One of my attendings in residency would come to our meeting every year this time (Fall back, end of Daylight Savings Time) and remind us to change our smoke/CO detector batteries - cheap insurance that can save you and your families' lives. Its become a habit for me since then, and Costco always has 9V batteries on sale at this time as well. So change out those batteries, and prevent 4am chirping!

Thanks, but the lithiums in my Nest detectors are good for 10 years and will verbally announce their need for replacement when it’s time. OTOH, the batteries in all those clocks I have to reset on Sunday - well that’s another matter!

Mine is wired.

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Originally posted by kz1000:
Mine is wired.

They still have a battery back up which needs to be changed.

You don't need to change your 120v with battery back up unit's batteries every year, but you do need to change them, especially if you have had any power outages since that is the only time the battery is used. If you have battery only ones, change them every year or as the manufacturer specifies.

Also a BIG reminder, check the date code on your smoke detectors, if it is more than ten year old it needs to be replaced.

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Skins2881

Thanks for the info.

This year it was time for me to replace the entire units, I didn't realize how old they were.

Bonus is that the new units take AA batteries.

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This year it was time for me to replace the entire units, I didn't realize how old they were.

Bonus is that the new units take AA batteries.

Exactly what I did. Having so many the AA batteries will reduce the battery changing expense.

A lot of the newer unit combo co2 and smoke detectors have non replaceable batteries. You get to just buy a new one every 10 years.