reclaiming alkaline (and other) cells

[Katherine Alicia]

actually solar garden lighting is the main use for the QX5252 that I use, just snap off the pin on the left (as it`s facing you) because you won`t be needing it, add an inductor and suitable led and you have an instant zombie light

I understand where some of the above posters are comming from, I would never buy an alkaleak and I Certainly would Never put it in any of my lights that I care about, BUT... I will make things that will use them up safely whatever they decide to do rather than see all that lovely electricity go to waste
you could even use croc clips on a NIB magnet for the contacts if you didn`t want to buy a battery holder, it`s all about creativity and invention as far as I`m concerned, And there`s a certain satisfaction afterwards when it provides usefull light

I like to put some of the smaller lights I make inside wax melt burners instead of a candle when I`m not using them, it just provides a nice gentle mood light to a room, Bonus points if you can do it for free! LOL

 

[Dave_H]

If you are truly concerned about the environment the best thing to do with all that time spent is to work and make money and buy chargers and rechargeable batteries for someone and educate them on proper use. It is sort of like fishing for someone to feed them vs teaching them how to fish themselves IMO. I've had my fill with leakalines throughout my life the time wasted cleaning up after them and tossing batteries with less than 5% of the energy used because they spewed their guts in something costing 100 times more than the battery that threw up does is not worth me NOT recharging an 18650 or other battery a dozen times for a fraction of a cent.

Handing out things people didn't ask for, may not be interested in, and likely not willing to pay for is not a good strategy for changing minds; generally and for this specifically. If it's any different from that, there's a chance. Someone in my family was using rechargeables for several years but that went away and now back to alkalines. Just received four D cells, one dead and the others have lots of life. Dave

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

Yeah, unfortunately, using good NiMH cells (such as Eneloops) to replace alkalines, is a small niche market.

1. You have a multi-million dollar marketing campaign by Duracell and Energizer, which convinces people to buy alkaleaks.

2. You have an older generation, that remembers the awful performance of NiCad and early NiMH batteries, so they don't want to consider rechargeables again.

3. You have a younger generation, that is happy to throw away a $500 iPad because the proprietary built-in battery dies. So, good luck convincing them that going with replaceable batteries is a good idea, especially if they have to charge them separately.

I'm just happy we still have a choice. I use my choice to go with rechargeables, either NiMH Eneloops or cylindrical lithium-ions (whenever possible). Unfortunately, for some electronics, there isn't really a choice anymore, and I'm stuck with the built-in battery.

 

[joshk]

I agree with WalkIntoTheLight, the rechargables of yester-year gave them a bad name. But after watching a Project Farm video on the latest rechargeables I converted. It's been great, I don't notice any reduced life, and when they die I just pop them in the charger. Now I have no worries about my stash of alkalines not having the size I need, or not having enough. I always have just enough in the drawer to get me running again as the dead ones recharge. Life is good.

 

[Dave_H]

Yeah, unfortunately, using good NiMH cells (such as Eneloops) to replace alkalines, is a small niche market.

1. You have a multi-million dollar marketing campaign by Duracell and Energizer, which convinces people to buy alkaleaks.

2. You have an older generation, that remembers the awful performance of NiCad and early NiMH batteries, so they don't want to consider rechargeables again.

3. You have a younger generation, that is happy to throw away a $500 iPad because the proprietary built-in battery dies. So, good luck convincing them that going with replaceable batteries is a good idea, especially if they have to charge them separately.

I'm just happy we still have a choice. I use my choice to go with rechargeables, either NiMH Eneloops or cylindrical lithium-ions (whenever possible). Unfortunately, for some electronics, there isn't really a choice anymore, and I'm stuck with the built-in battery.

I pretty much agree with all you have said.

Sadly I don't know anybody outside of these forums who uses rechargeable C's or D's. It's
not an argument against it, just indicates the state of things.

Powering a 3-4C or 3-4D lanterns or flashlights is a case in point.

Series cells should have low-voltage cut-off by the device or the user before one cell runs down
and starts getting reverse-charged by the others, the beginning of the end for that one. As cells
need to be matched,you can't just stick in a new one; need to swap out the lot for a new set
and find a use for the others, a device which uses fewer cells.

