14 Messages
Smoke Detector Battery Brand
But users should be aware that, if you have a problem with a smoke detector and call SimpliSafe support, the first two questions will be: "When did you last replace the battery?" (Which certainly makes sense!) and "Is it a Panasonic battery?" When I told the tech it was an Energizer battery, he immediately suspended the call and said that we could not continue until I installed a Panasonic battery. He stated explicitly that any brand other than Panasonic can cause the detector to fail. Whether that is true or not--I doubt if it is--is beside the point. I had to order a set of Panasonic batteries and install them before I could call back and resume the troubleshooting. (And it turned out the detector had failed. The Energizer battery was not the problem.)
Interestingly enough, I ordered the replacement batteries from SimpliSafe and the "Panasonic" batteries they delivered turned out to be Procell batteries, which are manufactured by Duracell.
Bottom line: use only Panasonic batteries or SimpliSafe will not provide support if you have an issue. Please note that I'm not knocking SimpliSafe or your support team, who have always been very helpful when I've called. But those are rules they play by. No one at SimpliSafe should tell customers to use any other batteries if you're not going to support them when they do.
davey_d
Community Admin
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5.7K Messages
5 months ago
Hi @DTM ,
I'm really sorry to hear about this miscommunication. The Panasonic CR123A battery is required for the Smoke Detector to meet certain certification standards, which may be required by your local fire department (we recommend consulting with your fire marshal for more info on that). That's the exact battery that the Smoke Detector was tested on, so we can be sure that it will operate properly with that specific battery.
It's likely that your Smoke Detector will function the same with a different brand. We're just not able to guarantee that.
If I could ask, what was the issue you were calling in about? Perhaps we can provide the right answer for you here!
(edited)
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DTM
14 Messages
5 months ago
The problem with the detector is already solved. What had happened is that I received a notification on my phone that it had detected smoke, and got a call from the monitoring service as well. I was home and knew that it was a false alarm--there was no smoke. But the big problem is that, even if it had been tripped by dust or something, the detector never sounded its horn and neither did the base station. In the end, the tech was able to determine that the detector was sending momentary false "smoke detected" signals to the base station, then clearing before the horns could sound. SimpliSafe replaced the detector and all is well. That's no longer an issue. Well done on the part of tech support!
Here is my objection, and it's been very frustrating for a couple of years. I'm an electrical engineer and have worked with UL on getting UL listing for battery powered devices. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have enough experience that I understand the concepts of adhering to UL's requirements. But that's not the issue either.
A simple yes or no question: Will the detectors work reliably with another (major) brand of battery?
Clearly, your answer is "No". The most you can say is that it should work or "it's likely to function the same", but you're "not able to guarantee it". Your own tech support says explicitly that non-Panasonic batteries can cause the detectors to fail. For that reason, they refuse to attempt to diagnose a detector unless it has a Panasonic battery.
Why then do you let people believe that other batteries are OK? Why does your video that shows how to replace the battery show an Energizer? Why do you send non-Panasonic batteries to people who order them from you?
I wish this were merely an academic discussion. Do you not realize that smoke detectors are critical safety devices and that their failure can lead to death? If you can't be sure it will work with other batteries, then it is unconscionable for you to say anything other than an unequivocal "Do not use anything but Panasonic. Period." Your tech support tells people that after the detectors fail. Why can't the rest of you do the same?
By the way, if you really think they'll work with Eveready and Duracell, why not spend a few bucks to have UL verify that? As I said earlier, I've done that and know it's not prohibitively expensive.
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jrg4usc
1 Message
2 months ago
When I received my smoke / Co detectors from Simplisafe, neither one came with Panasonic batteries. If the only acceptable one is Panasonic, then why ship with Varta batteries?
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