Leaking batteries. A reminder, a warning.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by GMB

What annoys me is that manufacturers of equipment do not seem to make much effort to make their battery compartments cope with the problem.

I doubt most people would be prepared-to-pay-extra for such a feature just to satisfy the desperately-small minority of those to whom it would be a benefit.

"The remote-control doesn't work - the batteries have burst" being a good reason for most people to replace their five-year-old TV with a newer, higher-spec, more-energy-efficient model.

[G6Tanuki]

Pragmatically, I've today consigned to the local burn-pit a couple of recent "Uniross" 1300mAH NiMH AA cells that had started to 'sweat' worryingly.

My experience with rechargeables is that the-higher-the-capacity-the-shorter-the-service-life: a bunch of Energizer-brand 2000mAH or 2400mAH AA cells bought a few years back have all failed, as have a bunch of Maplin's own-brand 2000mAH bought when the stores were closing-down - whereas I've got some older AA Uniross 1300mAH that are still going fine after near-on a decade.

[dglcomp]

For all of Amstrad's cost cutting one thing they did right was putting the clock batteries in the top of the case and not inside like others. Means naturally that it's less likely for any leakage to damage the motherboard.
For once value engineering that created improvements!

[The Philpott]

Another brand to keep an eye on. The AAA seems to have seeped from the -ue end but stains are visible on the side. The AA has grown rust at it's +ue end. (Although it's 1.5 years over it's BB date)

Both these Philips cells were in car or shed equipment, so fluctuating temperatures were probably an issue over time.

Dave

[stevehertz]

They all leak. But I suppose some brands are worse than others. The problem is, so called 'brands' are often farmed out to be manufactured at different locations by different battery manufacturers. So the batteries you buy this week may not be the same as those you bought last year and were good. This was what Which? found many years ago.

[The Philpott]

I can well believe it, and i'm sure we get the same cells wearing different jackets/branding from time to time.

Inevitably i am having a purge, and have now found 3 or 4 of the *Philips AAA (09-2021) batch that have leaked whilst still holding a charge.

The Panasonic C pictured deserves a mention (05-2020) as it is growing rust spots on it's +ue. That's only a year over, so a bit naughty. Less destructive than these* though.

One type which hasn't given me any gip yet (famous last words) is the bronze jacketed Alkaline Panasonic AAA,AA,C,D and PP3 variants. The AAA range aren't very gutsy, but that's not an issue to me if they can stay in one piece until their time's up. If i can't get them next week it's going to be Varta..

Dave

[TonyDuell]

Originally Posted by The Philpott

One type which hasn't given me any gip yet (famous last words) is the bronze jacketed Alkaline Panasonic AAA,AA,C,D and PP3 variants. The AAA range aren't very gutsy, but that's not an issue to me if they can stay in one piece until their time's up. If i can't get them next week it's going to be Varta..

Dave

If that's the 'Evolta' ones, then I never had any problems with them. I was quite annoyed when my local supermarket stopped selling them and replaced them with Energiser (yes, Evolta were more expensive, but I was happy to pay it).

[Restoration73]

Well I have just examined an item of test gear fitted with RS C type Alkalines. These
have a distinctive silver/black case which indicates Made in Japan. Not only are these
1991 cells perfectly lively but there is no leakage.
Something not mentioned is that older equipment used off/on switches that isolate the
battery whereas more recent designs are really on standby when turned off, this leads to slow discharge and leakage - remote controls are a good example of this.

[emeritus]

The new "boombox" my neighbour recently bought for his son's birthday won't work on mains unless it has a set of batteries. He asked me to look at it before taking it back as it wouldn't work. It needed 8 "C" cells and he was lucky I had just bought a pack of 12 in my last order from CPC and could let him have a set. The one it replaced didn't need batteries for mains use.

[Refugee]

Make a note of the make of that boom box so that we can avoid it.
Clearly the batteries are only there to rot it down so that you have to buy another.

[TonyDuell]

I'd measure the current that boombox draws from the batteries both with the mains lead unplugged and with it plugged in. I wonder if the mains supply does anything at all.

[The Philpott]

(I recall looking inside a sixties transistor radio that wouldn't operate on mains without a trickle from four D cells..The finer points were lost on me as i was 10 at the time.)

These are the Panasonic alkaline type which are -so far- behaving. I have used them in all five common sizes, and as mentioned the PP3 and AAA cannot compete with others regarding capacity.

There are six of these D cells inside my maglite, all are 1.555v-1.556v off load, no dropouts. BB date is 2024 so it's too early for cast iron recommendation.

Dave

[The Philpott]

Interesting- most of those featured in Post No. 64 onwards are made in China, a few in Poland. The bronze coloured Panasonic however- Belgium.

Varta PP3- Malaysia
Varta AAA- Germany!

[Chris55000]

Hi!

The batteries my work buys ("Progizer" (!!) and red–and–silver "RS Pro" alkalines) are so short–lived there's virtually no chance of them getting old enough to leak!

My LED magnifying glass goes through two "AAs" in three days and the Fluke 287 official meter I use at work eats 6 "AAs" every week!

Chris Williams

[Kentode]

Originally Posted by Chris55000

Hi!

The batteries my work buys ("Progizer" (!!) and red–and–silver "RS Pro" alkalines) are so short–lived there's virtually no chance of them getting old enough to leak!

My LED magnifying glass goes through two "AAs" in three days and the Fluke 287 official meter I use at work eats 6 "AAs" every week!

Chris Williams

Crikey! Can't you convince them to use rechargeable batteries Chris? That's like burning ten-pound notes.

[SiriusHardware]

Originally Posted by TonyDuell

I wonder if the mains supply does anything at all.

+1 to that, my immediate suspicion would be that the mains supply option is not actually working if the unit will only run with batteries fitted.

[Tractionist]

Attached pictures of our favourite culprits - 6No Duracell U2's recently prised out of a nearly wrecked (well .... it already was!) Akkord Penguin u62 Deluxe .... together with a cloud of copper sulphate etc. The battery rack has been restored and the set converted to run on re-chargeable AA's .....

Mein gott ... as they say in der Fatherland!

[Hampus]

I have always been fond of Varta batteries - mainly because my grandfather always used them. He worked in a car parts store that sold them and so he could buy them cheap. He was a man who taught me a lot about mechanic and electricity so somehow I feel comfortable in using a product that he approved of.

I can't remember any mishaps with any Varta batteries. They are also made made in Germany which appeals to me as a worker in manufacturing.

I don't know how available they are in UK though.

GP is another favourite of mine.

[whiskas]

I wonder why the (Duracell) factory in Begium simply can't work out a permanent fix for their wretched leaking batteries... the amount of equipment damaged or destroyed by them must surely be an indication that they are simply getting something fundamentally wrong... it's not like they are the cheapest batteries on the market.

[G6Tanuki]

Varta has become my go-to brand for alkaline batteries in recent years; Screwfix often have them on special-offer.

I've never yet had one go leaky on me. Panasonic are also good - as are Tesco own-brand ones!