It Is Not the Batteries! Smoke Alarm Presence and Functionality 5 to 7 Years Postinstallation of Sealed Lithium Battery Alarms.

Smoke alarms with lithium batteries have been marketed as long life or "10-Year Alarms." Previous work has drawn into question the actual term of functionality for lithium battery alarms. This article reports on observed smoke alarm presence and functionality in a sample of 158 homes that had participated in a fire department smoke alarm installation program 5 to 7 years prior to the observations.