All
I was checking our car emergency pack and when I tried the flashlight it was dead.
I switched the D batteries (Duracell) and and then it came on.
I then went to the closet and checked other flashlights and all the alkaline batteries (dated March 2011) were dead except one (good if installed by Jan 2002).
I have 2 flashlights (LCD) that are about 2 years old with heavy duty batteries (Ray-O-Vac, they came with the flashlight) and both of these flashlights had good batteries. One is in the house and one in the work van. Light use.
As with most flashlights none of these get used very much. Just sitting around waiting for a power outage.
What is the deal? What kind of batteries do you put in flashlights for long term use, or long term storage?
Rich
Replies
gave up on duracells a long time ago...
prefer the energizer...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
to the closet
Does closet get hot in the summer?
We store non-recahrgeable batteries in the freezer until use. Indefinite lifetime then.
Junk
to the closet
Does closet get hot in the summer?
No just normal household temp. Just flashlights stored in the pantry/closet off the kitchen.
I don't want to go to the freezer to find batteries when the power goes out.
I can't remeber the last time we had a power outage in our home. I think it was when a squirrel committed suicide with a transformer.
Rich
Edited 6/1/2009 1:39 pm ET by cargin
'plug into the wall' rechargeables with a 'power out' light are great for that purpose
edit ps: put a couple of those at the end of our hallways, worked great for 20 some years, been to lazy to replace the NiCds in them since those died after about 20 years.
Edited 6/1/2009 2:53 pm ET by junkhound
junkhound
I found this
Putting batteries in the freezer or refrigerator doesn't necessarily prolong their life
Alkaline batteries stored at "room temperature" self discharge at a rate of less than two percent per year. So normally refrigerating or freezing them will only help maintain their charge by a tiny amount. Hardly worth the effort of chilling them. However, if alkaline batteries are stored at higher temperatures they will start to lose capacity much quicker. At 85 degrees F they only lose about 5% per year, but at 100 degrees they lose 25% per year. So if you live in a very hot climate or are storing your batteries in a very hot location, it may be worthwhile for you to store your alkaline batteries in a refrigerator instead.
At this site
http://www.greenbatteries.com/batterymyths.html#freezer
I'm still researching. But it appears that a hot enviroment can be very bad for alkaline batteries.
Rich
I just bought a new Mini-Mag-lite for my key chain, replacing one that I'd had for some time. The previously one's Duracell battery corroded inside after a year or two but within it's predicted lifetime, fusing the inner stuff together.
This time I read the instructions and "life time warranty" which came with the Mini-Mag-lite. They said to take the light apart, once a month, and check the battery for signs of corrosion. So, apparently, even the best batteries can and do go bad under certain conditions.
Anyway, I'd check Duracell's website, if I were you, or their packaging, to see what their warranty has to say.
HVC
I'll check around on their site, maybe there are some insights for long term storage.
Rich