Why Do Smoke Detector Batteries Run Out In The Middle Of The Night?

Turkey Tracks: June 2, 2021

Why Do Smoke Detector Batteries Run Out In the Middle Of The Night?

There should be a law!

I had been asleep, but came half awake when I realized AC was twitching and thrashing.

With my hearing aids out and being half awake, it seemed like he was shaking his head so that the tags on his collar were making a noise like they were hitting against each other.

When I reached for him, he was shaking all over.

Was there a flying critter in the room?

I keep a light right next to the bed, so I turned it on.

No flying critter.

And then I realized it must be the smoke detector batteries, which I could now faintly hear.

Ugh!

AC bailed from the bedroom by following me as I turned on lights and went down two flights of stairs to get the 3-step ladder.

I wasn’t sure which kind of battery to get, and it seemed two smoke detectors were involved, so that was two more trips down the two flights of stairs for the right kinds of batteries.

I finally got all the batteries replaced and everything stopped chirping. Putting in the 9-volt battery is always tricky and frustrating. The double AAs are easier. When done, I still had to retrieve a traumatized AC from the lower floor.

I left the ladder and the 9-volt batteries upstairs as I planned to replace the other 9-volt hardwired smoke detector battery on that floor the next morning. I didn’t want anymore night drama on that floor at least another year.

Probably I should replace all the smoke detector batteries in the house while I’m at it.

That’s a plan.

I’ve now done that and put a reminder on the 2022 calendar to replace all the batteries again.