alpg88
Flashlight Enthusiast
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get aa to C adapter, usa pile lithium AA.
Alkaline brand least likely to leak?
- Thread starter Scotsman1886
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Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
1DaveN
Enlightened
The only ones I've never had leak are Duracell Quantums. I've used a lot of them in computer keyboards and mice, but never in flashlights, so YMMV.
Richwouldnt
Enlightened
I have had numerous alkaline battery leaks, primarily in low drain devices where the batteries are left in for a long term or in seldom used flashlights, though not recently. Both Energizer and Duracell are a lot better than they used to be in my experience and I am now 76 years old. For cameras or other high drain devices that use AA batteries I like Energizer Lithiums or NIMH. I just pulled out a Canon digital camera that I had not used in years and it powered up fine with Energizer Lithiums in it that went out of date in 2013. No signs of leakage in any of the four AA batteries.
Energizer lithiums are almost leakproof. I've only heard of one instance of them leaking.... and I wonder if they were fakes or abused somehow as nobody else I know of has experiences ANY leaks with lithium primaries.
sgt253
Enlightened
Rayovac batteries are advertising themselves to be "leak proof" on their packaging. I have never had any leak on me. I have had Duracell and Energizer alkaline leak, among others.
I bet their guarantee is no different than other battery brands who also guarantee "not to leak" their guarantee is no better than those who don't guarantee to not leak.
I've had plenty of Rayovacs leak including brand new batteries never used leak years before expiration in a storage box with other batteries who did not leak. If Rayovac could truly make a leak proof battery they would make a fortune as people who buy Energizer lithiums could replace them with Rayovac alkalines.
Personally, I don"t trust any alkalines not to leak. I won't take the chance with any flashlight that I care about.
WalkIntoTheLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Alkalines are not leak-proof. If companies guarantee it, all they're doing is betting that when they leak and ruin your stuff, you either won't bother sending stuff in for a refund, or you won't have the receipts to do it.
I can guarantee you that you'll never die. But, I'm not worried about you collecting on that bet if I lose.
I can guarantee you that you'll never die. But, I'm not worried about you collecting on that bet if I lose.
markr6
Flashaholic
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Deal!
I had my first alkaline leak ever. A Husky tire pressure gauge from Home Depot. It came with cheap AAA. About a year old, it stopped working when I went to use it last night. Inside, the cells were covered in oily orange liquid. Smelled similar to rust. I wiped it off and put new batteries in. No harm done.
Katherine Alicia
Enlightened
I`v used 100`s of Kodak alkalines over about a 10 year period and never once had a problem with them, I never put them in my lights though (I wouldn`t Dare!).
They probably could make an unleakable alkaline cell but the cost would be prohibitive probably costing twice as much as Energizer Lithiums. Current alkaleaks can be had for about 25-50 cents each with the name brand (bragging rights) versions around $1 or so a cell. I'm thinking that for safety reasons you have to design the cell to be able to vent under high stress conditions to keep it from literally exploding from pressure built up and that the ability to vent could be part of the weakness that makes for leaking.
lunas
Enlightened
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post was about a sentimental flashlight that needed non leaking batteries.
so your options are Lithium based or rechargeables neither will leak lithium handles cold weather better. IMHO why risk damaging a sentimental light leave it in a drawer at home and buy a cheap edc 18650 light. or 14500 i recommend a thorfire tg06s or vg15s for edc use. Otherwise get some NIMH unfortunately c and d cell lithium primary @1.5v don't exist due to a patent holding of energizer...
so your options are Lithium based or rechargeables neither will leak lithium handles cold weather better. IMHO why risk damaging a sentimental light leave it in a drawer at home and buy a cheap edc 18650 light. or 14500 i recommend a thorfire tg06s or vg15s for edc use. Otherwise get some NIMH unfortunately c and d cell lithium primary @1.5v don't exist due to a patent holding of energizer...
the reason for most leaky failures is the alkaline electrolyte eating a pinhole in the outer shell and then seeping out because of the way the battery works this is something that can only ever be slowed down never eliminated without changing the chemistry. So given enough time all alkalines will eventually leak and grow those crystals. the white corrosion is potassium and sodium and aluminum and tin hydroxides and green corrosion likely Nickel or copper hydroxides is a crystallization of the electrolyte the tin outer case of the battery your terminals are nickel and copper and water All of these are water soluble so cleanup is more or less easy the cleanup of the damage is less so. Aluminum nickel and copper and it's oxide will be eaten away the residue might wash out but putting that metal it dissolved is not easy to fix.
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Voniko, which is manufactured by like the third or forth largest battery manufacturer in the world and the second largest in China, claims their alkalines have "double barrier leak protection." Not sure how that works, or if it's a marketing gimmick, but so far they've got good reviews. Although reviews can't be fully trusted. I see people all the time on amazon give a 1 star review on alkaline batteries "because it leaked and ruined their charger when they tried to recharge it." I just shake my head and move on.
I've had great luck with panasonic and Fujitsu. Guess which major alkaline manufacturer has been having panasonic and Fujitsu manufacturer alkaline cells for them? Energizer.
I've had great luck with panasonic and Fujitsu. Guess which major alkaline manufacturer has been having panasonic and Fujitsu manufacturer alkaline cells for them? Energizer.
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I seriously doubt that a leak proof alkaline battery could be made/sold cheaper than Energizer lithium primaries by enough to justify paying for them. I think in order to "win" the longest running war that thinner walls and smaller less robust seals have been incorporated and even higher quality and better made seals if made smaller is probably not going to help.
If your alkaleaks leak only half as much but still leak it doesn't help things as it only takes an occasional leak, not a once in a lifetime leak to ruin your trust in them. I just had some no name alkalines leak in a cheap light, 2 different brand cells in the same light that had 3 cells in it.
I'm not too concerned as the light cost me only $3 and has easily accessible battery compartment so I cleaned it up and put other cheap alkaleaks in it.
I have yet to find a brand that is easily locally source of alkaleaks that don't leak. I won't pay $1/cell for AA and AAA alkaleaks when I can pay about 20 cents more for Energizer lithiums and they perform a lot better and I can worry free store them for a decade and use them a lot later instead of worrying about expiration dates.
Climb14er
Enlightened
Energizer Lithiums!
lunas
Enlightened
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This will only slow down the leaks where Lithium and NiMH are different chemistry and can't leak. Again why risk damage to a sentimental light leave it at home in a drawer with no batteries in it
Actually nimh do leak, but rarely damaging mostly a white dry powder and lithium primaries almost never leak too but there have been reported cases of them leaking (very very rare). And to Frijid, don't trust any brand.... luck or not... to not leak on you. It only takes one leak to ruin your day and make you curse alkaleaks.
Former_Mag_User
Enlightened
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I'm personally done with alkaline batteries in flashlights. I've had way too many leak and worst case, ruined flashlights
Only lithium primaries or rechargeable for me
Only lithium primaries or rechargeable for me
That is why I call them alkaleaks. I don't put them in any sort of "tube" where they can be trapped when they burst and don't put them in anything I can't get to the contacts either or anything that costs me more than $10 to replace if I get juiced by em.
