. Somehow this has morphed into replacing the batteries. If you really want to be safe, test it. Then you know its working even if the problem does not lie with the battery. Fresh batteries don’t help at all if the smoke detector just plain doesn’t work anymore. Regular testing, using the time change as a reminder makes perfect sense. Replacing good batteries does not.
If you really don’t like changing the batteries, go out and get yourself an AC powered unit. Once you wire that puppy in, you can just forget about it.
My fracking neighbors’ smoke detector’s low battery beep has been sounding once every minute for more than three weeks. Yes, Og nab it, every single minute for at least three weeks!!! What, they’re just sitting there, looking wildly at each other their apartment, saying, “What’s that? Did you hear something?”
How long does it take for the flipping batteries to die?
And naturally, the offending noise comes from one of a wall of windows across from my bedroom; I have no idea which apartment it is. Well, I expect it’s not the guy who’s dating the screamer, but other than that…
That’s a lot like the unrented apartment problems, with no resisdent landlord. The smoke detector beeps for a month, or some ass leaves an alarm clock in the apartment and it goes off for a couple hours every day.