Fire Safety

Smoke Detector 101
Protect yourself, your family, your pets and your home.

Test your smoke detector monthly.
Replace your battery at least once per year.

85%
of Americans say they test their smoke detector,
but ONLY 15% do so six or
more times per year.

29%
of respondents say they never
test their smoke detectors.

Seven Out of Ten
Americans say they change the battery immediately when the detector alerts to low battery.

14%
of Americans remove the battery/take
the detector off the wall to quiet it and
replace batteries later.

1/2
of home fire deaths happen
between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when
most people are asleep.

Install smoke alarms:

  1. In every bedroom
  2. Outside each separate sleeping area
  3. On every level of the house, including the basement
SOURCE: U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION
THIS SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED ONLINE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES BY HARRIS POLL ON BEHALF OF RAYOVAC® FROM MARCH 1-3, 2016 AMONG 2,096 ADULTS AGES 18 AND OLDER. THIS SURVEY IS NOT BASED ON PROBABILITY SAMPLE AND THEREFORE NO ESTIMATE OF THEORETICAL SAMPLING ERROR CAN BE CALCULATED. FOR COMPLETE SURVEY METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING WEIGHTING VARIABLES, PLEASE CONTACT KFLEHMERLSB.COM

What kind of RAYOVAC® battery should I be using in my smoke detector?

Rayovac High-Energy 9V battery

BETTER: RAYOVAC® 9V ALKALINE

  • This battery will last up to 5 years in an ionization smoke detector and up to 3 years in a photo electric alarm (both free standing versions).
  • We recommend you continue to test your smoke detector at a minimum of twice a year in the rare case of either a smoke detector or early battery failure. A great reminder is to test them every time you change your clock for daylight savings.
Rayovac Zinc-Carbon 9V battery

GOOD: RAYOVAC® 9V HEAVY DUTY

  • This is the standard battery that comes with many inexpensive smoke detectors. This is the least expensive option, and it also has the shortest service life, only lasting up to 2 years in an ionization smoke detector and only up to 1 year in a photoelectric smoke detector (both free-standing versions).
  • This battery is ideal for families or businesses who change their smoke detector batteries once or twice a year.
  • We recommend you test your smoke detector monthly to prevent rare cases of smoke detector or early battery failure.

Remember, never use a rechargeable battery in a smoke detector, as brands vary greatly in how quickly they lose their charge (some lose it in just one month) and are not designed for usage in smoke detectors.

Also, remember when purchasing brands other than RAYOVAC® that performance may be lower than stated about the RAYOVAC® products above.