Anyone else having problems with Duracell batteries?

[AS]

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.

[John McGaw]

I had a fairly new Mini Maglite LED light destroyed by swelling and oozing
Duracell AA cells just recently. I've switched over to Ray-o-vac in bulk
packs from Amazon figuring that, if I'm going to taking chances, I'd rather
pay less. So far none of the 'cheap' cells or batteries has given me a problem.

[John Varela]

Is it possible you might have been sold counterfeits?

--
John Varela

[AD]

On Apr 2, 7:22 pm, "John Varela" <newla...@verizon.net> wrote:

I thought the counterfeight parties are prosecuted viciously by the
feds and/or by the states in the US.
Is that no longer the case?

(Having had an encounter with a vicious customs official on the US
entry in january 2011 myself
I wonder if all that energy is focused in the right places now)

[AD]

On a larger scale I wonder why the makers of the more expensive
devices
that could be a prey to the leakage with expensive consequences
are not switching to proprietary batteries (ditching run of the mill
AA and AAA formats
prone to faking by dipshits in search for a quick buck.

123A are not that larger than AAs and would be a better match for a
$150+ device.
Me thinks you can't find rechargables though.

Probably this way (allowing devices to operate on cheaper batteries)
the warranty is voided
and you have to buy expensive shit all over again.
That and consumer retorts won't bitch about non-standard batteries
used in a consumer
device (gps, etc).

[gptr...@gmail.com]

Just recently I bought two large quanty packages of each battery by Duracel either from Home Depot or Lowes (November 2015). I put new batteries into my blood pressure monitor and it would not operate due to "low battery". I proceeded to check all of the batteries which I had bought and every one of them was showing a meter rating of "yellow" or poor on my battery tester. This was AA, AAA, C and D batteries. All too weak to operate anything. Am having to take about 50 assorted batteries back to Home Depot or Lowes to get my money back. Bought 3 C batteries yesterday (also Duracell) from Dollar General Store and once again those were testing as "depleted" in the yellow meter range. Usually new batteries show charge in "High Green " zone on my meter. Pretty sure it is not my meter because as I said the batteries do not operate enough to function on the blood pressure meter. I think Duracell has sent out a massive batch of sub-standard batteries. Am switching to Everready for now. Thought they would have had a quality control check to prohibit such a massive failure in their new batteries sent to store.
GPTDesign

[Howard Lester]

<gptr...@gmail.com> wrote

> Just recently I bought two large quanty packages of each battery by
> Duracel either from Home Depot or Lowes (November 2015). I put new
> batteries into my blood pressure monitor and it would not operate due to
> "low battery". I proceeded to check all of the batteries which I had
> bought and every one of them was showing a meter rating of "yellow" or
> poor on my battery tester. This was AA, AAA, C and D batteries. All
> too weak to operate anything. Am having to take about 50 assorted
> batteries back to Home Depot or Lowes to get my money back. Bought 3 C
> batteries yesterday (also Duracell) from Dollar General Store and once
> again those were testing as "depleted" in the yellow meter range.
> Usually new batteries show charge in "High Green " zone on my meter.
> Pretty sure it is not my meter because as I said the batteries do not
> operate enough to function on the blood pressure meter. I think
> Duracell has sent out a massive batch of sub-standard batteries. Am
> switching to Everready for now. Thought they would have had a quality
> control check to prohibit such a massive failure in their new batteries
> sent to store.
> GPTDesign

I wonder how many AA's it would take to run my car.

[Davoud]

Howard Lester:

> I wonder how many AA's it would take to run my car.

If it's a Prius the number is about 168, depending on model. 28
"modules" X 6 AA's per module.

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm

[Howard Lester]

"Davoud" wrote

>> I wonder how many AA's it would take to run my car.

> If it's a Prius the number is about 168, depending on model. 28
> "modules" X 6 AA's per module.

And then I wonder how far I would get -- about 150 feet before they're
exhausted? :-)

[Davoud]

Howard Lester:

> >> I wonder how many AA's it would take to run my car.

Davoud:

> > If it's a Prius the number is about 168, depending on model. 28
> > "modules" X 6 AA's per module.