You need to keep a spare set of rechargeables on standby, or wait for a single set to recharge.

Rechargeables require a certain amount of cell management; a good battery tester at minimum,
a DMM also helps. I check state of cells every time they run down. I imagine few people go to
that trouble.

Decent rechargeable C's and D's are not cheap and not very good ones OTC. Older NiCd C and D
were either very heavy if they had any decent capacity; or very light as they were a smaller cell in a
larger shell, with much lower capacity e.g. 1300mAh for a C. Using NiMH AA in C or D adapter shells
might seem like an option, have used them, but seriously limits run-time.

I see NiMH D's up to 10,000mAh which seems decent. Some name-brand cheapies are 2500mAh
which is scarcely an AA in a D shell.

I stopped collecting alkalines a year ago, have several years' supply. Demonstrating wastage seems
to elicit little interest. Too many "glutton packs" on sale at large stores.

Short-term strategy is use up my supply of free C and D cells (shoebox full of mostly name-brand
cells waiting, some virtually unused).

Dave

 

[aginthelaw]

I have a few hundred aaa, aa, c, and d cells from one of my part time jobs as my boss is a little anal. He wants me to get rid of them after 3 years. I spent a weekend helping him reorganize, clean out, and tossing out almost everything in his office and store room. We found all kinds of neat stuff that I came home with. I took all the batteries a couple were dead and one or 2 leaked. We went to BJ's and got him a big pack of aa's and aaa's, and called it a day. The next weekend I tested all the batteries and except for a few they were all good. Like fully charged good. Why he tosses them without them dying is beyond me. He has no use for a vampire light because he doesn't get any use out of them. This time around I bought him an 8 pack, went home with the 36 pack that he barely touched. He's happy he's saving money and he's already messed up both offices and storage rooms. Let me tell you about the 600+ pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, highlighters and markers i went home with...I already gave my other boss about a hundred!

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

He wants me to get rid of them after 3 years. I took all the batteries a couple were dead and one or 2 leaked. The next weekend I tested all the batteries and except for a few they were all good. Like fully charged good. Why he tosses them without them dying is beyond me.

It's probably a good idea to toss alkalines if they're a few years old, even if they've never been used. As they age, they're even more likely to leak. Yeah, I know they're guaranteed for 10 years not to leak, but to try and claim that under warranty usually means having all original receipts of your batteries and device, and paying for mailing expenses. Not very practical.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

It's probably a good idea to toss alkalines if they're a few years old, even if they've never been used. As they age, they're even more likely to leak. Yeah, I know they're guaranteed for 10 years not to leak, but to try and claim that under warranty usually means having all original receipts of your batteries and device, and paying for mailing expenses. Not very practical.

I wonder how many mag lite owners lost out on that warranty because they couldn't get the batteries out to prove they were the culprit.

 

[Dave_H]

Here is another case where the alkaline industry seems not to want us to use up their product fully, but to buy more.

I opened up a square 6v alkaline lantern battery which had been run down to as low as possible, to below 3v. It had been apparently sitting around before I salvaged it. I never buy these as they are usually overpriced, and few cheap spotlights I own which use them are not so great and work with 4D cell adapters anyway.

Inside were four D cells with spring contacts, not soldered/welded. False bottom made up the height difference. One cell had leaked, the other three were good, still at above 1.4v no load.

A different brand battery was opened, this time two of four cells were still good. These were tab-welded but +ve ends not bumped which makes re-use a bit tricky, nothing a small wad of aluminum foil couldn't solve.

Small side benefit, I salvage the top spring contacts, could come in useful in repairing flashlights, lanterns, battery holders etc.

Dave

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Here is another case where the alkaline industry seems not to want us to use up their product fully, but to buy more.

I opened up a square 6v alkaline lantern battery which had been run down to as low as possible, to below 3v. It had been apparently sitting around before I salvaged it. I never buy these as they are usually overpriced, and few cheap spotlights I own which use them are not so great and work with 4D cell adapters anyway.

