Hi everyone, very new to all of this and first time i have Posted anything. So sorry if it’s in the wrong place. I have been collecting Torches since about Christmas, that collection now numbers about 90 approx. They are a mixture of Nimh and Lithium Batteries and from one Cell to Four Cells in the Torches. I am currently storing the Torches with their Batteries in them. Should the Batteries be stored out of the Torches (ie: will it Damage them or be a Safety Risk) or is it Safe to do it this way. I read in many places on the Forum here that multi Cell Torches should be used with the same set of Balanced Voltage Batteries and unprotected Torches with protected Cells where possible.
Thank’s in advance for any advice you can give me, and thank you all who do the excellent Reviews, as the Reviews made it very easy for me to make informed decisions on the Torches i have purchased.
Cheers.
1) Alkaline cells LEAK. It is a fact. The older they are, the more likely they will leak and RUIN your light. I suggest keeping any alkalines (if you use them) out of your light if you’re unsure of their age.
2) Parasitic circuits puts a small current drain on your cells. If you monitor the charge of rechargeable cells on a regular basis of ALL your lights, then your are safe. The current drain is usually very small (could be in the micro amps range) so fresh cells can last over a year without thought. Lights that use multiple LiIon cells should be checked more cautiously because if one cell is weaker, it drains faster and if it’s not protected, in time, it can be over discharged and consequently dangerous when you recharge the next time. Parasitic circuits have electronic switches which have a slight click compared to the definite click of a mechanical switch.
Even lights with parasitic drain can usually be “locked out” by loosening the tailcap so that contact is not made. The easy way to test that is to simply try to turn them on if they won’t turn on with the cap loosened you’d broken the path for the drain. Without a parasitic drain the only issues would be related to aging cells:
- Alkaline can leak.
- Non-LSD NiMh can discharge out of balance producing slightly more risk of overdischarging the weakest cell in multiple cells light. That’s not dangerous just bad for the cell.
- Li-Ion age faster when kept fully charge. Sitting on the shelf fully charged but not used still gradually break down the cell. That’s more wasteful than a safety concern. It can be a safety concern later if you aren’t as rigorous about checking them because they are “unused.”
Hi, and thankyou for that baterija for that advice, i knew about the Alkalines leaking but i sertainly was unaware it is not good to keep Lithium fully Charged. That is how i keep all the Lithiums so i will have to change my methods. Either way i will be checking them all tomorrow (as most of the Torches don’t get used often) and unscrewing the Tailcaps and checking the on off buttons. Thanks very much for the Help and Advice. Cheers.
Thanks eebowler, in Lithium i use 14500, 18650 and 26650, i do check the Voltage before and after i charge them but can you tell me what is or where i might find the safe charging minimum voltage level for each of these types of Batteries. I remember charging one older Battery i had (unprotected) that was reading as less than 1 Volt before putting it on the Charger. Can i assume that this would be considered as unsafe. It did charge up, but it took forever, most of my Batteries are New Panasonic Protected 3400mah (Fastech) or Trustfire Flame 26650 5000mah Cheers and Thanks Again.
I always keep all my lithium batteries stored fully charged .i don't care if it's harder on the battery or not ..I want them ready when I'm ready .By the time they are old and not keeping a charge is about the time I'm ready for new cells anyway ..Storage might be important if you were in the battery business .
It would just be an excuse to get the newer stuff anyway
- I leave batteries in lights..everywhere :P
This. Why store a cell at 3.8v? I often charge a cell in a regularly used light when it gets to that voltage anyway. When I grab a light I want it at its best, not half depleted. IMO its stupid and just not worth saving a few extra charge cycles to not keep my cells fully charged and ready when I need them. Keep them charged and rotate them regularly.
I don’t particularly advocate for any particular strategy. It’s an affect that people should understand so they can make their own cost to benefit decisions.
Lower voltage is sometimes used for “fully charged” devices like laptops, cell phones, etc. 4.1 volts still gives most of the capacity but makes a significant increase in lifespan. Personally I tend to turn the light on high for a minute or so if it’s fresh off the charger to reduce some of the fully charged stress with minimal runtime effects. It’s less of an issue for me because I tend to use lower output levels than most here seem to prefer. 
