Smoke alarms do not last forever, even if the batteries are replaced every year. Most smoke alarms have a useful life of about 10 years and as our buildings are about 10 years old, it is a good idea to replace them now. If they are not replaced, they will continue to beep as they fail and replacing the batteries will not eliminate the beeping.
New smoke alarms have a permanent battery built in the unit, and they will last about 10 years.
New smoke alarms are easy to install. For example, Home Depot sells the Firex Kidde model (number 20019444) for $16. There is a discount of $1.50 if more than six units are purchased.
These units come with electrical connectors to fit existing in-line connections, and the new base’s screws line up with the old base’s mounting holes.