Howard again:

> And then I wonder how far I would get -- about 150 feet before they're
> exhausted? :-)

I don't recall the distance. "Not very far" is a reasonable statement,
but it is considerably more than 150 feet. But the traction battery
doesn't have to get one very far, just away from the red light, where
demand for petrol is high. Then the petrol engine starts and begins to
recharge the batteries. Friction braking and engine braking for the
next red light adds further charge. In 2006 Toyota promised me 45 mpg
for my Prius. Nine years later I'm getting between 44 and 47 mpg,
depending on a various factors. I rarely drive in heavy city traffic,
but I can easily get over 50 mpg if I do.

[Howard Lester]

"Davoud" wrote

> Howard again:
>> And then I wonder how far I would get -- about 150 feet before they're
>> exhausted? :-)

> I don't recall the distance. "Not very far" is a reasonable statement,
> but it is considerably more than 150 feet. But the traction battery
> doesn't have to get one very far, just away from the red light, where
> demand for petrol is high. Then the petrol engine starts and begins to
> recharge the batteries. Friction braking and engine braking for the
> next red light adds further charge. In 2006 Toyota promised me 45 mpg
> for my Prius. Nine years later I'm getting between 44 and 47 mpg,
> depending on a various factors. I rarely drive in heavy city traffic,
> but I can easily get over 50 mpg if I do.

Well, I was considering the amp-hour rating of an alkaline AA, not the
Prius' "official" bank of rechargeable batteries. So I was figuring that
they'd last about 150 feet worth when powering the car on their own. Is
that still a pessimistic figure?

[uniqu...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 7:10:21 PM UTC-4, AS wrote:

[uniqu...@gmail.com]

Just had to return a package of AAA battery's purchased at Costco.
After examining the battery's, seems that the positive end of the battery, (the little stub) was about 1 cm short to make proper contact.
They wouldn't work in 3 devices.

[Your Name]

1 cm?!? They *are* badly made!
1 cm is almost one-quarter of a proper AAA battery's entire length. ;-)


In some devices, especially where batteries are changed fairly often,
you may need to *carefully* adjust the contacts. The metal-clip types
(as opposed to flat metal contacts) and the spring-types can get
squashed / deformed over time. Re-adjusting them can correct that
slight 1 *mm* difference.

Another el cheapo option is to simply cut a strip of kitchen aluminium
foil, keep folding it until it's a small, thick square, and then insert
that between the contacts and the battery.

[John McGaw]

I've had two Maglite flashlights ruined by Duracell AA cells swelling and
leaking over the past couple of years. I don't buy Duracell anymore. If I'm
looking for high reliability and long life in single-use cells I use
Energizer Lithium or for regular stuff I use Ni-Mh rechargeables and for my
high-intensity LED lights I use 14500 3.7V 2000mAh rechargeable lithium
cells. Must say that I've never seen Duracell with bad dimensions -- just
bad leakage.

[Your Name]

Energizer and Duracell are really just the same company - the American
"Energizer Bunny" mascot is the same as the "Duracell Bunny" mascot
used in other countries. ;-)


Note for braindead fools: The winking smiley means it's a *JOKE*.

[k...@iinet.net.au]

They are also selling them in Australia, just ruined my Seiko Concise Oxford Dictionary device. Also, Duracell Ultra with POWERCHECK showed me a new AND unused pack did not have the power when checked whilst using their POWERCHECK (Really Dumb). I have had problems with Duracell batteries not lasting for several years and shall stop buying them in the future.

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

Duracell batteries are made in plants around the world. I only buy
those made in "north america" - USA, Canada, and Mexico and I have not
had problems. I've seen south american batteries on the " discount
market" that appeared to have leaked in the packing. Where are these
"defective" duracells made???

[Ben Jammin]

Interestingly, the online FAQ section for our Moultrie M-40 Game Camera
-- which we have set up to record the squirrels, raccoons, deer, and
occasional bear or bobcat moving through our yard -- and uses eight AA
batteries says 'We recommend using Energizer Alkaline or Lithium
batteries. Do not use rechargeable batteries, off brand batteries, or
batteries labeled “long lasting”.'

I, too, have had leakage problems with Duracells.

Also, I might point out that cut-rate retailers may be selling imported
Duracell knock-offs, not the real thing. I have had two experiences
with counterfeit products on eBay, a supposedly Nikon camera remote and
a name-brand SD card.

