No leak primaries?

[Southernlight]

Hi all,
I am aware that Alkaline and Carbon Zinc cells leak (suffered a few) and was wondering if there are any AA sized primary cells that don't leak ?
Are Lithium primaries, safe to use in an o-ring sealed twisty LED light ?

Thanks

 

[3_gun]

Eveready Energizer Ultimate lithium batteries in AA & AAA are GREAT choices for smaller format lights that aren't heavily used. Regularly used AA/AAA lights pair up well with eneloop rechargeables & save a lot of $$. Just shop around as price can swing wildly.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Energizer L91/L92 batteries pretty much don't leak. We have had very rare instances of them leaking so rare that in the over a decade here I've only heard 1, maybe 2 instances vs dozens of people starting threads for alkaline spewage ruining their lights. I'm not totally sure about CR123 leaking as I don't use them but pretty much no lithium based battery seems to leak including 20XX coin cells.
The big problem with Energizer lithium batteries is the price is skyrocketing perhaps because of the political ideological push to electric battery power to replace gasoline power in almost everything which puts strain on the lithium production and thus prices likely will go out of reach for lithium primaries vs lithium rechargeables.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Recently checked on a cheapo 3 AAA flashlight with alkalines inserted over 8 years ago; still worked, no leakage. This is not to say the Duracells don't leak because I have seen them leak in the package without any use. Granted it is a gamble and not worth the risk for any flashlight deserving respect.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Recently checked on a cheapo 3 AAA flashlight with alkalines inserted over 8 years ago; still worked, no leakage. This is not to say the Duracells don't leak because I have seen them leak in the package without any use. Granted it is a gamble and not worth the risk for any flashlight deserving respect.

Cheapo 3AAA lights are about what alkaleaks are good for if they leak into the trash it goes. Most often I've broken 3AAA lights before the batteries can destroy them and I only have a few left in service and they are COB lights. As I've switched to 18650 for the most part my collection of LSD nimh have gone into lights and almost all the alkaleaks have been removed.
I've had enough Rayospews, Duraleaks, Enerswellers, and generic leakalines for a lifetime.

 

[marinemaster]

All Duracell and Energizer have leaked for me. Only battery that did not is Sony AA.

 

[Stefano]

The only batteries I have seen lose are the Duracell Industrial (very high loss rate and in a short time) I've seen leaks in other cheap brands but years and years after the expiration date. I would rate the batteries that are sold together with the AA or AAA Fenix lights a good rating, I have blister packs of Fenix E11 and after about 10 years they don't leak. Excellent rating also for Energizer Industrial, I bought many of them for emergency and so far no losses after 3 or 4 years.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

The only batteries I have seen lose are the Duracell Industrial (very high loss rate and in a short time) I've seen leaks in other cheap brands but years and years after the expiration date. I would rate the batteries that are sold together with the AA or AAA Fenix lights a good rating, I have blister packs of Fenix E11 and after about 10 years they don't leak. Excellent rating also for Energizer Industrial, I bought many of them for emergency and so far no losses after 3 or 4 years.

I've not seen Duracell Industrial alkaleaks anywhere but have seen Energizer Industrial batteries but only seen them once at a store and once in a device so no experience with those. 3-4 years is not long enough to judge alkalines for leakage it takes closer to 5-7 years to go through several batches of batteries as one batch may not leak and the next two or three may leak. It may be that in some countries batteries are made at other plants or don't have the trauma that they do here in shipping them.

 

[Stefano]

I bought Duracell Industrial AA and AAA at least a couple of times within a year (so different batches)
All of them lost liquid either in the plastic boxes where I had put them or in the devices (luckily none were a flashlight) - some after a few weeks others after a few months, there was no need to wait years.
I never buy that brand again, now if I have to buy an alkaline primary I only buy Energizer

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I bought Duracell Industrial AA and AAA at least a couple of times within a year (so different batches)
All of them lost liquid either in the plastic boxes where I had put them or in the devices (luckily none were a flashlight) - some after a few weeks others after a few months, there was no need to wait years.
I never buy that brand again, now if I have to buy an alkaline primary I only buy Energizer

I've had all brands leak..... and multiple generations of them at that but I haven't used the duraleaks....or locks yet but their hyped non leakage claims don't really make for them giving them a better warranty it is the same one their normal alkaleaks have.

