Lots of leaking alkaline batteries?

[VaSteve]

When I was a kid I would have batteries leak all the time. (and I think the used the cheap ones....Rayovac and that Black cat battery...) Then for many many years, I never had a problem.

Lately, I have been finding leaking Energizers and Duracells in all sorts of stuff. Kids toys, camping lantern, maglight. Some stuff I can fix, some I cannot...the maglight was all fubared.

Anyway, has something gone bad with the batteries or are the devices crappier these days?

[Porchdog]

They took the mercury out of them. The mercury stabilized the chemistry - They've been having trouble ever since they took it out.

Good NiMh rechargeables are a pretty good substitute. Li-ion is also good, but expensive. Cheap Li-ion have a tendency to blow up.

[Tilikum Turbo]

Friend of mine ave me the large Mag-Light a few years back.

Set it in the closet for about 6 months, came back and the entire head was swimming in fluid! Destroyed to say the least.

Seems like we pay now 1st World prices for a lot of 3rd World Garbage

[legion]

The EPA has mandated the removal of lead from solder, tri-sodium phosphate from dish and laundry detergent, and mercury from batteries.

We now pay much more for far inferior products as a result.

[Cajundaddy]

A few years ago I switched over to nearly all rechargeable batteries. I haven't bought batteries since and they are good for 2100 charge cycles. Give em a look:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-K-KJ17MCA4BA-Individual-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00JHKSMJU/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

[look 171]

Sanyo Eneloop solved all my batteries issues. One of best rated rechargeable batteries around. Panasonic is also damn good.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by look 171

Sanyo Eneloop solved all my batteries issues.

Bit cheap but great batteries.

[Hugh R]

I have three very precise industrial hygiene air sampling pumps that cost around $500 each, they run on AA batteries. I NEVER store them with batteries.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Bit cheap but great batteries.

Please tell.

I found them to not last as long as regular alkaline batteries.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

A few years ago I switched over to nearly all rechargeable batteries. I haven't bought batteries since and they are good for 2100 charge cycles. Give em a look:

Amazon.com: Panasonic K-KJ17MCA4BA Advanced Individual Cell Battery Charger with eneloop AA New 2100 Cycle Rechargeable Batteries, 4 Pack, White: PANASONIC: Electronics

Daddy, do they hold their charge when not in use and hold as much energy as good alkaline batteries? I had issues with rechargeables a few years ago (went flat in storage, didn't last long in use) and moved away from them. Battery management is a big pain here. Rechargables would be great if they have improved and are any good now.
The only things I store with the batteries in them are my flashlights.

[Cajundaddy]

Yes, they hold a charge while in storage well unlike the old NiCads which faded fast. I have about 30 AAs and 12 AAAs and just rotate them through a charger as needed. None have failed yet and they are powering solar yard lights, flashlights, cameras, remote controls, electronics etc. Initial cost is 4x a good alkaline but with 2100 charge cycles the payback is quick. And no leaks...

[wdfifteen]

I hate to keep asking - here is my situation and I hope you can tell me if rechargeables would be a good solution.

When I go out on a photo shoot I put new or nearly new batteries in the flashes, transmitter, & receivers because I can't miss a shot because a device didn't go off. When I get home I have these partially depleted batteries that I have to test. Testing is a pain. If they are 1/2 charged or more I use them again, less than 1/2 I put them away for non-critical things - of which I don't have a lot. So now I have a pile of <1/2 charged AA batteries. Would I be able to put a rechargeable on the charger to top it up and keep using the same batteries, or do they lose their charge holding ability if not completely depleted before recharging? Using a battery until it is depleted or weak is just not an option for me.

[look 171]

They say the Nimh do not develop memory. Hell, I top them off all the time. When they go bad, I just replace them, still they are pretty cheap to replace.

[Cajundaddy]

You don't have to run these all the way down every time like the old NiCads. Topping off is fine for most uses. Maybe once every 20 charges running them down like a laptop or phone battery will restore the last 5% of capacity. When I use camera and flash I charge 8 AAs the night before and it is good for more than 100 shots. I also rotate batteries around from high demand like camera and flash to low demand like flashlights and remotes.

