No leak primaries?

[Viking]

9V batteries can leak but since some have 6 AAAA cells and an outer shell the leaks can be unseen somewhat sealed away. I've had plenty of 9V batteries leaking. Most of them were in devices that I inherited that I forgot to check the batteries in them. I think some 9V batteries have prismatic cells also that may be less likely to leak perhaps?

When I talk about leakage, I mean out of the outer shell, not inside the battery itself.
I think it is this double layer that makes them so resistant to leakage, (at least in my experience).
But I know they can leak, even out of the outer shell, but honestly I really can't remember that ever has happened to me.

This is why 9 volt batteries are the only alkalines I still dare to buy and use in my electronics.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I've opened up a number of dead 9v zinc-carbon and alkaline batteries but have not seen anywhere near the same leakage as with individual cells. Some use AAAAs, some have stacked "pillow" cells which seem well sealed.

Dave

I think the "pillows" are prismatic cells.... I know the lithium 9v batteries have 3 stacked cells. As I have a streamlight 3AAAA penlight that takes the batteries I took one apart for the batteries and sadly I never use the light as it has a single pathetic 5mm LED and puts out maybe 15 lumens for a long skinny light. One of my lights the batteries leaked and it is worse than super glue can't even get the cap off of it. I think that the size of the AAAA cells makes them have less to leak. I've had alkaline button cells leak also totally ruining devices (usually throwaway LED lights). I still keep a stock of button cells of 2 sizes as a few things use them like a digital battery tester. One cell that I have that also had not leaked is the 12V alkaline remote batteries that I think have 8 button cells stacked inside. Likely having them sealed in a case may contain leaks.

I wonder if you took a AA battery and made it overall smaller and double sealed it that is an inner shell and then outer shell would it stop a lot more leaks?

 

[xxo]

9 volts usually swell up when they leak, slowly prying the metal case open.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

9 volts usually swell up when they leak, slowly prying the metal case open.

They can swell pretty good, but early on they can leak some without any damage I would figure.

 

[Viking]

Speaking of leaking alkalines.
David L. Jones from EEVblog, to day found out the hard way that Energizer's AA alkalines leaks as well. They have completely destroyed his fluke multimeter.
The battery acid has eaten the yellow plastic, and has worked all its way down to the circuit board, and even through it.
He is now left with an expensive brick, he can use as a paper holder or something.

 

[louie]

Hopefully Energizer Australia offers the leakage damage guarantee? It would be worth pursuing in this case.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I found a 2024 Duraleak that did its thing a few days ago, luckily I caught it before it did anything. It was in a $3 walmart LED touch light. I replaced it with a used enerleaker as the 3AA touch lights can run fine off 2AAs and at 10 lumens they run forever on batteries that won't work in other devices but still have some juice in them.... 1-1.3v.
As for the Fluke.... if I could afford it I would only put lithium 9v batteries in one too darn expensive to risk. I've replaced several 9V devices with ones that use AA/AAA cells for two reasons, first it is a lot less expensive to feed them with prices of 9V are nuts compared to AA/AAA cells plus you can use lithium primaries in them for about $2 each vs $10+ for a 9V lithium and 2AA has 50% more power than a 9V does and to add this, many 9V batteries in devices use clip on connectors which are a pain and a weak point is the wiring coming out of them plus they can be riveted and the rivets can spin making for connection issues on occasion.. The clips have both advantages and disadvantages in that if the clip gets leaked on you can replace it entirely vs contacts and it can make it easier to use a 9V DC adapter in a device plus you can buy 4-6 AA/AAA adapters with clip connectors and use them instead of a 9V cell if space permits. With a long enough wires on a battery holder you could make an external 6AA battery for a 9V setup.

 

[dragosios]

Overall, 9v batteries leak less material than AA's.
And while I agree with @Lynx_Arc suggestion to replace, probably just a few people will go that way.
As for Fluke, the 289 has a kind of tray for its 6 AA's which could help a bit to contain leakage. Maybe the manufacturer learned the lesson? Sure, this is not bullet proof as it creates new moving parts susceptible to wear and tear ...

 

[Lynx_Arc]

My 77 IV used a single 9V and has a clip and a battery compartment so a leak would have to gravitate towards the top area to get to the electronics so unless you store the meter top down it should greatly reduce any risk. I have a Rayovac Ultra Pro alkaleak in it (I think that is what it is) I think the battery came with the meter.

 

[aznsx]

Overall, 9v batteries leak less material than AA's.
And while I agree with @Lynx_Arc suggestion to replace, probably just a few people will go that way.
As for Fluke, the 289 has a kind of tray for its 6 AA's which could help a bit to contain leakage. Maybe the manufacturer learned the lesson? Sure, this is not bullet proof as it creates new moving parts susceptible to wear and tear ...

I don't have the patience for most amateur videos and didn't play this one, and thus I didn't realize this was about a 289 - and I use one and never knew it uses 6xAA! I grab and use a department 289 at my work (industrial) at times when I need some features my 87 lacks (often recording / logging events when I require more than basic 'Min/Max/Avg' - including graphical display, time correlation, and others), and it always seemed to be a little heavy to me. Now I know why! No doubt some of it's additional features / capabilities (date interface / long(er)-term monitoring, etc.) put its power requirements well beyond the capabilities of a '9V' batt, and that explains the weight. Learn somethin' every day! BTW, if that were my meter, I would be in tears!

 

[bridgman]

As for Fluke, the 289 has a kind of tray for its 6 AA's which could help a bit to contain leakage.

Good point - my Streamlight Survivor has a nice battery holder that takes 4AA cells. I imagine its primary purpose is to allow easy interchange with a rechargeable battery pack but it still makes me feel a bit safer about putting alkalines in it. It's actually one of the very few lights that I do use with alkalines - nearly all of my AA/AAA/C/D lights are running NiMH or lithium primary.

IIRC the only other light running alkalines right now is the Streamlight Duallie 3AA - it has an interesting tapered body and is built with a battery holder well separated from the switch/light parts so I'm guessing it would survive an alkaleak better than most.

 

[3_gun]

I've used Surefire 123a batteries in 1, 2 & 3 cell formats without any kind of battery failure since 2005; ever. At one point I was using 8 or more cells a month year round in a single light. Never heard of a coworker having a failure either. The job was 4 season indoor & out patrols, -20 to 90 temps. At the start of 2022 I added 4x12 boxes of new Surefires as they are still my go to 123a's

 

[Broadcast_Eng]

The DoD agency I'm a contractor to has most recently supplied me with 'new' (grey, Chinese-made) AA ProCells. I'm at home right now, but IIRC they are packed as six paperboard boxes of twenty-four loose cells per corrugated box case. No clear 'best by' or date of manufacture on either the boxes or cases.

I find one leaking cell in nearly every box of twenty-four cells. Pitiful.