Good information on detecting counterfeit products can be found at
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Buying-Counterfeit-Products and other
websites.

I complained about the counterfeit Nikon remote to eBay; the seller
simply dropped out, started a new account, and is still listing the
remotes. Buyer beware!

[VanguardLH]

Ben Jammin wrote:

> Interestingly, the online FAQ section for our Moultrie M-40 Game Camera
> -- which we have set up to record the squirrels, raccoons, deer, and
> occasional bear or bobcat moving through our yard -- and uses eight AA
> batteries says 'We recommend using Energizer Alkaline or Lithium
> batteries. Do not use rechargeable batteries, off brand batteries, or
> batteries labeled “long lasting”.'
>
> I, too, have had leakage problems with Duracells.

I suspect long lasting means lower maxixum current draw or constant load
capacity over perhaps a shorter time. Your camera expects a minimum
current draw but a longer lasting battery (same chemistry as others)
means it would have to produce less current. A long-lasting battery may
not be able to handle the load now or maintain capacity for that load
later (i.e., they get weak quickly). A long-lasting battery is not a
high-draw battery. I can use alkalines in my camera and get so many
pictures before the flash won't work (won't recharge), or I can buy
their high drain capacity batteries that cost a LOT more and get a LOT
more pictures from my camera. I could try to use rechargeable batteries
in the camera and get even less pics than the typical alkalines but I
can recharge them; however, that means getting cut short on my picture
shooting session or having to use multiple sets of rechargeables.

Although Duracell likes to rely on their brand name along with their
marketing to convince you they are the better product, their is little
difference between same-chemistry batteries. They trademark and try to
keep secret their formulation but, in the industry, the base formulae
are well known. You can buy really cheap alkaline batteries and get
really short lifespan, too. I've found Northern Tool and other
non-national brands gave me as long a lifespan as Duracell or Energizer,
so you need to see which no-name brands hang around in the stores for
years to show they have endurance in sales. You don't want to buy some
we-cheat-em-and-how flighty brand that disappears in a couple months
(when the stock runs out).

https://www.slrlounge.com/the-best-aa-battery-for-flash-the-ultimate-practical-review-of-aa-batteries-for-photography/

Never heard of Eneloop brand. Never seen it in the stores (but then I
don't visit camera shops). They were shortsighted to use the same color
of blue in their graph but look at the following chart. Some of those
batteries don't just get hot to the touch but are burning to the touch.
Remember that this is for a photographer that is trying to take pics as
fast as the battery allows. Don't know at what rate your outdoor camera
uses since I suspect it shoots based on motion detection or at periodic
intervals.

Also, since this camera is outdoors, lithium won't be a good choice.
High summer temperatures will reduce lifespan and cold winter
temperatures will severely reduce capacity (what load the battery can
handle). Instead of lithium for my solar path and solar floodlights, I
use NiMH but I'm lucky to get 2 years out of them (with the last year
having the solar lights go off much earlier), so I replace them each
spring. In cameras, alkalines start strong but quickly fade in capacity
while NiMH discharge more steadily (longer) than single-use batteries.
The downside is NiMH need recharging to keep them performing. They lose
1% capacity per day when idle. They need to be recharged every 1 to 2
months. Don't know how your game camera charges its batteries, if at
all, since the point is portability so you'll have to schedule regular
maintenance to swap out the NiMHs so you can recharge them at home. For
solar lights, they're getting cycled every day. Does your game camera
have a solar charger so you don't have to keep revisiting the camera to
swap out batteries? For the rate of shooting I suspect for a game
camera, a solar charger would probably be sufficient to replenish the
capacity.

"Late in life" NiMHs become less predictable regarding capacity. Not
sure how long that is but I'd probably replace them every 2 years if in
constant use. There are hybrid NiMHs (pre-charged, ready-to-use, low
self-discharge) variants. Those have a lower self-discharge rate:
standard NiMHs lose 40% of stored energy in a month (when idle) and full
empty after 2 months and why you have to recharge them more often versus
pre-charged NiMHs that lose 10-25% per month so maintanence (to
recharge) is longer. However, pre-charged NiMHs has a lower capacity
than standard NiMHs. For example, at a wedding, you'll get more shoots
from a standard NiMH than from a pre-charged NiMH.

