LONG Life Asian made Batteries "my A.." there not even 2 years old.

[inotarobot]

Well as some of you know we here in Melbourne Australia are still in yet another Covid-19 lockdown; so I am trying to tidy up and down size my collection.

Also I am Powering up anything that has not been powered for over 6 months, plus I got out my battery log and am checking all gear that has batteries installed. Anything that I don't use on a semi-regular basis (6 months or less) does NOT get stored with batteries in it.

What with stress of last year I missed doing this check, that I normally do twice a year at same time I change batteries in all our Smoke Detectors.

So you can guess from the Heading I have found some AA size batteries that have failed and leaked.
These cells were Brand New 18 months ago.

Amazingly one type leaked very badly..yet the other type of same brand did not.

These batteries power the real time clock.

As you can see they are in a top of the Main Case and are accessible by lifting the monitor off,

Sadly there is corrosion that I will need to repair. For now I have cleaned of as best I could and covered the terminals in Vaseline, and not put any batteries in for now/

 

[Timo W.]

No offense, but that is not the fault of the batteries. NEVER EVER mix different batteries, neither by brand or new/used ones. This will almost always cause them to leak, as they have different electrical resistance and will drain each other 'til the weakest cell will leak. This is not only common knowledge but also written on every battery package.

 

[Steve Toner]

"These cells were Brand New 18 months ago."
Not likely. I see expiration dates of 2012 and 2013 printed on them.

 

[Chuck(G)]

When I receive something made in the Far East that comes with batteries, I usually discard the batteries. Most often, they're plain carbon-zinc cells, which, should they leak, will cause a lot of damage--more so than leaking alkalines.

Was it Eveready or Rayovac that used to advertise that their batteries used in flashlights would never leak--or they'd replace the flashlight? I took them up on this just one time. I had a nice rubber-coated sparkproof safety flashlight that was hopelessly corroded. I sent them the flashlight and they replaced it all right--with a cheap plastic one. So much for guarantees.

 

[SomeGuy]

I've even had duracells leak on me. I have a small emergency radio that take AA batteries. Dumb thing about the radio is it also has a small digital clock. More powerful batters seem to not like small drain over a long time, and may leak or just be dead when I need it. I've gotten in the habit of just putting a small piece of cloth between the last two batteries and pulling that out when I need to actually use the thing.

 

[alank2]

The best plan for things you care about is to not leave batteries in them, or get some low self discharge nimh batteries (like Sanyo eneloop) to use instead.

 

[maxtherabbit]

energizer lithium AAs, don't look back

 

[Hugo Holden]

When I receive something made in the Far East that comes with batteries, I usually discard the batteries. Most often, they're plain carbon-zinc cells, which, should they leak, will cause a lot of damage--more so than leaking alkalines.

That is interesting because I'm right off using alkaline cells.

I have seen much more destruction from leaked Alkaline cells than Zinc carbon types.

Also zinc carbon are very good for low current drain applications and I think have a better shelf life than alkalines, although lower AH capacity. For this reason I only ever use zinc carbon cells in my meters, vintage transistor radios etc and even TV remotes. There are some current hungry devices like digital cameras, toys with motors that are better off with alkalines though. The internal resistance of zinc carbon cells is higher than most alkalines, so there is less thermal destruction if a zinc carbon battery pack gets shorted out compared to the alkaline. If alkaline fluid leaks onto a pcb with plated through holes it is usually game over, if it is a multi-layer pcb.

Leaked Ammonium chloride from the ZnCl cell has a closer to neutral pH, range 4 to 6 and is much easier to wash away with water than the very alkaline potassium hydroxide from the alkaline cell, diabolical pH around 10 to 13.

 

[maxtherabbit]

Reject the alkaline/zinc dichotomy and embrace the lithium

 

[Chuck(G)]

Leaked Ammonium chloride from the ZnCl cell has a closer to neutral pH, range 4 to 6 and is much easier to wash away with water than the very alkaline potassium hydroxide from the alkaline cell, diabolical pH around 10 to 13.

Which is why NH₄Cl is used as an acid soldering flux? Safe for use on electronics?

