Alkaline batteries leaking

[y_p_w]

I recommend using Eveready Energizer lithium AA for anything of value, they will not leak by design. They are ideal for items where the battery may not be used frequently, I use them exclusively in AA maglites, and expensive remotes or seldom used devices.

BTW, the warrantees will be honored by battery manufacturers...I worked for Duracell for 3 years, many decades ago...they will always make you whole. They send you a check, usually for the full retail value of the item, along with coupons for free batteries. They also keep track of your claims over the years.

At this point, low self discharge NiMH may be ideal for that situation. I've almost never seen one leak badly, and the rare times I've seen one leak it was extremely dry out of the positive terminal where it didn't just end up on the contact. They work great in remotes, and if I need to top off I don't worry about it while with non-rechargeable battery there's an incentive to use it even it's low on charge. Also - I like being able to top off and be reasonably sure that it's got a reasonably charged battery rather than guess (I suppose one could test the battery) how much charge is left.

Now alkalines I've see tons leak. I'll inevitably forget and then I come back and there's the crystals coming out of the negative terminal and possibly some liquid still there.

 

[f355spider]

At this point, low self discharge NiMH may be ideal for that situation. I've almost never seen one leak badly, and the rare times I've seen one leak it was extremely dry out of the positive terminal where it didn't just end up on the contact. They work great in remotes, and if I need to top off I don't worry about it while with non-rechargeable battery there's an incentive to use it even it's low on charge. Also - I like being able to top off and be reasonably sure that it's got a reasonably charged battery rather than guess (I suppose one could test the battery) how much charge is left.

Now alkalines I've see tons leak. I'll inevitably forget and then I come back and there's the crystals coming out of the negative terminal and possibly some liquid still there.

Not sure what the rate of self discharge is with NiMH but it is extremely low with lithium cells, and why they are great for flashlights that sit in glove boxes and such. They will work 8 years later and never leak. The other way around it is to check and replace alkaline cells every 12 months...I used to do this with (and still use) cheaper Costco Kirland Signature AAs and AAAs which are made by Duracell. But I am old and getting forgetful...so now using lithium for little used devices. I still use the costco AAs and AAAs in high use stuff like all the Xfinity remotes, wall and desk clocks, and stuff. I use lithium in expensive remotes for my home theater though.

 

[y_p_w]

Not sure what the rate of self discharge is with NiMH but it is extremely low with lithium cells, and why they are great for flashlights that sit in glove boxes and such. They will work 8 years later and never leak. The other way around it is to check and replace alkaline cells every 12 months...I used to do this with (and still use) cheaper Costco Kirland Signature AAs and AAAs which are made by Duracell. But I am old and getting forgetful...so now using lithium for little used devices. I still use the costco AAs and AAAs in high use stuff like all the Xfinity remotes, wall and desk clocks, and stuff. I use lithium in expensive remotes for my home theater though.

Depends on what you get. 4th generation Eneloop (which has been in production since maybe 2014 and now made by FDK-Fujitsu) now claims 90% after 1 year and 70% after 10 years.

I've forgotten about some 1st generation Eneloops (Sanyo branded) that I left fully charged in a jacket pocket for at least 9 years where I forgot it. I pulled them out and tried them in a flashlight and they were still about as bright as a freshly charged battery. I didn't run it on a tester or voltmeter, but I charged them and put them right back in my rotation, although I used them as matched pairs for two-cell LED flashlights. I don't currently use a 2-AA remote control, but I'd probably use them for that too.

I've taken to using Ikea LADDA batteries, which are clearly made by FDK-Fujitsu, which is the only consumer NiMH battery manufacturer in Japan now. They do sell them differently and there's speculation as to whether or not they're a different design or just bin sorted after testing. They do advertise them as "ready to use" (assumed to be charged to about 70% of max), but only market them as rated for 1000 cycles as opposed to the top of the line from others that say 2100 cycles. Ikea also doesn't provide self discharge numbers. I think the last time I got them it was on sale - maybe $5 for a 4 pack of AA and $4.50 for a 4 pack of AAA.

