How Long Does a 9v Battery Last (9v Batteries FAQs)

Published on: May 1, 2022
Written by Liam Jaxon / Fact-checked by David Rowan

There is no fixed duration of a 9v battery lasting. But, the utmost nine-volt batteries last up to 5 years. Sure you can find up to 10 years of storage capacity of 9v rectangle batteries. So, it relies on these types of batteries quality and quantity.

However, a 9-volt battery is extremely good to use daily. It has enough power to continue the household tools. And, the nine-volt battery’s size is standard to hold with ease.

In this blog post, we are going to give you a lot of info on how long a 9v battery lasts and other beneficial data on this topic.

how long does a 9v battery last

How Long Does a 9v Battery Last?

Yes, a standard 9-volt battery lasts more than 5 years in storage where AA, AAA, C, and D cells last more than 10 years in storage (according to Energizer MAX®). Plus, according to 

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™- 9 Volts lasts up to 10 years in storage while AA and AAA last up to 20 years in storage. Another opinion, 9V, AA, AAA, C, and D last charged up to 12 months in storage. When you calculate the hours of the 9-volt battery last, you get another explanation. How?

A 9v rectangular battery regulates about 50 hours that means 500 mAh /10 mA = 50 hours. 

By the way, the nine-volt battery is one of the more familiar sizes of battery. It comes with a rectangular prism shape along with rounded edges. It has also a polarized snap connector at the exterior. A [amazon link=”B081FGCRQQ” title=”9v battery” /] is used in multi-purpose like smoke detectors, clocks, gas detectors, walkie-talkies, electric guitars, effects units, and others. 

The format of the nine-volt battery is very simple including in primary lithium iron disulfide, and in the rechargeable form in nickel-cadmium, Lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, and primary carbon-zinc and alkaline chemistry. 

Maximum 9-volt alkaline batteries designed of six individual & slightly smaller 1.5 V LR61 cells enclosed in a wrapper.

What Types of Devices Typically Use a 9v Battery


Common devices that use a 9V battery include smoke detectors, guitar pedals, portable radios, remote-controlled toys, flashlights, and some medical equipment.

How Long Do 9v Batteries Last in Smoke Detectors?

There are many different opinions about how long do 9v batteries last in smoke detectors. The most common concept of any 9v battery can last around one year for average users.  When the detector is utilized continually, the life in the battery can be smaller. So, try to use it carefully. The most trustworthy thing, if the battery is not wet or overheated, or overcharged, it will last an average of five years. 

Alternatively, if the batteries for smoke alarms are 9v, it is urgent to replace the battery every six months together with a detector that is needed to repair once every ten years. Don’t need to replace the 10-year lithium-powered smoke alarms. 

How Long Do 9V Batteries Last in Active Pickups?

You probably know active pickups require 9V batteries to continue work. Due to their inbuilt preamp, they require battery power to indicate all signals. Most of the 9V batteries last an average 3000 hours inactive pickups before the voltage falls and the signal cuts out. For the two active pickups in the guitar, it can drop on average 1500 hours. 

Do 9v Batteries Last Longer Than AAs

9V batteries and AAs batteries are used in many devices. Some devices require a 9V DC power source. Energizer’s 9-volt battery’s milliamp hours equal 5.49 watt-hours. Therefore, 9-volt batteries have greater power than AA. 

That means a nine-volt Energizer battery outlasts an AA battery. When you calculate the energy, you will get a clear concept of a 9V battery more powerful than a AA 1.5 V battery. Even a single 9V cost is lower than 6 AAs.

Now, we provide here a short comparison table of 9V battery and AAs battery. We use the weight and volume of the batteries for calculating their energy density.

Definition 9-volt battery Single AA batteryQty 6 AA battery 
Energy (J) 19,44014,85089,100
Weight (g)45.623.0138.0
Energy (gram)426.3645.7Same
Volume (cm3)21.18.148.6
Energy (cm3)921.31833.3Same

The other important thing, maximum of 9-volt alkaline batteries designed using six individual 1.5 V LR61 cells enclosing in a wrapper. These 1.5 V LR61 cells are barely less than LR8D425 AAAA cells. Perhaps, they can be 3.5 mm smaller. So, we can say happily, a 9 V battery lasts longer than a single AA battery. 

But, some users complain that the 9V batteries waste more power & energy when they fall to 5V. Alternatively, the AAs or AAA’s have more Ah capacity and last longer than 9-volt. Counting on the power consumption, nine-volt batteries (6LR61) have better protection against leaks if you use them for a long time. But, AAs or AAAs can leak if expended for a very long period.

How to Calculate How Long a 9 Volt Battery Will Last

It’s not hard to calculate how long a 9-volt battery will last. Have to justify the mAh rating of your nine-volt batteries. Then, allocate it by mA getting hours. If you get at 600mAh rate along with drawing your device at the most 25mA, this battery can last 24 hours. It does not happen that your 9V battery will perform more than specific gauging. In this situation, you would like to fall 25% of that particular time.  So, 600mAh/25mA=24h

Or, when you get 400mA, it would not provide much current like 25mA. So, it is quite difficult to find a time for 40mA 9-volt. Rechargeable ideas are not always good to calculate for the longer term.

The Best 9v Battery Options for at-home Use 

There are many [amazon link=”B081FGCRQQ” title=”standard 9v batteries” /] used for numerous purposes at at-home. To keep running the children’s toys into serious household gadgets, a 9-volt battery is so important. Don’t think all 9v batteries are the same. Different manufacturers offer several grades of batteries. So, what is the right choice? 

Honestly, lithium or alkaline batteries might be suited to fulfill your expectations. Compared to lithium batteries and alkaline batteries, lithium lasts longer as well as self-discharge slower than others. Lithium batteries are quite expensive but a great deal of use sometimes. Alkaline batteries are used frequently for household tools and are less costly than lithium.

If you prefer to get a rechargeable battery, they are quite pricey than disposable batteries. But, suitable to use in a longer period & repeatedly. 

Most of the 9V batteries can last for up to 5 years if stored properly.  Energizer MAX 9V Batteries are also available for holding power for up to 5 years and are a terrific choice for everyday gear. [amazon link=”B00THDSP30″ title=”ACDelco 12-Count 9 Volt Batteries” /], [amazon link=”B088BKQ81D” title=”Tenergy 9V Lithium Batteries” /] are also best to use at-home. 

Final Verdict

Now that we reach the end of the writing. This article has already done all the essential things that you enjoyed. Be sure we have fulfilled your all expectations in this writing. Ultimately a 9-volt battery can last from 5 to 10 years or more depending on using systems and quality of products. Plus, these batteries will last one or two days of continual use. Then, you need to recharge again to use it the next time.

So, enjoy your 9-volt battery for a longer era!

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About This Writer

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Hi, I am responsible for the 'Homeowners Power Solutions' category. My name is Liam Jaxon and a licensed technician with 7 years of experience in vehicle batteries, electrical gadgets, and home appliances. My working experience in different residential & light commercial electrical sectors and the automobile industry helped to acquire vast knowledge in this industry.

Hi, I am responsible for the 'Homeowners Power Solutions' category. My name is Liam Jaxon and a licensed technician with 7 years of experience in vehicle batteries, electrical gadgets, and home appliances. My working experience in different residential & light commercial electrical sectors and the automobile industry helped to acquire vast knowledge in this industry.

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