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Do TV Remotes Need Special Batteries? (Answered)

Batteries are essential to power most electronic devices and home appliances. However, there are different types of batteries for each device.

It could be challenging to determine the battery suitable for your TV remote.

To determine this, you need to understand the types of batteries available for remotes.

Therefore, this article will help you to know the types of batteries your TV remote needs and other vital facts about TV remote batteries.    

TV remotes only require alkaline batteries to function correctly. Other types of batteries would damage the TV remote and drain faster. However, only two types of alkaline batteries work for your TV remote. The two batteries the TV remote uses are AA alkaline and AAA alkaline batteries.

Do You Need Special Batteries for the TV Remote Control?

Do TV Remotes Need Special Batteries

The special batteries the TV remote control needs are alkaline. However, only some alkaline batteries are suitable for your TV remote control.

The alkaline battery has to fit into the compartment of the remote precisely.

Other battery types like Lithium and zinc-carbon batteries are unsuitable for your TV remote control.

The remote cannot take the heat a  lithium battery produces. It would eventually damage the remote control.

On the other hand, zinc-carbon batteries are low-capacity but would drain faster when you use them for your TV remote control.

Generally, TV remotes use alkaline batteries to function effectively. Most TV manufacturers indicate the need for alkaline batteries on the product.

The manufacturers recommend alkaline batteries because of their ability to last long. The batteries can stay in storage without losing their capacity for a long time.

What Kind of Batteries Do TV Remotes Use?

TV remotes use batteries that can fit into their compact size and generate less energy.

In addition, it is best if the battery type is alkaline to preserve the device’s quality.

Generally, TV remotes use AAA alkaline batteries because of their low energy generation, while some oversized TV remotes use AA alkaline batteries.

However, AA alkaline batteries generate more energy than AAA batteries. Therefore, any TV remote control that requires AA batteries must be more extensive.

Although the AA and AAA batteries measure 1.5 Volts, the AA battery generates more energy because of its bigger size. 

However, check your TV user’s manual to know the kind of battery the remote uses; then, you can insert it accordingly.

How Long Do Batteries Last in TV Remotes?

TV remote batteries last for about three to six months under regular use.

However, if you use the remote control the usual way, the battery might last longer than expected.

The lifespan of TV batteries diminishes depending on how often you use the remote.

So the battery life preservation depends on how much you operate it. Additionally, TV remote batteries last long because they generate low energy.

You can leave them in your remote for months because they lose little or no capacity.

High usage frequency reduces the battery’s lifespan because it uses more power. The high power usage is why some batteries drain faster than others.

When your TV remote battery is at the end of its lifespan, it will show you signs that the battery is due for change before dying.

The indicators to recognize a dying or drained battery are below:

#1. Slow Response

When you have to press the remote buttons repeatedly before it responds, it means your TV remote batteries are approaching the end of their lifespan.

The slow remote response is a gradual indicator, but you can detect it through your remote’s functionality.

At some point, you might have to remove and replace the batteries. 

Sometimes, you might need to operate the remote at a close range for the TV to respond to the remote signals finally.

#2. Non-Responsive Television

Your TV will stop responding to signals from your remote if the batteries are dead. The remote won’t work even when you remove and replace the batteries.

It is best to change your TV remote batteries in this scenario. The TV would respond and generally function once you insert new batteries.

What Battery is Best for TV Remotes?

The best battery for TV remotes is any standard alkaline battery that fits into the remote’s battery compartment and works effectively.

The standard batteries suitable for TV remotes are either a pair of AA alkaline 1.5V batteries or AAA alkaline 1.5V batteries.

Generally, TV remotes use AAA alkaline batteries. It is the appropriate battery because TV remotes are compact and do not need a lot of energy to function.

AAA batteries are the standard size for TV remotes. AAA batteries are small enough to fit the remote’s battery compartment and do not generate much energy. 

Therefore, the battery and your TV remotes are appropriate for each other. The battery will last long in your TV remote and will serve its purpose effectively. 

AAA alkaline batteries are dry cell batteries for low-power drain compact electronic devices such as TV remotes, thermometers, kitchen timers, and scales.

The dimensions for a single cell of AAA battery are 10.5 mm in diameter and 44.5mm.

In addition, the battery includes a 0.8mm long positive terminal button with a 3.8mm diameter.

The minimum diameter of the flat negative terminal is 4.3mm, and the battery weighs 11.5 grams. Thus, the size makes it the perfect fit for most TV remotes.

On the other hand, AA alkaline batteries fit into more oversized TV remote controls. In addition, AA batteries are the perfect fit for some TV remotes.

The AA battery is bigger and longer than an AAA battery. Therefore, the TV remote that uses AA batteries needs to be big enough to accommodate the size.

Therefore, a small-sized TV remote would require an AAA battery, while a bigger TV remote would use an AA battery.

Although, only a few TV remotes use AA batteries. But, they are both effective for low-energy generating devices like TV remotes.

To distinguish the two battery types better, the unique features of each battery are below:

AA BatteryAAA Battery
It is big and takes up more space.It is slender and doesn’t take up a lot of space.
It has a larger capacity of 2000 to 3000 mAh.The capacity is between 350 to 1200 mAh.
More suitable for heavy-duty devices.It is suitable for less energy-consuming devices.

Why Does My TV Remote Eat Batteries?

Your TV remote eats your batteries based on how you handle the remote and the operating requirements for the remote.

The significant reasons TV remote eats its batteries are as follows.

#1. Pressure From Objects

The remote batteries drain faster if you bury the remote under other objects because the pressure from these objects presses the remote buttons repeatedly and causes the batteries to drain.

It is best to create a specific place to keep the remote control when you are not using it. The batteries will last longer that way.

#2. Blocked Signal

Your TV remote needs to have a line of sight with the TV to work better. Therefore, barriers would prevent it from working effectively.

Any barrier between the remote control and your TV would require you to press the buttons, thereby draining the batteries continuously.

It would help to clear every barrier blocking the TV remote signal. Then operate the remote normally.

#3. Thirty-second Delay

The TV remote control experiences a 30-second delay for the TV to respond when you press any button.

The batteries will drain if you keep pressing the remotes during the delay.

It is best to press the remote buttons once and hold on for the 30-second delay for it to work.

#4. Pressing Remotes

Constantly pressing the TV remotes will drain the battery faster. However, the battery drain is faster if you press and hold the remote button.

#5. Old Batteries

The TV remote eats old batteries faster because the battery is weak already. So mixing old batteries with new batteries won’t create a solution too.

The remote would function temporarily but stop after a short while.

You might have to repeatedly keep pressing the remote buttons to get the remote to work.

The battery would drain faster in this scenario. Therefore, you should avoid using old batteries for your TV remotes.

It is best to change the batteries when they are due. You need to keep a record of the battery lifespan.

#6. Storage Drain

The TV remote also eats new batteries if you don’t use the remote for several months.

First, the batteries inside the remote would leak, then corrode the battery terminals.

It would also damage the TV remote case. Therefore, it is best to permanently remove the remote batteries if you last used the remote for several months.

Conclusion

In the end, reading your television user’s manual would help to know the suitable battery type for your TV remote control.

However, it will be an alkaline battery. Therefore, you only need to confirm which alkaline battery it uses according to the description in this article.

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