Leaking batteries?

[Uncle Alvah]

recall all kinds of problems with leaking flashlight batteries when I was a kid. Silver Everready's, orange and black Ray-O-Vacs alwys seemed to corrode with distressing regularity.

Thought the problem was mostly solved these days, but maybe not.

Two of my flashlights have been in the car for some time, 6 months or more since I changed batteries, I'd guess.

One light is a 2-AAA Princeton Tec Blast, the other, a Princeton Tec 4-AAA LED, I forget the model.

The Blast failed to light last night, and when I removed the batteries, they were leaking slightly. The LED light was dim, and the batteries leaking slightly also.

I checked the batteries(Duracells) in both my other Blasts that reside in the house. Both were fine.

All these AAA's, in all four lights, were replaced at the same time, as said, about 6 months ago or so.

Could leaving the lights in the car over time have caused this? Is it maybe just condensation and not leaking per se?

 

[MorePower]

Keeping alkaline cells in cars is very hard on them. Temperature cycling (eg. between summer and winter) can lead to early leakage. It's just one of the hazards of the technology that you'll find in any brand.

 

[Uncle Alvah]

Might I fare better with Lithiums in the same conditions?

 

[MorePower]

Lithiums should be less prone to leakage under thermocycle conditions. It's still possible for them to leak, of course, but if they do, they won't corrode your lights like alkaline cells will.

 

[Illum]

Manganese dioxide paste is a skin irritant, but it poses no health risks....any fluid or gas emitted from the "flue" of a lithium battery poses the risk of absorption through skin or inhalation...

theres really no "safe" cell...theres only cells with "low risk" of leaking...