I've looked at the price of the Energizer lithiums. Maybe it's possible to find better prices, but they seem to be more expensive than Eneloops. I've switched almost everything in my home (and car) to NiMH. They work just fine and I'm not so worried about them leaking like I've seen with alkalines. I get that the lithium batteries are light and have a ridiculous run time, but I rather like the ability to just charge emergency batteries periodically. With a remote I'll just pop in a charged battery when I feel like it, but I'm sure I do it well before the battery stops working. I've heard it's actually better for battery longevity to do so. However, it makes a lot more sense to use some for emergency purposes if there's already a lot in use that can use the same chargers. I'm guessing that I have about 40 low self discharge NiMH batteries circulating in my house. And even if stuff is for "emergency use" I don't feel so bad about whipping out a flashlight to use when I know I'm going to charge the battery when I'm done and then put in a charged battery to replace it.

 

[ProbeGT]

BTW, the warrantees will be honored by battery manufacturers...I worked for Duracell for 3 years, many decades ago...they will always make you whole. They send you a check, usually for the full retail value of the item, along with coupons for free batteries. They also keep track of your claims over the years.

Thanks for that insight, that gives me some hope. So far I exchanged 7 emails with the Rayovac/Energizer support team. They keep inventing new questions and ask for additional photos with every exchange. I sent them 18 photos in total so far. Sure feels like they want to wear me down.

At this point, low self discharge NiMH may be ideal for that situation.

I have been using a rechargeables including a few white Sanyo branded Eneloops for years. None leaked but only the Eneloops have retained their capacity. One issue with NiMh is that nominal voltage is only 1.2V (vs 1.5-1.7V alkaline/lithium). Some devices see them as "low" even when freshly charged.

 

[Nukeman7]

Not sure what the rate of self discharge is with NiMH but it is extremely low with lithium cells, and why they are great for flashlights that sit in glove boxes and such. They will work 8 years later and never leak. The other way around it is to check and replace alkaline cells every 12 months...I used to do this with (and still use) cheaper Costco Kirland Signature AAs and AAAs which are made by Duracell. But I am old and getting forgetful...so now using lithium for little used devices. I still use the costco AAs and AAAs in high use stuff like all the Xfinity remotes, wall and desk clocks, and stuff. I use lithium in expensive remotes for my home theater though.

The truth is that lithium batteries will RARELY leak. I purchased a dozen of the Energizer Lithium AA batteries in 2021 with an expiration date of 12-2038. Last year, one of these batteries leaked in an expensive Streamlight penlight and damaged a terminal. I opted to clean up the corrosion with a dremel rotory tool in lieu of going through the tedious process of submitting a claim with Eveready. However, I will process a claim if another leak occurs.

I am now convinced that only NiMH batteries don't leak. I have a set of original SANYO Eneloops that still hold 80% charge of full capacity after 20 years of regular use.

 

[y_p_w]

I have been using a rechargeables including a few white Sanyo branded Eneloops for years. None leaked but only the Eneloops have retained their capacity. One issue with NiMh is that nominal voltage is only 1.2V (vs 1.5-1.7V alkaline/lithium). Some devices see them as "low" even when freshly charged.

