When’s the last time you replaced your commercial fire alarm batteries? Did you know that the average life of commercial fire alarm batteries is 5 years? After that, they’re pretty much useless.
Timeframe
Battery backups in commercial fire alarm systems need to be replaced within 5 years from the date of manufacture. Keep in mind that batteries wear down over time, so if a battery in your alarm is nearing 5 years old, it has reduced capacity—in other words, it’s not as strong as it once was.
Better to Be Proactive than Reactive
Rather than wait 5 years, it’s best to replace your commercial fire alarm batteries after 3 or 4 years. Why? Batteries have a stamped date code, and service companies usually pay attention to the date of installation rather than the date of manufacture. After manufacture, batteries are typically installed a month or two later—so if you wait the full 5 years to replace, you’re often at 5 years and 2 months. It’s simply easier to replace batteries after 3 or 4 years rather than waiting until the very last moment.
It’s a good idea to test batteries under load. When testing battery capacity, if a particular battery is only at 50%, it should be replaced. Even if it’s at 70%, replacement is still advisable.
Replacement Battery Types
Most commercial fire alarm systems use sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries in 12V configurations. Common sizes include 4Ah, 7Ah, 12Ah, and 18Ah depending on the panel. Simplex, Notifier, Edwards, and most other major manufacturers use standard SLA batteries that are widely compatible.
Life Safety Consultants carries fire alarm replacement batteries for Simplex and other major fire alarm systems. If you know the manufacturer’s part number you’re seeking, email us at sales@lifesafetycom.com so we can help you find the battery you need. We also carry a full range of commercial fire alarm parts including detectors, modules, and pull stations.
If you have any questions about fire alarm system batteries, please call Life Safety Consultants at 1-888-557-0558.
