Re: Anyone else having problems with Duracell batteries?

On Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 11:18:12 AM UTC-4, jtmpreno wrote:
> On 8/5/2020 5:51 AM, Wade Garrett wrote: 
> > On 8/4/20 11:08 PM, [email protected] wrote: 
> >> On Monday, 2 April 2012 04:40:21 UTC+5:30, AS wrote: 
> >>> From some of my devices, I am taking out Duracell batteries that I had 
> >>> installed back in 2003 and 2004 with no problems; yes, they used to be 
> >>> that good. I normally mark dates on the batteries with a black marker. 
> >>> The thing is, Duracell is not going back to be close to any of my 
> >>> devices. After replacing the older batteries, new Duracell batteries 
> >>> with power left in them, and within months of installation, have been 
> >>> leaking. So far the crappy Duracells have ruined the following items for 
> >>> me, both at home (h) and in the office (o); the prices for the damaged 
> >>> items are approximate to what they cost: 
> >>> 
> >>> 2 Small adding/printing Canon calculators (o) $15 both 
> >>> 1 TI-89 Calculator (h) $150 
> >>> 2 300g x0.01 g jewelry scales (o) $20 both 
> >>> 1 Craftsman Engine Analyzer (h) $130 or so 
> >>> 1 Gilmour Garden Watering Timer (h) $38 
> >>> 2 "9 LED" flashlights (h) $6 both 
> >>> 1 2D cell Maglite Flashlight (h) $35 
> >>> 1 3D cell Maglite Flashlight (o) $45 
> >>> 1 2AA cell Maglite flashlight (mom's) $20 
> >>> 1 Analog Multimeter (h) $20 
> >>> 1 Garmin GPS12 (h) $150 
> >>> 1 Remote for HDTV top set box (h) $40 for the box and remote 
> >>> 
> >>> In most cases, the devices stopped working not because the batteries 
> >>> were dead, but because the leak had corroded and ruined the device's 
> >>> battery contacts. 
> >>> 
> >>> The batteries affected are AA, AAA, D and 9V types. A couple of 9V 
> >>> batteries, with less than one year of installed in smoke detectors, were 
> >>> replaced as soon as the detectors began beeping. Those batteries were 
> >>> swollen and had open seams. About a month ago, I took one from a smoke 
> >>> detector dated 2004. 
> >>> 
> >>> The defective batteries have come from different large size packs 
> >>> bought both at BJ's club or local reputable retailers. 
> >>> 
> >>> I wonder why Consumer Reports continues to say that Duracell 
> >>> Batteries 
> >>> are good. Are they blind? Is Duracell selling the crappy batteries in 
> >>> the south east US only? 
> >>> 
> >>> Thanks for paying attention to my rant. 
> >> 
> >> It is happening with me also and has let to a loss for remote mouse 
> >> keyboard wall clock alrm clock and many more 
> >> 
> > +1 
> >
> Yes it happens to me, too, and has been for several years. I switched to 
> Duracell because Kirkland (Costco) batteries were much worse. 
> 
> When I am not going to use something for awhile I take the batteries out. 
> 
> When they do leak in the device I use one or more Q-Tips soaked in 
> alcohol to remove the electrolyte. 
> 
> Then I use 0000 steel wool to clean the battery contacts. I have always 
> been able to bring a device back to life that way. 
> 
> About the 9V batteries in smoke alarms. Your problem might not be the 
> batteries. 
> 
> My house came with several old Kidde smoke alarms, the type that run on 
> 120VAC, have a backup battery, and are all connected together so that 
> with one alarm goes off they all go off. 
> 
> They would do that occasionally, always when I was sleeping. Even when 
> it was in the middle of the afternoon. 
> 
> When I checked the batteries one of them would be much higher than 9V, 
> like 10 Volts. 
> 
> The smoke alarms were putting current *into* the battery. 
> 
> Generally most batteries are rechargeable but recharging a battery 
> produces some heat. The heat causes the pressure in the battery to 
> increase. If a battery is designed to be rechargeable it is designed to 
> handle the heat and also has a pressure release valve if it gets too hot. 
> 
> Batteries that are not designed to be rechargeable do not have to handle 
> the heat from recharging so they don't. They also don't have the 
> pressure release valve. 
> 
> The Kidde smoke alarms were "charging" the battery, making it hot, which 
> increased the pressure inside the battery until the case burst. 
> 
> I had one that outright exploded. 
> 
> I ended up replacing all of the Kidde smoke alarms with a newer model. 
> It doesn't do that anymore. 
> 
> (All smoke alarms come with at least some reviews that say they go off 
> occasionally for no reason. Some of those reviews come from shills who 
> are hired by companies to praise the company's products and trash the 
> competitor's products.) 
> 
> When my new(er) Kidde smoke alarms need to be replaced I will replace 
> them with the ones that operate solely on their battery and come with a 
> 10-year battery. 
> 
> Smoke alarms are so loud they don't need to be networked.