The old Sanyo NiMH batteries were generally easy to spot. They were always labelled as made in Japan (as far as I could tell) and had "HR" stamped on the negative terminal. I do remember that their capacity increased over the years although they might have had different capacities in production at the same time. I've had them with the labels for Maxell, Energizer, Duracell, Maha, and Sanyo, and I'm sure there were more. Over the years I've bought ones rated at 1600,1950, 2150, 2300, and 2500 mAh. I think there were some with even higher capacity but they were really expensive. I used to use those a lot in my digital camera, where a freshly charged set would easily provide more photos and would cycle the flash faster than alkaline. I remember my first "prosumer" camera - a Canon Powershot S1. The manual said that 1200 mAh NiMH should provide more photos than a typical set of new alkaline batteries. But of course the issue with the alkalines is that they couldn't handle the demands at a certain point for high enough current. They might even go through about half the capacity before they cut out. I've heard of some who used alkalines in a pinch and then found some other use (like a wall clock) later. I think low current LED lights mights be a good use. I also had a Sony portable TV that used 3 AAs. I got about the same run time out of alkalines vs 1600 mAh AAs - about 3.5 hours. But the alkalines got really hot in operation while the NiMH stayed reasonably warm to the touch.

The new low self discharge versions are interesting too as Sanyo started it, but they had to sell it off with the Panasonic merger - to Fujitsu. But Panasonic now sells them with the Eneloop name but purchased from Fujitsu.

I really don't have too many problems with NiMH. Some flashlights might be brighter with the higher voltage, but not all. Most 2-AA or 2-AAA devices I know of will work fine like remotes. I think they're designed to drain down to use as much capacity out of an alkaline battery as possible, so NiMh should be fine too.

 

[y_p_w]

I am now convinced that only NiMH batteries don't leak. I have a set of original SANYO Eneloops that still hold 80% charge of full capacity after 20 years of regular use.

I don't believe they've been on the market that long. Close to it though.

I've got some first gen Eneloops and a set of Sony branded versions that have date stamps from 2007 and 2008 and they're doing great. The only ones I've seen that noticeably failed were those that were used in a cordless phone with cradle charging. But even then they lasted longer than the batteries that came with the phone handsets. The only time I've ever seen an Eneloop (or a different branded equivalent from the same factory) leak was just a little bit of white dust coming out of the positive terminal. But it didn't reach the tip of the terminal and seemed really dry. When I've had alkalines leak, there was clearly acid that came out that might have then dried out. And usually it was coming out of the negative terminal. I think with NiMH they have to have some way to vent for safety reasons.

 

[Nukeman7]

I don't believe they've been on the market that long. Close to it though.

You are correct...I was off by a few years. I bought them when they were new to the market because I didn't care for the NiCad technology which developed a memory.

 

[y_p_w]

You are correct...I was off by a few years. I bought them when they were new to the market because I didn't care for the NiCad technology which developed a memory.

View attachment 153849

It's getting close to 20 years.

I'm not sure what the deal is with the reliability over the years. There's one site that lists the performance specs. I think it was an estimated 1500, 1800, 2000, and then 2100 expected cycles for the 1st through 4th generation. As far as I know, the business was already sold to Fujitsu by the time the 2nd generation came out, so Fujitsu has been doing the design since 2010. I've got a variety of 2nd and 3rd generation Eneloops with the Sanyo brand. When I had first generation I might have used chargers that weren't ideal, like a Maha charger that went into trickle charge mode when full. I had this one Sony branded smart charger that stopped charging when full, but it was weird with a single light. I was using these Sanyo/Eneloop branded chargers that only charged in pairs. Not exactly ideal with the

But I've almost exclusively used Panasonic branded chargers with 4 separate positions since I got them. I might occasionally break out one of the pair chargers if I'm in a hurry. I still don't like the idea of charging in pairs since there could be over or under charging. Since then they've been terribly solid. I do have a few weird ones though including one that went through my washer and dryer. The label somewhat rubbed off, but it still works superbly. Several of mine are from Costco, which came in two shades of blue for AA and two shades of green for AAA. Made it easier to sort. I believe they've back-dated the current specs (70% after 10 years) to all 4th gen Eneloop. There was really no way to test that outside of accelerated aging tests.

 

[dubber09]

I've gone with Ladda from Ikea in most devices, pretty much same thing as Eneloop at half price, made in Japan and supposedly same factory as Eneloops.

 

[y_p_w]

I've gone with Ladda from Ikea in most devices, pretty much same thing as Eneloop at half price, made in Japan and supposedly same factory as Eneloops.

