I’ve learned to loathe and avoid Duracell Copper tops. They start leaking very quickly. I just found a 14 pack of AAA in a drawer with several batteries already leaking. Date March 2014. I’m going to throw the entire pack away.
I found leaking batteries in my remotes and even in a land line phone last year. The landline phone’s electronic memory (stored numbers) and the speakerphone function was working. Working with leaking and corroded batteries? :dubious: WTH?
Whats happened? I remember when Duracell Copper Tops were introduced in the early 80’s. You could use them a couple years past the expiration date without a leak. I quit buying old fashioned batteries because they leaked.
I’m switching to Eveready Energizer. All the Duracells in my remotes are getting switched out ASAP. Throwing out any Duracells I find in my kitchen drawer.
Which is better Eveready Energizer or Eveready Gold?
All alkalines have the potential for leaking, I found that Energizers were worse than Duracells generally speaking
As far as the best Energizers? Any of their Lithium AA cells, a little more expensive, but they last a heck of a lot longer, especially in low drain devices
As far as battery leakage damage, try some white vinegar, it’s an acid, and will neutralize the alkaline residue, there’ll still be pitting damage, but no further eating away by the battery goop
At least alkalines don’t cause as much damage. Those old fashioned D cells had acid in them. They’d completely ruin a flashlight. I can’t recall the name for them lead acid battery? Anyway it was the standard flashlight battery before alkalines came out.
Remember these? Been thirty years since I saw any. They ruined a lot of flashlights and radios.
March 2014 means the pack was probably several years old. I am not sure how far the good date goes but I know it’s at least 3-4 years.
As to what happened, battery formulas have been changed repeatedly in recent years to reduce and eliminate mercury and other toxic components. The tradeoff is less stability in favor of lower toxicity and more delivered power (lower internal resistance).
Shrug. Pick any two or three characteristics and live without the rest. I don’t know that any brand is better, in the overall analysis, than any other now.
Before alkalines came out, your typical “regular” battery was carbon-zinc, which is a dry cell. There was a heavy duty zinc-chloride version. The guts were more of a paste than a liquid acid.
Lead acid batteries are what cars use. They also used to be common in laptops (along with nickel cadmium batteries) but have since been replaced by lithium ion batteries.
Carbon-zinc rings a bell. Hadn’t heard that term in a long time. thanks engineer_comp_geek
There probably isn’t much difference in Duracell and Eveready. I always bought Duracell since they came out in the 80’s. Won’t hurt to try Eveready Energizer and see if they are any better.
I haven’t seen the Energizer Rabbit in awhile. I bet they put in cheap Copper Top batteries that leaked and killed him too.
Maybe a little of both. Slight savings in the plated steel case are probably more than offset by added chemical contents, for one thing. But the need to zoom total mAh and peak current has been the primary driver for battery change in recent years - besides the mercury issue.
Sure, but why advertise it? Attaching ‘leak-proof’ to the Energizer name makes it seem like they’re recovering from a major leakage issue.
They also state ‘No Leaks Guaranteed or they will replace the device’. Why even take the chance with Energizer if it can ruin my device and maybe just maybe receive a replacement after jumping through crazy warranty hoops.
Sounds like a waste of time that could be avoided by choosing a different brand.
I don’t leave a cheap flashlight in a wet tackle box in the bottom of a boat that is outside & in the water 24/7/365 anymore.
The longest unchecked batteries in my circle of influence is the 9v in the different detectors. They have alarms when things are low or bad.
Laptop batteries are the ones that I have the hardest time remembering to disconnect because I am never sure when I am going to leave it for an extended time.
I learned to check batteries. Got your remote in your hand? Pop open the battery compartment, spin the batteries, look for trouble, close compartment. 15 seconds if I go real slow.
I have not had an AA or a AAA leak or corrode in years & years.
The tiny effort and short time to do these things are worth it to me.
I even get good service from the super cheap from the Dollar Store that were made in a tin shack in some far away country & shipped by boat to the US batteries.
I just don’t ask or expect them to do something they were not designed to do.
All batteries are not created equal.
I am looking FWD to the next compound to be used that will be better than Lithium.
I don’t know anyone who is not aware that batteries can and do leak, and that if they do leak, they can destroy whatever they’re sitting in.
OTOH, until this thread I was unaware of any batteries advertised as leak-proof, and promising not only to replace leaking batteries but any device that leak destroys. (Though I’m sure there is some fine print that limits their liability.)
Next time I need a battery, I’m going to look for a leak-proof one and buy it unless it’s ridiculously expensive.
Why look for a battery that claims to be ‘leak-proof’ if you know that all batteries can and do leak? Aren’t you now trusting a false statement?
Energizer really lost my business on this one. When I see the word ‘leak’ anywhere near my alkaline batteries I immediately assume they are sub-standard and may ruin my device.
So let me get this straight: out of all the brands of batteries, which can and do leak, you vow to avoid the one brand that is confident enough in its technology to be able to offer a no-leak guarantee?
