Warning: wireless contact sensors with cheap batteries fail way too fast

Had a job last month in Phoenix where the homeowner kept getting false alarms at 3am, turned out the Alkaline batteries in three sensors dropped below 2.4 volts after only 6 months. Anyone else switch to lithiums early to avoid those late night callbacks?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_allen20h agoMost Upvoted

false alarms at 3am" yeah I get that sucks but honestly I think people overreact to alkaline batteries in sensors. I've had the same cheap sensors running for over a year on regular batteries and they're still fine. Most false alarm problems come from bad installation or the sensor being mounted wrong, not the battery brand. If you're getting dropouts after 6 months it's probably because you bought the absolute cheapest sensors that are poorly designed. Lithium is overkill for a sensor that barely draws power. Save your money and just check the batteries once a year like you're supposed to.

grace_bailey16h ago

Most false alarm problems come from bad installation" - I mean, sure, bad installs cause issues too, but I've seen plenty of sensors that check out fine on install and then start failing because the battery chemistry just can't handle the heat. Like, in Phoenix, where it gets over 110 degrees in an attic, alkaline batteries straight up leak and corrode terminals way faster than lithiums do. So my question is, have you actually tested a bunch of sensors in extreme heat conditions yourself, or are you just going off what works in your own climate? Because I've swapped out way too many sensors where the contacts were eaten away by battery acid after a few months, and that's not a install problem, that's a chemistry problem.