Many things you own require batteries to keep running—from little household items like cameras and watches to power tools for home remodeling to your vehicles. These products don’t run on magic, and you’ll find that out as soon as the battery runs out. Keeping the proper batteries on hand is the key to avoiding an untimely loss of power.
A driver’s worst nightmare is going out to the car in the morning and turning the key only to hear the engine turn over and over, but the vehicle won’t start. You never know when your car is going to die from loss of power, but it always seems to happen at the worst time. The average automobile battery lasts three and a half to four years, but this period can be significantly effected by weather conditions and frequency of use. In very hot or very cold climates, battery life can suffer. It’s a good idea to have an extra power source in the garage for your car, van, or truck. Check the owner’s manual for the exact specifications on the type of power storage equipment that will work best for your vehicle.
Inside your house there are many items that require batteries. These products may also die unexpectedly at very inconvenient moments if you don’t have backup power. There’s one very important piece of safety equipment in your home requires a power charge that need to be regularly changed: the smoke alarm. To keep you, your family and your home safe from an unexpected fire, your smoke alarm batteries should be checked every month and changed every year.
Many items you use every day in your home require power cells too: remote controls for the television, stereo, cable box, garage door and air conditioning unit. Cordless tools and phones have to be given regular battery changes as well as watches, video game controls, and hearing aids. Keeping a few packs of spare batteries in the drawer can be a lifesaver. The common types of smaller batteries are D’s, C’s, AA’s and AAA’s that come in alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable.