I've got plenty of those myself, in AA (1900) or AAA (750) with the newer gray label. They were certainly cheap when I got them. I don't care for the 2450 mAh versions as they don't have the longevity and they likely don't have as good retention.

They don't publish any charge retention specs though. And the package (1900 and 750) clearly states 1000 expected cycles - probably to the industry standard 60% of original capacity. And even at that point it's probably fine for a flashlight that I use for a few minutes a day or a mouse where I put in a charged battery within a week or month.

4th gen Eneloop clearly states expected retention of 70% after 10 years and up to 2100 cycles.

There's some speculation that what Ikea gets may be built to a slightly lower standard or that they're bin sorted during testing.

 

[Dave_T]

Cell quality is important for performance/longevity, but the charger is often overlooked as that's what really helps maximize what any single cell can do. Definitely a good idea to invest in a quality programmable charger that can work with multiple battery chemistries and charge each individually.

 

[dubber09]

I use 2450 AAs and 900 AAAs, they have been great for the past 3 years, 500 cycles is more than enough for me, if I charged them every week that'd be 500 weeks ~ 10 years but I charge them once a month if that.

 

[y_p_w]

Cell quality is important for performance/longevity, but the charger is often overlooked as that's what really helps maximize what any single cell can do. Definitely a good idea to invest in a quality programmable charger that can work with multiple battery chemistries and charge each individually.

I've done pretty well with the basic Panasonic BQ-CC17 charger that came in kits. I've got three, and one is clearly a different design. I got the latest recently, and I've taken apart my previous ones, which has a charging circuit from a company that's no longer in the business. I don't really have any of that programmability or ability to analyze batteries, but it does a great job at charging batteries independently and not over or under charging at a reasonably slow rate.

 

[y_p_w]

I use 2450 AAs and 900 AAAs, they have been great for the past 3 years, 500 cycles is more than enough for me, if I charged them every week that'd be 500 weeks ~ 10 years but I charge them once a month if that.

I'm more worried about the possibility of early failure. I haven't had one of the 4th gen Enelooop or equivalent fail. They all still clearly work, including some after years. I don't have detailed logs, but I suspect that none have come anywhere near the number of rated cycles. I have had old Sanyo made NiMH cells fail, and I'm pretty sure that many weren't used enough to get anywhere close to the rated cycles, but storage, self-discharge, and the quality of the charger used could have been factors. However, their low self-discharge design seems to be a ridiculous advance in overall reliability.

 

[willbur]

I recommend using Eveready Energizer lithium AA for anything of value, they will not leak by design. They are ideal for items where the battery may not be used frequently, I use them exclusively in AA maglites, and expensive remotes or seldom used devices.

BTW, the warrantees will be honored by battery manufacturers...I worked for Duracell for 3 years, many decades ago...they will always make you whole. They send you a check, usually for the full retail value of the item, along with coupons for free batteries. They also keep track of your claims over the years.

Check? They sent me a coupon that retailers refused to honor. Threw into trash- no more Duracell for me.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I am a Ray-O-Vac user and am sad that they were bought. I have an old radio collection and used the ray-O-Vacs in most but no Duracell period. They ruined their reputation with me. Their car batteries seem to be good though.

 

[paulo57509]

The past 2-3 years, I've had more than a few AA and AAA Duracells leak. They're getting to be like Ranata coin batteries - stay away. I've had Duracell 9-volt batteries swell at the bottom closure but not leak.

I usually get rechargeable batteries from Mouser or Digikey.

 

[Pablo]

I'll NEVER buy another Duracell

 

[f355spider]

Check? They sent me a coupon that retailers refused to honor. Threw into trash- no more Duracell for me.

The check is usually provided to compensate for the damaged device. Coupons are to replace the batteries that leaked. Usually they send a bunch coupons for two or three times the number that leaked. Been many decades since I worked there...their policies may have changed.