How often should stored lights be checked?

[ypsifly]

How often should you check lights that have batteries in them that are kept for emergencies? I have a few around the house and in my truck that use C and D alkalines. How often should I check for leakage and discharge?

I've noticed that the ones in my truck always need to be changed after the winter, so I'm guessing temperature is a factor in discharge.

 

[Flying Turtle]

I need to do this much more often. Maybe weekly would be good enough. Can never check them too much, I suppose.

Geoff

 

[FlashKat]

Invest in a flashlight that uses lithium batteries.

 

[ypsifly]

I have several lights loaded with lithiums, but the ones in my truck are cheaper lights that use Cs and Ds, plus I have a couple M@gs and lanterns in the house that use the same cells.

I get good alkaline Ds for free and Cs for dirt cheap, so those formats work just fine for me for some applications.

 

[Benson]

Cold weather should actually slow self-discharge -- freezing the electrolyte would damage the cells, but that's well below the freezing point of water. (I'd have to look up what it actually is, though...) I wonder whether that might be due to more usage of lights in winter?

Frankly, if you've never had any leak at your current inspection rate, you're fine, and if you have, then you should check more often, but if you get free D cells, I'd ditch all the C cell lights and replace the cells every 3 or 6 months, need it or not. Because when you do need it, it really sucks to start with a half-empty battery.

 

[chmsam]

Temperature extremes cause batteries to stop working but not necessarily discharge. However that doesn't make a whole lot of difference if the light doesn't work when you really need it. If it's a light that could mean your life depends on it, run it on lithiums (longer shelf life and better in extreme temps).

I check my lights every 4-6 months but I change out the alkaline batteries in my important lights (if they won't take lithiums) every year. I also perform a thorough preventive maintenance every 6 months to a year.

 

[bluepilgrim]

If you use the light every month or so you can check them then. If you use them less frequently just store the batteries in a plastic bag next to or attched to the light -- it takes only a few seconds to put them in, and you can also see if the batteries are leaking just by looking at them through the bag.

 

[RedLED]

Good question!

Like everyone here, I have a ton of lights. The ones in my store room, and furnace room, I have post it notes on the pegboard telling my when to check them, since I am not in thoes areas of the house on a daily basis.

Af for the others...once in a while I have a free day to tinker at home in which, I take my ZTS Meter and make the rounds to check them.

I should have a tighter routine since this is earthquake and riot country.

Thanks for a good question, it has me thinking of a system. Like I need another chore!