 

[Burgess]

Another Vote of Confidence for the EXCELLENT
Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells (L91 and L92) !

Last year, my local Kroger supermarket had a special
CLEARANCE SALE on Only the 12-packs of these cells.

Less than $ 10.00 a pack,
including our 7 % state sales tax ! ! !
:)

I bought a BUNCH of 'em !
:love:
_

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Another Vote of Confidence for the EXCELLENT
Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells (L91 and L92) !

Last year, my local Kroger supermarket had a special
CLEARANCE SALE on Only the 12-packs of these cells.

Less than $ 10.00 a pack,
including our 7 % state sales tax ! ! !
:)

I bought a BUNCH of 'em !
:love:
_

Long ago a CPFer was selling leftover L91s for $30/60 pcs including shipping. I bought 30 and I think he gave me a few extras and I had 3 or 4 of them that were bad (low voltage 1.6V etc). I've been using them up over the last 10 years now and I only have 4 left not in devices now. The expiration date.... ironically is 2023. Now that I need more L92s (AAAs) the price has gone up fromabout $1.33 each for an 18 pack at sames to $1.83 each a huge jump. I suspect the price of lithium is through the roof now and may not but keep going up as the pressure on lithium ion batteries in EVs is nuts along with the push to ban smaller gas engine usage like lawn mowers too.
With the big price increase I have to say L91s are great but as when they were only available (to me) for $2.50/each and now closing back in to $2 each I'm not overly thrilled with the cost and will likely risk leakage from leakalines due to a very tight budget that each dollar could be a tipping point.

 

[bridgman]

The usual price around here has been closer to ~5.00 CDN/3.87 US in 4 packs, 4.00 CDN / 3.10 US in 8 packs. I found one store (Home Depot of all places) selling the 8 pack for quite a bit less (2.20 CDN / 1.70 US) so I might go check expiry dates and pick some up.

 

[bridgman]

Interesting.... Wikipedia has pages for quite a few different battery chemistries, but only one of those pages has a section entitled "Leaks".

Bet you can't guess which one...

Alkaline battery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Viking]

Funny how we have different experiences of alkaline manufacturers.
lately my experiences with leaky cells have been mostly from duracell.

Approx. half a year ago I found a pack of four triple A duracell batteries in my drawer which had leaked. They were still in their blister pack. I can't remember the expiration date.
But as recently as today I found yet another package, this time with two triple A duracell batteries named "Duralock" in the same drawer that had leaked, they were also still in their blister pack. And the expiration date is March 2025 as can be seen.

I think the only alkaline batteries I have good experiences with, in terms of not leaking are 9 volt batteries.

 

[hsa]

Must be a bad drawer!?

 

[Stefano]

I think the only alkaline batteries I have good experiences with, in terms of not leaking are 9 volt batteries.

After various leakage experiences I always keep unused alkaline batteries wrapped in several rounds of clear plastic.
A few years ago maybe in 2017/2018 I felt a strange smell in the room where I slept, I thought it was some lithium battery, I checked everything but no problems detected.
After weeks with this bad smell, I discover that they were two Duracell Industrial batteries inside the control panel on the handlebars of an exercise bike.
I don't think breathing that stuff did me any good.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Funny how we have different experiences of alkaline manufacturers.
lately my experiences with leaky cells have been mostly from duracell.

Approx. half a year ago I found a pack of four triple A duracell batteries in my drawer which had leaked. They were still in their blister pack. I can't remember the expiration date.
But as recently as today I found yet another package, this time with two triple A duracell batteries named "Duralock" in the same drawer that had leaked, they were also still in their blister pack. And the expiration date is March 2025 as can be seen.

I think the only alkaline batteries I have good experiences with, in terms of not leaking are 9 volt batteries.

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?

 

[Dave_H]

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?

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

 

[Mike G]

It's been mentioned already, but +1 for Energizer lithiums (L91, L92, etc). They're expensive, but I've never heard of 'em leaking. Energizer supposedly guarantees against leaks in general as well. I've been lucky and only experienced leaks from my el cheapo Sunbeam cells.