Does the brand of battery matter?
/Does it make a difference what brand of battery you use in your remote controls for your electronics? How about your alarm panels, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? Does it matter what battery you use in your motion detectors and door contacts? Let’s break it down a bit and answer these questions for you. Whenever buying any batteries, make sure to check that alkaline is actually written on the packaging to get the best performance battery with high capacity and long shelf life.
Lets start with detectors:
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors can be battery powered or hard wired, depending on the location and electrical structure of your home. Battery powered detectors are easier to install, while hardwired detectors have to be connected to the home’s main power supply and require a professional electrician to install and maintain. Battery powered detector batteries need to be changed every six months (we recommend doing so at the same time that you change the clocks in your home for daylight savings.). The battery we recommend for these detectors is the Energizer Industrial Alkaline 9V battery. These batteries are designed for long lasting performance in all device applications, and have a seven year shelf life so they can be kept on hand.
Remote Controls:
Under normal or moderate use, the batteries in a tv remote control should last up to 3-6 months. It is important to remember that if you are not planning on using a remote for an extended time, you can remove the batteries to avoid any possible leakage. You should also not mix an old battery with a new battery or mix brands of batteries together. Replace all batteries in the remote at the same time with batteries from a new package for the best results. We recommend using either Energizer or Duracell batteries in your electronic remotes. We also have a line of universal remote controls that have charging cradles.
Game controllers work great with lithium batteries. These are more expensive than their alkaline counterparts but can run some electronics for up to 10 times longer than an alkaline batteries and work great for high usage devices. Game controllers can also work with rechargeable batteries, so that they do not have to be replaced as often.
Alarm panels . Most manufactures recommend changing the system’s batter every 3-5 years but some newer systems can last up to 7 years. If you do not know when your battery was last replaced, we recommend you starting fresh with a new battery. Alarm panels are safeguarded with a low-battery warning and some have a battery backup that will protect the system, it is very important to heed these warnings and replace the batteries because if they die, the alarm will be completely dead for the duration of the outage. Alarm panels, like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can also be hard wired to your home’s electronic system, this also has to be installed and maintained by a professional. Even if the alarm is hardwired, the backup battery will need to be monitored as well to ensure that your system is secured at all times. in most cases alarm batteries will be 12V and either 4AH, 5AH, 7AH or 8AH. You should always check with your alarm provider and follow their recommendations for replacement batteries.
Motion Detectors and Door Contacts
Most motion detectors and door or window contacts use 3 volt batteries.
Motion detectors should be equipped with low-battery indicators. These indicators will help you determine that the motion detector's battery is low. You should replace the batteries as soon as these indicators appear. Non-rechargeable 3 volt batteries, preferably Energizer or Duracell batteries should be used in these devices to work at the proper level.
When the battery in your door or window contact needs to be replaced, a “zone trouble” indicator will appear on your alarm keypad and/or “sensor trouble” indicator will appear on your mobile device. You should replace the battery as soon as these indicators appear to make sure your system is secure.
For help with any of your battery needs for any of your home automation, audio or video devices please contact us anytime.