# Remote/Stat Battery Life



## Long Burn (Jan 4, 2010)

What is the battery life of a remote/stat unit,(transmitter and reciever)? In general, are they good for about a year?
 Are rechargables better than regular alkalines?
LB


----------



## jtp10181 (Jan 4, 2010)

Yeah about a year. Most rechargeables loose power even when not in use. I have found rechargeables work great in clocks and other very low power items. Anything that will be idle for periods of time or uses a lot of power, use standard batteries.


----------



## Fsappo (Jan 5, 2010)

One thing you need to be aware of is some remotes will sit in a warehouse for years before arriving at a customers home.  Our installer aways has fresh batteries with him in case the ones that came with the remote are bad starting from day 1.  Also, from what I have seen, the batteries shipped with remotes are not normally Energizers, but some cheap off brand.


----------



## DAKSY (Jan 5, 2010)

One other thing to know about these remote batteries, at least with Skytech remotes:
The 4 AAs in the receiver box HAVE to total more than 6 vdc. 
Check the individual batteries & add up the total voltage.
I've had 5.98 vdc (total) & the operation was sporadic.
The 2 AAAs in the sending unit (remote) don't seem to be as "testy" & I've had 2.8 vdc
work fine.


----------



## Long Burn (Jan 5, 2010)

Franks said:
			
		

> One thing you need to be aware of is some remotes will sit in a warehouse for years before arriving at a customers home.  Our installer aways has fresh batteries with him in case the ones that came with the remote are bad starting from day 1.  Also, from what I have seen, the batteries shipped with remotes are not normally Energizers, but some cheap off brand.



Amen, on that one. I was told by the installer of the Jotul Gas Stove about replcing the batteries in the Programable Skytech Remote/Stat that I bought with the unit, the dealer supplied me with fresh new ones.
 LB


----------



## Long Burn (Jan 5, 2010)

DAKSY said:
			
		

> One other thing to know about these remote batteries, at least with Skytech remotes:
> The 4 AAs in the receiver box HAVE to total more than 6 vdc.
> Check the individual batteries & add up the total voltage.
> I've had 5.98 vdc (total) & the operation was sporadic.
> ...



DAKSY,
 I tested the batteries in the reciever of my FB Grand Insert and they showed about 1.25 volts and the unit would not fire. Changed the batteries, and viola, we had ignition.
 As you stated, the AAA's in the transmitter are definitely more tolerant to run on less voltage than the reciever unit.

 LB


----------



## Mr Fixit (Jan 6, 2010)

FYI another problem I have run into above and beyond those mentioned above- cheap budget batteries made in China are sometimes physically shorter than the better quality batteries by just fractions of a millimeter. Sometimes (and I have seen it) they are just short enough to not make contact with the terminals inside the battery compartment.


----------



## Long Burn (Jan 6, 2010)

Mr Fixit said:
			
		

> FYI another problem I have run into above and beyond those mentioned above- cheap budget batteries made in China are sometimes physically shorter than the better quality batteries by just fractions of a millimeter. Sometimes (and I have seen it) they are just short enough to not make contact with the terminals inside the battery compartment.



Hey Mr.Fixit,
 When it comes to China, there clothing and shoe sizes are usually smaller than American Standards,(be it a very small amount), so why not battery size.

 LB


----------