 

[Hugo Holden]

Which is why NH₄Cl is used as an acid soldering flux? Safe for use on electronics?

I don't think ammonium chloride or KOH is good on any pcb, but the KOH is more destructive I think. One thing, if KOH gets onto things like rotary switches with phenolic wafers, like those in vintage analog multi-meters, it is very difficult to get it out as it gets absorbed. I had an analog meter where the KOH tracked down the wires and got to the main switch wafer from leaked alkalines, even soaking it in de-ionised water for months, I could not get it out and the wafer remained conductive. I had to re-manufacture the switch wafer, saving the original contacts and replacing the phenolic wafer.

 

[Chuck(G)]

The difference is that NH₄Cl does give off vapors when warm. Said vapors are quite corrosive--I speak from experience. Nearly as bad as having an open jug of HCl in your shop (ask me about that one).

 

[inotarobot]

"These cells were Brand New 18 months ago."
Not likely. I see expiration dates of 2012 and 2013 printed on them.

Hi your VERY correct re the expiry date. However there is more depth to this story.

These battery were Brand New still in sealed packs in our Pantry cupboard, when I took them to use on this computer 18 Months back. At the time I had no other freshly bought ones, and just grabbed these to use for a short power up test of this machine.
Since its not one I use regularly there was NO plan to leave batteries in it.

No I don't think I had NOT noticed the expiry date,or if I had, did not worry about it as I would have (as always) checked them with a battery load test meter and I assume they showing usable charge; so I had fitted them and powered system up, set time and date and then turned machine off. Went up to house for a Cuppa before returning some 20 mins latter and re-powered it up noting the Set time and date message was gone, both time and date has held. I looked around HD files and just saw it was functional and left it run, probably for a hour or two while I did other things.

Time passed and I got tied so along with other powered up equipment I shut all of it down, turned off all 10 circuit breakers, then turned off as always the Main Incoming 240VAC Power Isolating switch on my Bungalows Main Switchboard and when up to house.

And yes the other day I realized when I powered this machine up, had the Time & Date set message, and lifted monitor that DAMN I had forgotten to remove the 4 cells that same evening 18 months back

I should have put a BIG sticky note reading "REMOVE the Batteries (with same days date) !!!" on top/front of Monitor. At

With Covid-19 stress last year (at this one) I have barely done anything testing in my Bungalow, but had even gone to that end of the room I likely I would have seen a Warning NOTE and acted on it.

This is the only Computer that uses Batteries of this physical style, most others use Button Batteries for Clock or the Soldered in Battery as part of the Dallas RTC (which I have modified and fitted a Button Battery carrier).

Of all my test instruments that have batteries 99% of time I don't leave batteries in unless its one I use every day or week like my 87 Fluke Multimeter.

So yes I stuffed up. With only myself to blame for the damage the leaking cells caused.

The one upside is I am willing to publicly publish my 'mistakes' and hope it helps others not to make the same.

 

[inotarobot]

No offense, but that is not the fault of the batteries. NEVER EVER mix different batteries, neither by brand or new/used ones. This will almost always cause them to leak, as they have different electrical resistance and will drain each other 'til the weakest cell will leak. This is not only common knowledge but also written on every battery package.

Hi there TIMO NO offence taken.. I did a SHORT task and knew the mid to long term ( longer than 48hrs) risks re leaving different cells together in machine. What caught me out was I had worked a long day, thus tiredness and my failing to hang a note on the monitor saying "REMOVE TEST BATTERIES !!!" when I finished that day and powered my Bungalow/Computer/Electronics room down.

When I work internally on gear that has Lethal Voltages in it, I always have at least 1 BIG White writing in Red Background sign saying "WARNING HIGH VOLTAGE" in very plain site.
And I never work on these types of task except when I am Physically and Mentally fresh.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Aging does strange things to cells. More than once, I've been surprised by the difference in voltages exhibited in batteries when approaching the end of life. You can see a no-load voltage of one cell of 1.3V and on the adjacent cell, 0.4V. Both were from the same lot. Series-connected, so the same current draw.