Alkaline Battery Leakage

My family is having a rash of Duracell alkaline battery leakage lately - AAAs and AAs. Its happening with flashlight batteries used fairly often, headlamp batteries used fairly often, a radio (Ds) used very often, and even with batteries that are removed from remote controls and just sitting on a table (on a folded plastic bag to protect the table finish - luckily).

I've had to through out a nice Princeton Tec flahslight and a PT headlamp. I've rescued the radio and a few other devices - though they might fail over time due to the damage.

For devices that we don't want to remove batteries when not in use (flashlights) we are switching to 100% lithium batteries.

Its kind of crazy. Does anyone know if something has changed recently? Maybe global warming or something?? :-/

Thank you for the reminder. One of my 2xAA flashlights was still running a set of Duracell alkaline batteries and they have now been pulled.

Duracell is now marketing "Durablock" alkaline batteries. I don't know if that has any correlation with the recent poor performance of the older Duracell batteries.

Not sure if there have been any changes that would cause this type problems, but I have also experienced the same type issues. Two different Olight flashlights with the AA Duracell batteries have leaked. These were newly purchased batteries, 10+ years in date, and had been in the device less than one month. One of the lights had been used twice or three times and is carried daily and the other had batteries from the same pack installed and had been lying on my desk. Attempted to use it during a brief power outage only to find it not working and upon checking it found the leakage. I have been able to salvage one of the two lights and hopefully I can fix the second. Never experienced this before and have used Duracell for the past 15 years.

I've switched my EDC lights and bicycle lights to Eneloop AA and AAA for the same reason

Need to add that in addition to pulling the one-month-past-drop-dead-date Duracell batteries, I needed to clean up a bit of corrosion because the batteries did fail. The batteries will be replaced with NiMH rechargeable's. With recent failures I won't be using alkaline batteries in anything that can use NiMH or lithium primaries.

I've had issues with Duracell as well. I had a few pieces of electronics that were damaged by Duracells leaking within the last two years. All were well within their expiration date and stored within normal operating temperature. I've switched to Energizer & Eneloops.

Thank you for the heads up. Does anybody have experience with Costco generic alkaline batteries?

I won't be moving to lithium or rechargeable for things like remote controls and kid toys. Other people in my house will treat them like throw away batteries. Also, as I understand it, NiMH rechargeable batteries are best suited for high power output devices, like flashlights (a.o.t., remote controls).

consumer reports give kirkland a "best buy" rating. i do too. used them for years and found them as good as any other "top" brand.

heads-up re: lithium primary (aka: eveready ulimate or advanced) - you'll hear they don't leak. not true. while rare, they do. i had one ruin a flashlight so called the company. they confirmed that lithiums don't leak anywhere as often as alkalines, they do fail periodically. since then i don't store them inside any electronics.

i've yet to have an eneloop fail, but who knows. besides, they're most often put in high-useage tools so are checked more often.

I switched over to the Duracell "Pro" series about 3 years ago for AA, AAA, and 9 volt and have not had any problems.

As batteries, alkaline, NiCd, etc. deplete I am changing to Panasonic Eneloops. It takes the sting out of buying them and I can get the latest version.

The best charger in the world: Powerex MaHa MH-C9000

Just a quick note that Duracell will repair or replace a device that is damaged by a leaking battery:

http://www.duracell.com/en-us/guarantee

"Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option. Leaking battery and damaged device must be provided as proof of claim."

I have had them replace a number of fairly expensive flashlights in the not too distant past. These days I am using Kirkland brand AA and AAA batteries from Costco if I am not using Lithium cells, which is what I use for critical power sources.

I don't store them inside my electronics either, except for the flashlight on me. I always need my light right away when I need it. I'm willing to take the chance of damage.

I've had at lease one leak from all major brands, rayovac being the worst.
NiMH can leak, so far I've had an off brand and a RadioShack NiMH leak.

If they work (if the voltage is high enough), the only reason not to use them is cost. NiMH cost sufficiently more, and alkaline last sufficiently long in such applications, that even with recharging you won't break even in any reasonable time. Personally I don't mind paying the premium, because it's good to have spare Eneloops.

As for family members throwing them away... that's a matter of education. Alkalines shouldn't be thrown away with household waste anyway (at least in the UK), so old batteries should be treated different to random junk. Rechargeables are an area worth making an effort to educate about, in my opinion.

I have had a few Duracells leak, but not many.

I now buy only the Duracell industrial cells, previously known as Procell. I do this not because the industrial cells are better since AFAIK they are exactly the same product. I favour the industrial version because they are less well known, not intended to be sold retail, and are therefore hopefully always genuine rather than fakes.

Duracells are widely sold retail at high prices and I suspect that a lot of them are fakes. I wonder how many of the leaking cells were fakes ?

For anything very expensive, or safety critical I now use the Energiser L91 lithiums.

Duracell industrial batteries are about one third of the price of lithium batteries, a consideration if buying quantities, in the event of any large scale or long term emergency, I would rather have 300 alkaline AAs than 100 lithium AAs.