We do a lot of scuba and UW photography so topped batteries are pretty important. No fun having your dive light fade out while at 90' in pitch darkness with a 8' octopus hunting nearby.

Different tools sometimes require different methods. Capacity on an Alkaline AA is 2k-2.8k ma/h depending on how heavy demand is. Eneloop is good for about 2k ma/h and holds up well under heavy demand like strobes. They have come along way from the old 500ma/h NiCads that faded quickly and had to be run to zero every time to prevent charge memory.

Here is a good AA comparison for photog use including strobe recycle time and $$.
The Best AA Battery for Flash - The Ultimate Practical Review of AA Batteries for Photography - Part I

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I hate to keep asking - here is my situation and I hope you can tell me if rechargeables would be a good solution.

When I go out on a photo shoot I put new or nearly new batteries in the flashes, transmitter, & receivers because I can't miss a shot because a device didn't go off. When I get home I have these partially depleted batteries that I have to test. Testing is a pain. If they are 1/2 charged or more I use them again, less than 1/2 I put them away for non-critical things - of which I don't have a lot. So now I have a pile of <1/2 charged AA batteries. Would I be able to put a rechargeable on the charger to top it up and keep using the same batteries, or do they lose their charge holding ability if not completely depleted before recharging? Using a battery until it is depleted or weak is just not an option for me.

These are what I currently use in my camera and xbox controllers. Energizer® Recharge® Power Plus AA Batteries

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/Rechargeable_FAQ.pdf

Newer batteries don't seems to have the "memory" problem that older rechargeables had. Smart chargers help too. I took roughly 800 pictures on my DSLR during the Petit LeMans before I had to switch my AA rechargeable batteries.

[wdfifteen]

Thanks to all the responses to my question. You inspired me to go do more research, and this is what I found:

Sanyo Eneloop are widely regarded as the best batteries out there. The ones I bought have been fine so far but I haven't really put them to the test except to accidentally TOTALLY discharge them. I didn't know that was a no-no.



A big lesson was that a good charger/maintainer is as important as the batteries. I got this one as it was highly recommended. It charges, tests, maintains, and "refreshes" batteries. What it won't do is charge a totally dead one.



It has windows that display the status of each battery, which is very useful. I put some old NiMH batteries that had been a total disappointment in this charger and set it to "refresh." On refresh it charges and discharges the battery repeatedly until the amount of charge it accepts stops increasing with each cycle. It took my 5 year old Energizer NiMH batteries from less than 400 mAh capacity (they were rated at 2500) to over 1700 when they finally had had enough. It took 3 days. They are now useful batteries again, though not like new.
This new smart charger won't recognize a battery that puts out less than .1 volt, and I had run mine flat. Fortunately I had the old dumb charger around. I put them in it for 1 minute, which brought them back up enough that the new charger recognized them as batteries.
Bottom line, rechargables are way better than they used to be, and the chargers are better too.

[mistertate]

What about 9 volts in smoke detectors? It seems I have to check or change a smoke detector battery at 3am way more than I'd like. At first I thought I should buy better smoke detectors but now I'm guessing it's the batteries themselves?

[Scuba Steve]

What kind of charger is it? I have a bunch of AA/AAA NiMH batteries that are about 5 years old that still work great, but only when the Energizer charger they came with recognizes them. I'm down to about half of what I started with; I want to say that some of them started having trouble with the charger at only a few months old.

[wdfifteen]

La Cross BC 700 Alpha charger. About $45. I don't know what the finished one the picture above topped out at, but two of the ones in the photo were at 2100 mAh this morning. They started at less than 400. Been on the charger since Monday.

[Por_sha911]

Well, my apologies to look 171 for not responding sooner. Somehow I missed seeing this thread until today.
Enelop are not cheap but they have been great for me. The hold a charge a really long time where normal rechargables drop even when not used. I use them in a digital camera because the recharge time for flash is a lot shorter