Household Batteries

Alkaline, lithium and silver oxide batteries: AA and AAA, 9 V and lantern batteries, 3 V and 6 V coin and button cells, and the 12 V security batteries that go in garage remotes, alarm sensors and key fobs. Chemistry decides shelf life and cold performance more than brand does — lithium holds voltage in the cold and sits on a shelf for years, while alkaline is cheaper for anything that gets used up steadily. Button cells are identified by a printed number rather than a size you can judge by eye, so read the old cell before ordering. Bulk and multi-packs are the economical way to stock the sizes a building actually goes through.

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