"It's the CO detectors that have a lifespan of 7-10 years, not the smoke detectors."
if the Co detectors ALSO have a limited life then they are well paired. But I can tell you for a fact that every national agency, from the NFPA to FEMA, says to throw out the ionization detectors at ten years.
And in fact, THAT's the reason for the ten year battery. It eliminates the common complaint about "my smoke detector is beeping" and when the "used up" flag pops, it is one fast
sale for replacement. The detector companies really don't care if you replace the batteries, or if you burn up. Every year in October everyone (TV Nooze, local FD's, etc.) make a big deal about "replace your batteries when you reset your clocks" and the
funny thing is, none of them mention "replace your detectors!".
I've had multiple detectors totally fail during fires and while trying to find out why, I met the "Oh, ten years? Yeah, you need to trash it" at every corner.
The photocell detectors can, in theory, be dusted or blown out with canned air "forever". Because the ionization chambers are "tamper proofed" to ensure the radioactive source cannot be touched, the static charge that creates attracts dust which costs the source and the sensor--both safely in a (vented) sealed metal chamber. So all you can really do is blow canned air at it, and it doesn't really get in there.
Go to the source: Every mfr, every agency, says the same thing about ionization detectors. Since they are consumables and the battery warning is a RFPITA for all customers, the whole idea of "OUR product won't wake you up every year, just toss and replace" makes a lot of
marketing sense.
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