Inside were four D cells with spring contacts, not soldered/welded. False bottom made up the height difference. One cell had leaked, the other three were good, still at above 1.4v no load.

A different brand battery was opened, this time two of four cells were still good. These were tab-welded but +ve ends not bumped which makes re-use a bit tricky, nothing a small wad of aluminum foil couldn't solve.

Small side benefit, I salvage the top spring contacts, could come in useful in repairing flashlights, lanterns, battery holders etc.

Dave

I went to a 4D adapter on my 6V lantern I have left. The other ones I tossed years ago since LED lights they aren't worth paying $5 for a 6V lantern battery. Some 6V lantern batteries have 4 "H" cells I think (D cell diameter full 6V battery height). I found 4D cells are cheaper than any alkaline 6V battery sold in stores. I likely will never buy another 6V lantern battery again when anything 6V should run off a USB power bank at 5V well enough most likely.

 

[Dave_H]

Taking apart another 6v square alkaline battery apart, house brand of large Canadian chain, inside were four full-sized F cells which are about 50% longer than D cells. The battery showed less than 3v under light load, discarded by original user.

One cell was nearly dead, two sitting around 1.0v to 1.1v (low but still usable by me), and one sitting at 1.49v. Another case of throwing away still good but unusable cells.

Compare with at least one name-brand battery which uses four D cells and a false bottom.


Dave

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Taking apart another 6v square alkaline battery apart, house brand of large Canadian chain, inside were four full-sized F cells which are about 50% longer than D cells. The battery showed less than 3v under light load, discarded by original user.

One cell was nearly dead, two sitting around 1.0v to 1.1v (low but still usable by me), and one sitting at 1.49v. Another case of throwing away still good but unusable cells.

Compare with at least one name-brand battery which uses four D cells and a false bottom.


Dave

There used to be threads that could tell you which 6V lantern batteries used D and F cells in them. The price of even the ones using D cells was too often much more than simply buying 4 D cells and investing in a battery adapter. I currently have one 6V lantern with battery adapter and I ordered a $2 warm white 6V PR base LED bulb when it started getting dim for fun and I had to turn all the batteries upside down in the holder to use the bulb in it as the tip of the bulb expects + voltage and now it is a little brighter than with the incan.
I like the old light but I will likely get something else to replace it. I recently paid $8 for a 2AA Energizer LED light with a clicky switch that has a SMD type chip emitter about 30 lumens and a nice comfortable water proof floating light. I likely will retire the 6V lantern unless I get bored and convert it to 18650 power and go with a driver that can handle 1000 lumens continuously such that the size of the light will be justified.

 

[snakebite]

i have some alkaleaks on hand but they come to me in stuff already or in boxes of e waste for recycling.
if above about 1.4v they have enough life to be worth sticking in something thats going to the flea or hamfest.
or to test something.
the real salvage testing is reserved for nicd nimh,and li ion i get in these lots.
if ir/esr ok and have voltage ie not 0v or below 2v for li i test further.
a recent box had 30 or so 4ah nimh c cells.all around 1.1v
esr meter showed 7mohm.
and i tested 4 at 4200mah.
somebody had a bad charger!
the ziploc bag was scrawled with junk,dead,ect.
they seem good to me.
found 8 silver 2000mah energizers in the box.
those are fine too.maha test average 1921.
normal for essentially eneloops!
i convert most items to some type of rechargeable here.
items that are not easily converted hit the flea,yardsale,or hamfest.

 

[Dave_H]

Just speculating that possible use-up of recovered F cells being 1.5x longer than D cell, could be a 3D LED flashlight using inline cells versus most lanterns with side-side holders: two F cells in place 3D with lower voltage if the light works with this. I don't have such a light to check this out.

I've rigged a small 1D light to an F cell using external 2D inline holder plus a couple of extra springs (salvaged from the batteries themselves) to take up the length difference. This should be good for several hundreds of hours of night-light.

BTW getting the metal-cased 6v battery apart was easy, using wide slot screwdriver and small hammer to open up the seam and peal sheet metal back (carefully, use gloves).


Dave