Welcome to BLF, bfksc. I always knew Canadians looked like martians.
Wow, that sucks but at least it happened inside of the blister pack and not in one of your torches or electronics item.
Aloha and welcome to BLF bfksc!
Welcome to the madness, bfksc!
There are worse types of leakage. For example,
AlkALiNe LEAKAGE.
Thanks bfksc for the best explanation of leaking alkalines I've read.
I agree that of name brands, Duracells leak more. But I had an Energizer mess up a Hugsby that was intended as a gift. Must've been that old potassium hydroxide. I've seen what sodium hydroxide does to aluminum, and KOH ("potash") would be even more reactive. The flashlight still works, just has some ugly scarring on the threads.
Both Duracell and Energizers have factories in USA and China (Rayovac too). I haven't paid attention enough to know if one origin/brand is more reliable for Duracell/Energizer, but I've had bad luck with Chinese Rayovacs and great luck with American Rayovacs.
The best alkalines I've used, for AAA were "made in USA" Rayovac. For 9V, Fuji "Super Alkaline" (metallic green) "Made in Malaysia" bought at Big Lots, of all places (1-pack, a little under $2).
The worst 9V battery I've used were also Rayovacs, made in China, Heavy Duty (Zinc Chloride/$1.80 for a 4-pack), also from Big Lots. Reads "Ideal For Low-Drain Devices" on the front. Yeah, well, I'd consider a smoke alarm the lowest-drain device, and these couldn't keep one going 2 months. The Fuji's go more around a year (don't know exactly). I got the cheap rechargeable 9V battery at DealExtreme and it is above not below 9V and so far I've been happy with it for a weather radio. May need to experiment how well they can do in smoke alarms.
I bought a big pack of "Maxell" AA's from Amazon years ago, and many leaked before I could use them. There were so many I still have some, past their expiration. I still have to be careful. I have stopped buying Alkalines, but my mom gives them to me for gifts, even though I tell her not to. I basically keep them for emergencies, which is why they get old and leak. I keep higher- and lower- voltage opened cells separated.
I also can't recall a non-1.5V battery leaking.
Thanks for all the info guys !
I’ve seen lots of leaked alkalines in devices left in drawers.
I’m going to use Lithium AAs in my giveaway C3s now.
(Energizer Ultimate Lithium)
Hopefully no leaks !
That makes the Lithiums perfect for use in remote-controls … I need quite a few AAA cells for all my remotes and checked the prices … Eneloops worked out at £1-75 each but some remotes don’t like the low voltage , Lithium primaries (dated 2025) were £0.94 each and Duracell Ultrapower (dated 2018) were £0.74 each … Wikipedia say that the Lithiums (Li-FeS2) are1.8V open circuit and 1.4V to 1.6V nominal … These should therefore be the ideal batteries for low current devices such as remotes etc … Basically the AAA and AA Energizers would be “fit and forget” for many years , for our family useage.
I can’t see any disadvantages of using these Energizer Lithium Primaries , other than the fact that they cost 20p more per cell … I guess it is worth £3-20 extra to equip all the remotes in the house with Lithiums … No worry about any nasty leakage !
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I had an interesting epiphany about Duracells and I have had a Mini-Maglite LED Pro that came with some Duracell “Duralock” batteries and I was looking at both normal Coppertops and Duralocks… Now here’s the surprising part for me, the regular coppertops “Made in China” with some Chinese markings and the Duralocks “Made in U.S.A” with the Chinese markings in the same place as the regular coppertops. The regular coppertops have more coverage of the packaging (the battery cover) than the Duralocks, but I’m not sure if this is the case of their acclaimed technology with their Duralocks and I’m hoping that there is a big difference because it seem’s like since Duracell started having Chinese factories make Duracells, the leak rate is very high and it overshadows the Canadian and US factory made Duracells, can anyone make this out?
For me, Duracells that leaked were made in the EU.
In 1978-82 I worked in a shop that sold cameras.
The Duracells we sold then were utter junk.
Like a quarter of them were built the wrong way round: as in + was actually - and vice versa. Some batches were 100% wrong way round.