> Also, I might point out that cut-rate retailers may be selling imported
> Duracell knock-offs, not the real thing. I have had two experiences
> with counterfeit products on eBay, a supposedly Nikon camera remote and
> a name-brand SD card.
>
> Good information on detecting counterfeit products can be found at
> http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Buying-Counterfeit-Products and other
> websites.

I found a site (don't remember it now) that described the differences in
bubble packaging for Sony and other brand coin cell batteries. Lots of
counterfeits are sold at eBay. You can tell by the packaging which are
genuine and which are fake; however, that doesn't stop the counterfeiter
from using photos of the genuine product to sell their fakeware.

http://www.microbattery.com/counterfeit-sony-watch-batteries
(click on a photo to show an enlarged view)

That's another site that shows the difference in genuine and fake Sony
batteries. On eBay, I'd find blister packs that were missing the raised
bubble over the product ID area (what the site says is the PET Blister
Face). The counterfeiters go cheap on the packaging and the raised
bubble means more expense in material and equipment. The logos on the
front were mispositioned, too. The sellers rarely show you a pic of the
backside of the packaging. If they do, sometimes what they claim is the
shelf life expiration date doesn't match their pic (and a good excuse to
e-mail them to check responsiveness).

Tis one of the reasons that I lean to sales that are "free shipping".
The cost of the sale includes the shipping cost instead of separately.
If there is a problem with the product (wrong product, not working,
fake) and the seller agrees to refund or eBay intercedes and decides to
issue their own refund, the shipping to me is included in the refund
(but I pay shipping back unless the seller never responds and eBay
issues the refund means the product does not have to be returned). If
shipping is a separate charge, the refund is only for the price of the
product, not for the original shipping cost. With free shipping, I get
a full refund. With separate shipping, I get a partial refund.

If you have any questions about a product, like what expiration date is
printed on the product being sold, not the product pictured in the
auction, then send off an e-mail (via eBay's messaging) to the seller.
If you're not sure from their feedback score about the seller, come up
with any germaine inquiry. That will tell you if the seller is
responsive. A non-responsive seller means you can forget dealing with
them about wrong, missing, or damaged products and returns. They won't
respond to you later if they won't respond now.

> I complained about the counterfeit Nikon remote to eBay; the seller
> simply dropped out, started a new account, and is still listing the
> remotes. Buyer beware!

That's why it is important to see how many total sales the seller has
accumulated and their score as a result of those sales. Unless the
seller is dealing in a one-off sale, and they are presenting themself as
an e-tailer using eBay, then they should have LOTS of sales and their
score should be high. When checking their score (feedback), check if
the negatives are spread out or bunched up. Sometimes a seller has a
momentary problem so they get a bunch of negatives in a month. Also
read the negatives. Some are from buyers who order the wrong item and
then bitch the seller didn't deliver what they actually wanted, or the
buyer is trying to cajole a free item from the seller with negative
feedback, or the buyer doesn't understand how to use the product, or the
buyer didn't bother to read the auction description, like not noticing
the seller is in China so it can take 45 days for delivery mostly due to
excessively long delays by customs.

If you know the seller did a nymshift at eBay, did you report it?

[Ben Jammin]

On 2017-09-30 20:35:53 +0000, VanguardLH said:

> I suspect long lasting means lower maxixum current draw or constant load

> capacity over perhaps a shorter time. ...

Thanks for your lengthy and thoughful comments. Always good
conversations on alt.autos.subaru; makes me think Subaru owners are
generally smart, eclectic, and happy to share.

[fall...@gmail.com]

For years I have been telling people about leaking Duracell batteries whenever the subject comes up. Today I pulled out an unopened package of 24 batteries that were guaranteed for 7 years. They were stored in a dresser drawer where the temperature would range from 62 to 72 degrees. The date of the batteries are March 2017...so they are 9 months past the exploration date. 16 of the 24 batteries have huge leakage that covers the entire bottoms. (The package smells of battery acid.) Duracell refused to do anything since they were expired.

[Your Name]

On 2018-01-05 22:40:55 +0000, fall...@gmail.com said:
>
> For years I have been telling people about leaking Duracell batteries
> whenever the subject comes up. Today I pulled out an unopened package
> of 24 batteries that were guaranteed for 7 years. They were stored in
> a dresser drawer where the temperature would range from 62 to 72
> degrees. The date of the batteries are March 2017...so they are 9
> months past the exploration date.

