Two pairs of alkaline AAs, two consecutive nights, one flashlight

[PCC]

I use my Mini MagLite, with the Nite-Ize 3-LED module, as my AA battery vampire. I usually rotate my cells through three different lights that have lower and lower minimum voltage requirements where they eventually end up in this particular MM. Yes, it's my sacrificial lamb, so to speak.

I bring three 2AA flashlights into the bathroom with me every evening to cut energy costs while I'm in the shower. I use three because the cells are, generally, running low on power and I need three to get enough light to see what I need to see to get the job done. Three nights ago, while towelling off, I heard a pop, like a marble hitting a window. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary so I dismissed it. After dressing I reached for the MM that was tailstanding on the glass shelf when it turned off from the movement. I then tried to turn it on and off again but it did not turn on. I pulled the batteries and found that the cell closer to the head of the light had dumped acid. Wow, close call. I quickly dismantled the light and flushed the acid out of the tube as well as disposing of the cells.

The next night, after rotating the cells, I had a very similar experience, though this time I heard a tapping sound coming from the light like water dripping from the faucet. Opening the light I found that the rear cell had leaked into the Nite-Ize tailcap switch and the switch was crackling! I flushed the tailcap out with tap water but it kept crackling for about 20 minutes more.

I'm eventually going to buy NiMH batteries for everything in the house that uses AA batteries, but, until that happens, this little Mini MagLite is just going to be my sacrificial lamb. The Nite-Ize 3-LED drop-in is a great battery vampire but it will keep trying to light up even on a single depleted cell. I've run it with as little as 0.7VDC, though at that point it is running in moonlight mode.

 

[Russel]

I never use alkalines anymore for reasons you are discovering. Eneloop cells, as I'm sure you have heard, are simply amazing.

I like to use my flashlights as much as I can to reduce the power bill. (I recharge them with a solar power.) But, I haven't used a flashlight while showering. I prefer to have the exhaust fan running to keep the moisture level in the bathroom down. I do however use a NiMH powered fan in the bathroom doorway sometimes after a hot shower in order to help dry the bathroom out.

 

[Tuikku]

I´m sorry for offtopic but...
Wouldn´t it be cheaper to use a small energysaver bulb or even a led bulb instead of batterypower?
then again, I don´t know:
-Your electricity prices
-Your battery prices
-Prices for bulbs at Your place :shrug:

 

[jasonck08]

Not sure about the popping sounds and such, but as for trying to save electricity I have a few things to say about that:

Grab a CFL 12W bulb and use that in the bathroom so save electricity.

If your whole shower process takes 15 minutes, then your consuming a whopping 3Whr's (Watt hours) of electricity.

I'd say the average electricity cost in the US is about 10c per Kwh. So for every 1000Whr's your paying 10c.

That means as far as electricity consumption from the bulb, you could take 333 Showers for 10 cents worth of energy (just talking about the light bulbs not other energy).

I think you'd be better off spending your time trying to find other ways to reduce electricity costs.

 

[Turbo DV8]

I think you'd be better off spending your time trying to find other ways to reduce electricity costs.

+1

I always like to point out the "point of diminishing returns" of "saving" on electricity costs by using battery/LED. But, showering by flashlight/lantern is sooo much more campy fun! "CFL" even sounds cold and sterile!

 

[WDG]

My impression was that the OP is not buying cells for showering, but rather using cells that are nearly depleted for this task?

I would suspect the problem you're having is with one of the cells getting reverse charged, due to the two-cell light. If you have a single cell light that will make a good battery vampire, that should help to minimize the chance of cells popping, at least while being used. I wouldn't leave them in, though. Alkalines have a well-deserved reputation for leaking, IMHO.

 

[PCC]

My impression was that the OP is not buying cells for showering, but rather using cells that are nearly depleted for this task?

I would suspect the problem you're having is with one of the cells getting reverse charged, due to the two-cell light. If you have a single cell light that will make a good battery vampire, that should help to minimize the chance of cells popping, at least while being used. I wouldn't leave them in, though. Alkalines have a well-deserved reputation for leaking, IMHO.

WDG gets the prize! I'm using the flashlights because I'm trying to use the batteries up. These batteries came out of the Wii controllers, the wife's camera, kid's toys, etc. I keep telling my wife to stop buying the alkalines and to buy NiMH cells but she won't listen. When the Wii controllers are showing that they're out of juice I still get two or three weeks of use from them in my flashlights.

I'm entertaining thoughts of converting this particular MM into a 1AA MM because the Nite-Ize drop-in will still work with one cell.

 

[VidPro]

if your not using the nite-eyes switch, you can just very tight roll foil the size of an AA, and shove it in the Bottom , not the head.
cut off a bolt to aa size, cap metal tubes, buy an actual Dummy AA cell.
if the dummy needs electrical insualtion on the sides, heat shrink, tape, whatever.
wood dowel 2 metal tacks and wire.

about anyone can whip up a dummy conductive spacer thing from junk in the garage and as long as any shorting out, and cross conduction things are tended too it will work. If it dont , then fix it (dont leave it in anything, that it isnt working in).
dont use dummy for high powered stuff, till your sure of any insulation and conduction things needed of course.


good luck with your "first hand recycling" myself a mostly dead alkaline causes to much problems already.