I am whittling away at a box of 48 AA alkalines plus some AAAs from Costco, their Kirkland brand.

I have seen a few corroded batteries recently but I think it is primarily because I was feeling paranoid and checked everything I have installed.

I have a distant memory of an alkaline battery test in Consumer Reports a long time ago. If memory serves they noted three tiny dimples in the bottom of the Kirkland batteries that matched the Duracell batteries. Suggestive, but neither manufacturer would confirm or deny, if I recall correctly.

My current Kirkland AAs have two tiny dimples, but I do not have any Duracells to which to compare.

I like Eneloops and other rechargeables, but for some uses primary (non-rechargeable) batteries are better. For these I use Titanium CR123A or Energizer Lithium AA or AAA cells.

Make sure that CR123A cells in particular are matched (same manufacturer and state of charge) in multiple-cell devices. I use a pulse-load battery tester (this one: http://www.batteryjunction.com/zts-mbt.html) to be sure. If you don't have a pulse-load battery tester be sure always use new cells from the same manufacturer when putting two or more in a device, otherwise you may have a "vent with flame" event.

While this level of caution is a good thing you're very unlikely to have "vent with flame" event in AA or AAA cells.

I have heard one report that Energizer Lithium batteries leaked in a device, but I haven't seen it or heard it more than once.

(I have no affiliation with any manufacturer or seller of batteries)

I don't use alkalines in anything important; over the years I've had a number of them leak, ruining the device. I buy the Kirkland ones and have never had a problem but 1) I've only been buying them for two years and 2) I only use them in throw-away flashlights and in my computer mouse at home.

So far I've never had a lithium cell leak, although I suppose it could happen someday. I've used CR123a cells in my lights for many years and never had an issue. The AAA & AA lithium batteries seem pretty robust as well.

Leaking and simply the cost off (money and environment) throw away batteries, ment i switched over to lots of Eneloops and a proper chargers years ago.

I only use Alkalines when the devices really requires them or it came with the device and i still have to use them up.

So far, knock on wood, I've never had a Kirkland alkaline leak. That is not the case for either Duracell or Energizer. Still, I only use alkalines as a last resort and do my best to remember to remove them from a device after use and strap them to the side with a rubber band or tape.

I use Eneloops and protected CW rechargeable lithiums now, as much as possible.

My wife recently trashed her 1xAAA cell Fenix flashlight with battery leakage. The battery was in there maybe a year, with very intermittent use. It really welded itself in there. I had the bright idea that I could get it out by drilling a small hole in the battery, inserting a screw, and pulling it out. Warning! Use caution and wear full protective gear if you attempt this stupid idea like I did! I filled the flashlight body with Kroil (a super penetrating oil) and let it soak overnight before clamping the flashlight in my bench vice and trying to pull on the screw with a pair of pliers. Man, was that battery stuck. I was pulling UP from the vice (a mistake!) When that screw finally yanked out, the battery was left inside the flashlight and I had a nice pliers-sized gash in my lip where they violently made contact. I still have a lump there, 6 weeks later. Do not attempt this stunt, boys and girls!

I am curious to the self-life of the charge with rechargeable lithiums and do they contain as much of a charge as standard lithiums?



I am guessing it had an alkaline battery? I only use lithiums in my Fenix E01 and they last almost a year with mostly daily use.

I don't know how long the shelf life is. I use the 14500 (AA sized) rechargeable lithiums in my single-AA sized flashlights (the ones that can take the higher voltage, that is). I use the light on my belt several times daily, probably averaging 5-10 minutes per day (usually in the middle brightness setting). A rechargeable lithium will last me several months. The other lithium-equipped single-AA sized flashlight I have sit unused for up to six months at a time and they're always fine when I do get around to using them or swap them out to use as my daily carry light. They last several months in use after sitting for those six months. Unscientific, but it doesn't seem to me that they lose much charge.

My wife's Fenix E01 did indeed have alkalines in it. You cannot use the higher voltage rechargeable lithiums in that light. Rechargeable NiMH are fine however. I don't use primary lithiums except for extremely long "not used" scenarios where I want them to work when I finally do need them. In my case, that means in firearm mounted weapons lights. Everywhere else I try to use rechargeables (except, unfortunately, in my wife's Fenix that got ruined by the alkaline battery - I forgot about that one).

I have found that kirkland AA's seem to be just a bit of a more snug fit in my mini-mag lights. I wonder if the AA's size is actually a larger diameter than std. duracell AA?

I have used Energizer AA Lithium primaries in all three of our Fenix EO1s, for a couple of years. No problem to date.

I've been using Envelops and Energizer Lithium AA's for many years. Never had any problems, no leakage. Eneloops are durable workhorses. I even use them in my glove box flashlight. The oldest Eneloops get used in slow drain devices like remotes and clocks.

IMHO,alkalines are not only leaky, but obsolete. Eneloops and an occasional primary lithium works for me.