Any of you had leakages in your lights?

I just bought a Fenix E21 and was planning to just use alkalines. I read that it is somehow bad so any of you know how long it takes for a normal alkaline to leak inside the light? lets say the light has not been used for a while.

I now use eneloop for it. can it stay for quite sometime? or i should just remove the battery, knowing i may not be able to use it for some time, just to be sure?

I bought both versions of the Fenix E05. I didn't have any rechargables so I put a good Duracell in both lites. The battery in the lite I used more went dead so I took the Duracell for the other E05. I then stuck some cheap alkaline that come with some remote in the second E05. I picked up the second E05 after not using it for a while and it didn't work. Opened it up and took out the battery and it was wet! Even worse, the flashlight was standing led down!

I washed the tail good with soap and water, I swabbed the head good with a couple of alcohol swabs. Then let both dry/drain good for a couple days. I then put in one of my new Eneloops, and the light WORKED! Yay.

Haven't heard about Eneloops leaking, so haven't worried about it much.

You can leave any nimh batteries in stuff indefinitely. Nimh don't have any leakage issues, about the only way you can get them to leak it to abuse them by either charging at very high rates or by physically damaging them and then you get more of a powder than a liquid out of them which can be scraped or blown off surfaces. I have never had a nimh battery leak on anything but I have had dozens of alkaline batteries leak in too many circumstances. It is very safe to leave an eneloop in something, the only thing that could happen is the device could drain the battery dead if it has an active processor in it (electronic switch).
Most of the folks in CPF have gravitated away from alkalines whenever possible towards LSD nimh and energizer lithium AAs.

And I'll be the oddball here - the ONLY time I've ever had batteries leak was with NIMH Energizers in Xbox controllers that sat for about 4 months. All the alkalines I've gone through over the years, sitting or not, flashlight or whatever, I've never had them leak. I'd seen the phenomenon in other peoples stuff that sat for years and years, but I've left things sitting for up to maybe 1 year and never experienced the problem. Go figure...

I've had a few leaks over the years. Killed an old Dorcy 1AA from overdischarging an alkaline. Of course, I know better, but that won't stop me from bleeding them dry.

Geoff

I've had LOTS of alkaline batteries leak

*and subsequently DAMAGE* my flashlights.

(and other electronic devices)


If you DO use Alkalines, then don't STORE the cells in yer' flashlight !

Leak and Destroy, it happens at random, without reason... regardless of alkaline brand or how much it costs. The only light I have lost was an old MM incan with a nite-ize drop in.

I have had leaks of all kinds... in remotes, in toys, in radio controlled hobbies, guitar gear/stuff...etc. Just sitting dormant NEW in the blister pack can induce leakage.

I had a new one was sitting on my keyboard for a week and just puked its guts and dissolved the silver paint.

I guess if you do store your lights with alkalines it would be best to check on them every now and again? I've only had alkalines leak in remote controls for appliances, but if i remember correctly, they were usually the cheapo ones that came with the respective units.

Kinda has me worried now as both my Nitecore D10 and Defender Infinity sit stored with a single AA alkaline at the moment.

Distortion said:

I guess if you do store your lights with alkalines it would be best to check on them every now and again?

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The biggest problem being they are little time bombs, you never know when there going to go off, so in between your checking
Norm

Just the other day, I went to my "flashlight and battery stuff" drawer to get my son some Duracell AA, and sure enough, one of the little buggers leaked all over.:sick2: The leaky cell was dated 2012, so that wasn't the problem. I only have alkalines around for remotes and never put them in flashlights. Only Eneloops go in things I care about.

Burgess said:

I've had LOTS of alkaline batteries leak

*and subsequently DAMAGE* my flashlights.
(and other electronic devices)

Click to expand...

Same here. I've lost several D cell Maglites and an AA Mini Maglite and have had to repair a handful of transistor radios due to alkaline battery leakage.

Brand new alkaline cells leak, including those still sealed in the factory blister pack. No brand is immune.

kramer5150 said:

Leak and Destroy, it happens at random, without reason... regardless of alkaline brand or how much it costs.

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This is the God's honest truth. The last set of alkalines I used were fresh Duracells and in the light for just a few days. None of the "rules" (old or cheap batteries, leaving them in an unused device for an extended period, etc.) applied. It's a roll of the dice. They blow for absolutely no good reason.

Alkalines, assume they will leak

NiMH... on occaision they may pass gas. liquid leakages have been reported only once on the forum

Lithium, never had a problem...well, two minor problems: a stenvh [aroma] of flashahol and regardless of what meter you use you will not be able to figure out its remaining capacity. Not even the great ZTS has the ability to measure Li/FeS2 1.7V energizer AA/AAAs... the readings are always 100% on the 1.5v contact and it won't work on the 3V or 9V contacts.

sassaquin said:

Only Eneloops go in things I care about.

Click to expand...

I see. From now on, I'll only use eneloop or NimH on my lights and just bring some alkalines for emergency purposes:thanks:

I've had two leaks in my flashlights. One was an Alkaline AAA Duracell I believe. Left the battery in there for ever and when I went to use it it had goo all over the place. The second one was more painful though. I gave my wife my beloved Nitecore Defender Infinity and she was happy with it. She used eneloops in them at my advice and didn't have a problem Then I gave her an AW 14500 Li On battery and one day she told me that her light was not working and it looked like the battery had leaked. I took a look at it and yup the battery had sort of leaked something and it corroded the switch and the bezel. My beloved Nitecore was no more.

Still, i wonder most of your leakages were from duracell batteries.

Yes I did have leakage from some batteries, Ravovac's I called them per the info on the battery, and was shocked that that they said it to them, they replaced my batteries and light both without any hassel.