So my battery went Boom and my Arc now doomed?

[cyberspyder]

Boom went my duracell and my arc no longer works. The acid crap is everywhere, stuck onto the lining...the head doesn't want to light for some reason, even with an external power source...what should I do?

Brendan

 

[Chronos]

STOP!!!!

That is toxic waste. Get gloves and seal the light in a couple of ziplock baggies. Wash your hands thoroughly. The light is done.

Do a search here for Newbie's battery tests. I had an expensive light explode and learned about the toxicity of the residue and gases emitted.

This is not to be taken lightly...

 

[DM51]

Chronos is right - please be extremely careful, as this residue is toxic.

Incidents such as this are of great interest to CPF for safety purposes, so any further details you can give us would be very welcome, including photos if available.

 

[prof]

Boom went my duracell and my arc no longer works. The acid crap is everywhere, stuck onto the lining...the head doesn't want to light for some reason, even with an external power source...what should I do?

Brendan

Since it's a duracell, I assume it's not lithium. There are some threads about cleaning out small amounts of leakage. Did the battery explode? Duracell will probably make things right, so save the remains (very carefully).

 

[DM51]

Duracell make CR123A, CR2 etc, as well as Alkalines. I don't know what type of cell this might have been, as the Arc model is not specified.

The more the OP can tell us, the better.

 

[matrixshaman]

Which Arc flashlight was this? The gases can be toxic but I think with care and some gloves you could clean it up. I'd give it a good washing off and then let everything dry. I think Duracell still has a flashlight replacement warranty so maybe it might be worth contacting them.

Oops - I see I posted after letting this thread sit and most of this has been covered. Please do let us know which Arc this is though. My first thought was it was the Arc 6 blowing the Duracell CR123 due to high current draw.

 

[cyberspyder]

It's a regular Duracell alkaline...no pics somebody borrowed my camera.

 

[matrixshaman]

So this is the Arc AAA ?

 

[cyberspyder]

Yes.

 

[DM51]

OK, alkaline residue isn't very nice, but there are no dangerous toxicity issues. When you said the cell went "BOOM!", we were thinking Lithium, which wouldn't have been so nice.

Just clean the residue off, and you may be able to get it going again.

 

[Chronos]

OK, alkaline residue isn't very nice, but there are no dangerous toxicity issues. When you said the cell went "BOOM!", we were thinking Lithium, which wouldn't have been so nice.

Just clean the residue off, and you may be able to get it going again.

Exactly. Sorry, I assumed (incorrectly) this was a Lithium cell because it went "BOOM."

Whew.

 

[Black Rose]

If nothing else, it's a reminder to not leave alkaline cells in lights for long periods of time.

 

[MorePower]

Duracell make CR123A, CR2 etc, as well as Alkalines. I don't know what type of cell this might have been, as the Arc model is not specified.

The more the OP can tell us, the better.

Well in that case, rather than jumping to conclusions, perhaps it would have made more sense to ASK what type of cell it was? As we can now see, it was an alkaline cell, so the danger from the leakage is quite small.

As great a resource as CPF is, I'm a bit disturbed by the amount of posts that spread FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) that are then repeated ad infinitum by other members.

I've read the threads on The dangers of CR123 exploding batteries OMG!!! Get your HAZMAT suit!!! Frankly, the risks are overstated here on CPF when it comes to toxicity of a vented or burning cell. Info gleaned from reading an MSDS by someone without a background in chemistry, medicine, or battery technology was blown far out of proportion.

The amount of truly toxic chemicals generated during these infrequent CR123 "events" is small, and without some other underlying health issues, most people would feel only minor, if any, ill effects. By all means, open a window, let the air clear, but that should take care of most of it. The potential fire / explosion that can occur, on the other hand, is something to watch out for.

 

[Flashlight Aficionado]

I would call Duracell.

1-800-551-2355 (9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST)
duracell gurantee
DURACELL guarantees these batteries against defects in materials and workmanship.

Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option.
Mailing address:
DURACELL
Berkshire Corporate Drive
Bethel, CT 06801
Attn: Consumer Dept.

 

[KeyGrip]

Duracell may pay for the cost of a new light, give that a try.

 

[bullfrog]

Well in that case, rather than jumping to conclusions, perhaps it would have made more sense to ASK what type of cell it was? As we can now see, it was an alkaline cell, so the danger from the leakage is quite small.

As great a resource as CPF is, I'm a bit disturbed by the amount of posts that spread FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) that are then repeated ad infinitum by other members.

I've read the threads on The dangers of CR123 exploding batteries OMG!!! Get your HAZMAT suit!!! Frankly, the risks are overstated here on CPF when it comes to toxicity of a vented or burning cell. Info gleaned from reading an MSDS by someone without a background in chemistry, medicine, or battery technology was blown far out of proportion.

The amount of truly toxic chemicals generated during these infrequent CR123 "events" is small, and without some other underlying health issues, most people would feel only minor, if any, ill effects. By all means, open a window, let the air clear, but that should take care of most of it. The potential fire / explosion that can occur, on the other hand, is something to watch out for.

I understand your point, but, in this situation is it really worth the risk? When it comes to a potential for health issues (no matter how small or unlikely), IMHO, I would rather things be taken deadly serious at first and then sorted out later...

 

[greenLED]

Alkies leak once in a while. Just clean'er up real well (inside battery tube, threads, +/- contacts, and you should be GTG again. I've had to do that a couple of times to a couple of different lights.

I've yet to encounter an ArcAAA or AA that cannot be revived by a thorough cleaning (if things get ugly, you reseat the crimp).

 

[Cuso]

Re: So my battery leaked and my Arc AAA is not working?

Did the battery actually exploded?? If it just leaked, a title edit may be a good idea to avoid unnecessary drama...

 

[hopkins]

Vinegar (an acid) and water solution cleans alkaline (a base) leakage.

I have a Nikon MS-1 battery container that holds 5 AA batteries (I had Kodak brand in it). They all leaked. So following advice, I stirred it around in a solution of about 1/4 vinegar and water while on low heat on the kitchen stove. The container is made of plastic and metal contacts, so I kept the heat low to make sure that the plastic would not be damaged. In about 3 minutes the container was completely clean and shiny.

 

[GarageBoy]

Arc AAAs are chem koted on the inside for this reason. Should clean out