Those ones were built in Belgium. Nobody got anything built in China then.
Alkaleaks aren’t new.
95% of Alkaline batteries of all brands that I have seen left installed in any device have leaked. Therre are no “good” brands, I wouldn’t trust any of them…they have ALL leaked.
Some leaked if left installed for just a few days, and some leak after a few months. After a year or more, leaking is inevitable. I see many new batteries leaking in the factory wrap years before the expiration date…the shelf date shows some indication of charge, but meaningless for cell integrity. Many “in date” batteries that are leaking will still show full voltage.
They will leak 100% of the time if they get too hot, above 125 deg F.
Alkaline batteries appear to be designed to allow them to vent gas.
If I need to use an Alkaline, I install them immediately before use, and remove them immediately after.
I’ve seen minor leaking from Ni-Cad after 6-10 years, but I have never seen a Nimh battery leak in over 30 years of using them.
agree.
for illustration, I got myself from supermarket clearance duracell AAA batteries on end of 2012 which will expire on 2014. On March - April 2013, I already have to throw away 4 pieces (2 still in packaging, 2 open but unused).
So I guess, nearer to the expiry date, higher the chance to leak by itself. that's why when I bought new sanyo alkaline any moment in this year, I will get batch that will expire in 2019. good for storage in at least 2 years.
those are different only by label.same problems.
sams,costco,and many other store brands are often some major mfr.
by looking at the construction and comparing to the energizers on the shelf i determined that the sams batteries were the same.this is subject to change.
Not alkalines but I have never had a Energizer Ultimate Lithium leak and I have used lots of them. Except for my battery powered clocks I do not ever use alkaline batteries for anything in the house any more. Not cheap but great high current capability with a flat discharge curve and great low temperature performance.
I have a batch of CVS Pharmacy brand D cell batteries which have leaked badly in the ORIGINAL PACKAGING three years before battery expiration date! These claim to be MADE IN USA batteries. I will not buy again.
I got a power meter from the electric company that only works on alkaline, its a newly designed device but they apparently never realized rechargeables exist. I’ve been using NiMH in the receiver, it constantly says low battery warning and stops working properly at 60% charge but i hate alkaline so much i’d rather have it not work then go out and buy those things
I don’t know what that expiration date is for, i think its just so they can tell what year they were manufactured, nothing magical happens on the expiry date to alkalines.
Those batteries were made before 1996 when the law was passed in the US banning the use of Mercury in Alkaline batteries. See http://www.epa.gov/mercury/consumer.htm#bat . I don’t know when the laws in your country required Mercury free Alkalines.
So, while you might get lucky with batteries you got 20 yrs ago, it is my experience that modern ones will leak if left alone long enough.
A couple of corrections to earlier posts by various people. A “Super Duty” 9V is normally carbon zinc (CZn) construction, not lead. 9V batteries, CZn or alkaline, are less inclined to show leakage due to the actual cells having an outer steel shell that they are in and that usually confines any leakage that occurs, not always though.
The liquid in alkaline batteries is not acidic. The name says it, it is alkaline and hygroscopic. Combine the two and it is quite corrosive so in my opinion all lights designed for use with alkalines should be plastic or with plastic lined battery tubes in order to to minimize leakage caused damage. The battery can still jam in the light due to the alkaline electrolyte expanding greatly and typically solidifying once it combines with atmospheric water.
BTW I also years ago had the batteries in a NiCad pack leak and damage a calculator so they are not immune either. I suspect due to over charging with the charger at the time. Late 1980s as I recall. Per Wikipedia the electrolyte in a NiCad is Potassium hydroxide, a pretty nasty hygroscopic alkaline so a leaking NiCad is as bad a equipment destroyer as an alkaline. Due to chemistry a NiMH does not normally build up pressure but if mistreated enough or damaged it could leak and again the electrolyte is alkaline, hygroscopic and corrosive. Use good chargers for NiCad or NiMH batteries. The simple timed ones are not recommended. You need one with voltage controlled cut off of charging.