What Battery Goes in a Honeywell 5800 Series Motion Sensor?

The battery that goes in a Honeywell 5800 Series Motion Sensor is usually a lithium CR123A battery. There are also a few models that use lithium AA batteries. Providing your wireless motion sensor with fresh batteries will ensure that it can successfully communicate with your alarm panel.

Any wireless sensor will need a battery to power its wireless communication with the panel. The Honeywell 5800 Series Motion Sensors are no exception. These sensors use batteries to power both their 345 MHz wireless communication, as well as their passive infrared (PIR) motion detection. And in the case of the Honeywell 5898, the batteries power the microwave detection for the sensor as well. If you want to learn more about how PIR detection compares with microwave detection, please review this helpful FAQ.

The Honeywell 5800PIR, Honeywell 5800PIR-RES, Honeywell 5800PIR-COM, and Honeywell 5800PIR-RT all use a single lithium 3V CR123A. This is also commonly referred to as a camera battery for its widespread use in cameras. These three (3) motion sensors are usually seen as the "standard" motion sensors in the Honeywell 5800 Motion Sensor lineup. They are strictly PIR motion sensors, and they are all designed for indoor use only. The CR123A size is perfect for these sensors, due to their relatively compact designs.

The Honeywell 5800PIR-OD Outdoor Motion Sensor and the Honeywell 5898 Microwave Motion Sensor both use four (4) lithium 1.5V AA batteries. Meanwhile, the Honeywell 5800PIR-OD2 Outdoor Motion Sensor uses two (2) lithium 1.5V AA batteries. The Honeywell 5800PIR-OD and 5800PIR-OD2 are both outdoor motion sensors, and they are considerably larger than the indoor models. It makes sense for them to use the longer (and more common) AA batteries. Meanwhile, the Honeywell 5898 requires additional power, as it is a microwave motion sensor.

The average battery life for these sensors varies from around four (4) years for the motion sensors using AA batteries, to all the way up to ten (10) years for the motion sensors using CR123A batteries. To maximize battery life, it is strongly recommended that you use lithium batteries. These are typically more expensive than alkaline batteries, but you will save money over time by making fewer battery changes. Alkaline batteries can also be used, but the battery life will be shorter, and you will be making more battery changes.