Have you recently had AA batteries start leaking acid?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I thought the problem with batteries leaking went away 20 years with with the new alkaline batteries. I went over a decade without a leaking battery.

The last two sets of AA batteries in my Durabrand Phone have leaked. It happened last night. The phone display goes out and I check the batteries. Worthless Duracell was dated 2015 and leaking. Same darn thing happened a couple years ago. One day the phone display dies and I find leaking Duracell AA batteries that were still a year or more from expiring. Lost all my pre programmed phone numbers. :mad: Took an hour to get them all programmed back in.

Two sets of leaking Duracell has taught me a lesson. I’ll never buy Duracell again. Going today to buy Energizer AA’s.

2

I too have had problems with Duracells leaking. Ruined a flashlight and SWMBO’s walkman…and you can’t buy that model walkman anymore. I avoid them now.

3

Did you buy them at Costco, by chance?

I’ve had a couple Duracells leak recently, and I’m pretty sure they came from a superduper pack from Costco.

4

I found a leaky battery in a kitchen timer just last week. And yes, it was Kirkland (Costco).

5

I always buy the economy packs of AA batteries. I think mine came from Home Depot. That’s where I usually buy batteries.

I remember as a kid regular lead acid batteries would leak very easily. I had some toys and my Boy Scout flashlight damaged that way. Dad always bought Ray O Vac. alkaline batteries seemed resistant to leaking, unless they were years past the expire date.

Can’t imagine what happened to Duracell. But, I’m trying Energizer now and hopefully they are better.

6

I haven’t used Duracell in a few years but now I know to avoid them for the time being. I usually buy store brand batteries nowadays and they do well for me.

7

Slight nitpick: Alkaline batteries don’t have acid in them - that’s why they are alkaline (sodium or potassium hydroxide), although it is nevertheless corrosive (and will start to sting after a few minutes if you get some on your hands and don’t notice).

Also, I’m curious as to what toys and flashlights used “regular lead-acid” batteries; maybe you meant zinc–carbon, which is notorious for leaking because the case itself is involved in the chemical reaction (even in these, the electrolyte is ammonium chloride, which is only slightly acidic).

8

Zinc Carbon that’s the name I was trying to remember. The plain Ray O Vac or Eveready that everybody bought when I was a kid. They’d leak very easily if left too long in a flashlight or radio.

Can’t recall when I first saw Alkaline. Maybe 1979 or 80? Next thing you know they completely took over the store shelf. I haven’t bought a plain Ray O Vac battery in 25 years.