Ahh, there's you're issue. They weren't sitting in the comfy drawer at
all. They were busy off exploring the hot Sahara, frozen Antarctic,
damp South American rain forest. ... they probably caught all sorts of
strange diseases. ;-)

[dhairy...@gmail.com]

It is happening with me also and has let to a loss for remote mouse keyboard wall clock alrm clock and many more

[Wade Garrett]

+1

--
Why is it that the people who want more government control over your
life are the same ones who want you to be disarmed?

[jtmpreno]

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.

[Elaine Sigo]

[Larry Hornsby]

Yes i bought a 10 pack of the AA batters and when i opened the pack they were all bad and everyone had leaked out . I just got some AAA the same time when i opened them they were the same . Don't BUY DURACELL BATTERS!!!!!

[Wade Garrett]

Yeah, especially if you buy ones dated 2008 from the back of a gypsy
wagon passing though town ;-)

--
Beware of counterfeits and patent infringements.
- Sam'l Colt

[Your Name]

If you're buying piles of Duracell AA or AAA batteries to use in your
Subaru, then you shouldn't complain when you get what you paid for. Get
a proper car battery instead. ;-)

[alan vincent]

AAA Duracells bought out of a reputable shop, used 3 the rest died in the box after 5 months, $ods aren't cheap either...

[Wade Garrett]

On 8/9/22 8:37 AM, alan vincent wrote:
> On Saturday, 18 December 2021 at 01:02:19 UTC, Your Name wrote:
>> On 2021-12-18 00:11:19 +0000, Wade Garrett said:
>>> On 12/17/21 11:14 AM, Larry Hornsby wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 4:31:09 PM UTC-5, Elaine Sigo wrote:
>>>>> 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, dhairy...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Monday, 2 April 2012 04:40:21 UTC+5:30, AS wrote:
>>

:::::SNIP

>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes it happens to me, too, and has been for several years. I switched to
>>>>>> Duracell because Kirkland (Costco) batteries were much worse.

Not to be The Party Pooper, but Kirkland alkaline batteries are made
by..........Duracell :-)

[Your Name]

As with many other products, there is an illusion of "market
competition", but the reality is that different brands are often made
and sold by the same company or parent company, and therefore very
little actual competitiveness.

The same happens with store branding, with different brands actually
owned by the same company (e.g. here in New Zealand the "New World" and
"Pak n' Save" supermarkets brands are owned by the same company - just
up the road there is one of each almost next door to each other, giving
an false illusion of competition).

[Marc M]

I bought a large pack of AAA Duracell batteries from Costco. Expiration date: 2028. They were stored properly (with all my other batteries). After about six months I went to open the package and HALF the batteries were corroded. The other half lose their capacity very quickly - they are essentially trash. I contacted Duracell for a replacement under warranty. They sent me a couple of coupons, but had the nerve to tell me this was a "goodwill gesture" and sent two pages of instructions on how to use and store batteries. They clearly suggested this was MY fault and they were doing me a "favor" by sending me the coupons. I will never buy Duracell batteries again.

[Wade Garrett]

Last year I had a similar problem with a 60-pack of Rayovac AA batteries
datd good till 2028 that I bought from the Home Depot.

They corroded/leaked and trashed a $100 Apple wireless keyboard. And
15-16 of the batteries still in the retail package had corroded/leaked
and were covered with a white pastey powder. The ones in the keyboard
were wedged in there so tightly they could not be removed.

Rayovac (owned these days by Energizer) eventually sent me a check for
the keyboard and the pack of batteries-- but dragged me through hot
grease for about two months with numerous requests for additional
seemingly irrelevant info and pictures of the batts and the keyboard
from many different angles. I had initially submitted 11 clear pictures
and a lengthy detailed description of the damage and circumstances. We
traded a couple of dozen emails before they paid me.

Four other batts from the same package also leaked/corroded in a $40 ATT
desk phone. But I was able to remove the crud and restore it to function
and decided not to go around with them again. They got off cheap!