Thanks Guys for all the advice, I can see there is a few Schools of thought here and all seem to have their Merit. As they get shown of a bit, they would indeed be less than full charge. Now that i know that they don’t have to be kept fully charged i can work around that. I will just keep the ones i use often Charged and check on the rest from time to time. I was also getting concerned with having so many potential Explosive Devices in the same Cabinet at the same time. I have tried to follow what i can remember from all your Posts, as i have been reading many of your Posts for a while now. But this was one issue that i could not remember reading about. I lost everything i had in the 2011 flood here in Australia and had to start from scratch. I would hate to have to do that again as a result of Fire or Explosion. Where they are kept is constantly cool, all the Chargers are kept separately and i never leave the chargers unattended while Charging. There is also a Fire Extinguisher with the Chargers. If there is anything else i should know i would be Grateful to hear it.
Thanks again for all the advice.
Cheers Chris.
I already suspect about batteries stored in flashlights for a long time. Now I have ideas, thanks to the comments here.
The only torches I’ve had a battery leaks in was a Maglite Solitaire and Mini Maglite AA, meant for emergency lights so didn’t get daily use. Both alkaline leaks occurred long before battery expiry date, all new Duracells. The Mini Mag leak corroded a lot of the alu tailcap and now the light no longer works.
Thanks Chloe i have had similar issues myself, i have quite a few Led Lensers and a few Maglites, and i only ever leave Nimh Rechargable Batteries in them as they apparently don’t have the same leakage issues as Alkalines. Though Nimh are lower voltage than the Alkalines and therefore not quite as bright, it does mean that you can still grab the Torch to use when needed without having to load Batteries. I only use the Alkalines when i need the extra power, but when finished, in go the Nimh. Though i still keep a check on them and charge them from time to time.
Cheers Chris.
Well, I’m planning on leaving a set of eneloops in my Nitecore EA4W when it comes. Their low self-discharge is needed as I don’t forsee using the torch that often, especially now it’s getting lighter.
Which NiMH do you have?
I’m joining this club. 3.7V is about half capacity, not so great for use. It’s so much better having fully charged batteries ready to use at the moment’s notice, not to mention when there’s an emergency or blackout. The price - slightly reduced battery capacity sooner… no point… I prefer having fully charged 2000mAh than 50% charged 2400mAh any day.
Would you believe Aldi brand, they do a good job and very inexpensive. I use them in everything from the Torches to my Nikon Camera, which used to chew Duracells up very quickly, but the Aldi Nimh seem to last forever by comparison.
Cheers Chris
Keep many of my lights in strategic locations where I might need them, so I tend to keep them fully charged. Might run on hi for 30 sec fresh off the charger to test, but that’s full enough. 
My (charged) skyray king clone came in handy for my wife one morning a couple weeks ago when we lost power for a few hours…. Might be brighter than my bedroom lamp…
I thought I'd heard the aldi nimh batteries were rebadged eneloops ..Are they white tops ? maybe do a blf search on the topic if you're interested .. I'm sure there is aldi nimh discussion on the site .
I am also using Top Craft Precharged (Aldi) nimh batteries in the camera flash, they are as good as Eneloop and Recyko’s, and much cheaper.
These are the latest, but i have older Top Craft Precharged nimh batteries (the oldest must be about 4-5 years old, and they have about the same capacity as when i bought them).
Not really 2300mAh, only about 2000mAh, but who cares if they are only 4,99 euro for 4 AA or AAA batteries…
The standard Eneloop batteries are about 1950mAh, and they are more expensive.
These are older types, but they are all working perfect:
The lowest recommended voltage for a LiIon cell is in the range of 2.5V. Most electronic cut off curcits cuts off at 2.90-3.00V. The problem with lower voltages is that the Lithium metal starts to plate one of the electrodes in the cell. When you recharge, this lithium can catch fire and the cell can burst into flame or explode. (I think the fumes produced are toxic) Any LiIon cell that has lower voltages (and in particular, a low voltage for a long time) should either be thrown out, or marked with a BIG RED X and recharged in a fireproof, well ventaleted area. Do you have any means to test internal resistance or capacity?
Hi Boaz, if your refering to the top of the Batteries they are Black, i couldn’t comment as to a connection with Eneloops as i don’t have any yet to compare them to. But i can say this, both ALDI’s Nimh Batteries and their Smart Fast Charger work Brilliantly. Even on high load Devices. They just seem to last forever even on high drain app’s compared to Duracell and Energizers, which are higher voltage. You should give them a try, i dont think you’ll be disappointed. Cheers Chris