--
I know things and I fix stuff

[Your Name]

When you buy the batteries, you have no idea how long or how well
they've been stored by the warehouse, delivery, and shop. Buying huge
bulk packs is often not worth the supposed savings over buying smaller
packs more often.

[Wade Garrett]

Well I guess that's possible. But can't small packages be warehoused
just as long as the large ones?

Plus-- these days, many brands of alkaline AAA. AA, C and D batteries
claim a 10 year shelf life and have the expiry date printed right on the
battery case.

I also give a failing mark to Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable AAs.

I paid a lot for a 12-pack of them-- includi9ng the correct Panasonic
charger. Eneloops claim to retain an 80% charge after a year's storage.
For mine though, after a year's light use and recharging, they all
started to self-discharge to zero in a week or so.

I emailed Panasonic Customer No-Service several times but never got any
kind of response from them. Phone calls went into Voicemail Hell and
were not returned.

These days, I just buy Costco private label batts which are manufactured
by Duracell. Haven't had any problems with them---so far!

--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so stupid
people won't be offended

[Scott Lurndal]

Wade Garrett <wa...@cooler.net> writes:
>On 1/12/23 1:53 PM, Marc M wrote:
>> On Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 1:39:37 PM UTC-7, Your Name wrote:

>> I bought a large pack of AAA Duracell batteries from Costco. Expiration date: 2028. They were stored properly (with all my other batteries). After about six months I went to open the package and HALF the batteries were corroded. The other half lose their capacity very quickly - they are essentially trash. I contacted Duracell for a replacement under warranty. They sent me a couple of coupons, but had the nerve to tell me this was a "goodwill gesture" and sent two pages of instructions on how to use and store batteries. They clearly suggested this was MY fault and they were doing me a "favor" by sending me the coupons. I will never buy Duracell batteries again.

I've bought hundreds of AAA, AA, 9v Duracell batteries from Costco
over the last two decades. Nary a single one has ever leaked in
storage or in use. While the kirkland (Costco House Brand) on the
other hand routinely leaked after installation when infrequently
used.

A bit of mild acetic acid followed by a water wash has cleaned
the effects of the corrosion in all the devices (usually remote
controls) where the kirkland cells had leaked.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 13 Jan 2023 13:45:13 +1300, Your Name

<Your...@YourISP.com> wrote:

>
>> Four other batts from the same package also leaked/corroded in a $40
>> ATT desk phone. But I was able to remove the crud and restore it to
>> function and decided not to go around with them again. They got off
>> cheap!
>
>When you buy the batteries, you have no idea how long or how well
>they've been stored by the warehouse, delivery, and shop. Buying huge
>bulk packs is often not worth the supposed savings over buying smaller
>packs more often.

I"ve read that one of the local supermarket chains makes a bigger effort
to refrgigerate its milk, compared to others that might let the milk sit
on the loading dock or somewhere else outside the fridge for hours, and
that this chain's milk tends to last longer.

[jtmpreno]

My experience is that Kirkland brand batteries are more likely to leak
than Duracell but even some of the Duracells leak.

Once Duracell started making crappy batteries (and people kept buying
them) it was a race to the bottom with the other manufacturers.

[Your Name]

>>>> date: 2028.  They were stored properly (with all my other batteries).Â

They can be stored the same, but you're hopefully wasting less
batteries in one go on the smaller packages because you know how you
are storing each new pack - just don't buy lots of smaller packs at the
same time, get them as needed instead and check the dates to get the
latest expiry dated pack you can (which would have started it's
shelf-life later).

Probably best to also avoid buying batteies at the big warehouse-style
stores where they buy in massive bulk and sit around for long
timeframes.

> Plus-- these days, many brands of alkaline AAA. AA, C and D batteries
> claim a 10 year shelf life and have the expiry date printed right on
> the battery case.

Expiry dates are in ideal conditions. If they've been stored
inefficiently, then those dates are meaningless. Your ice cream pack
may say it expires in six months, but if you don't store it in a
freezer, it won't last anywhere near that long.

[Bob F]

I have not had any such problem with my couple dozen Eneloops in several
years of usage.

[Bob F]

I would wonder in cases like this, how the problem batteries have been
treated. Maybe they spent a week in the car trunk during hot summer days.

[Scott Lurndal]

Your Name <Your...@YourISP.com> writes:
>On 2023-01-13 13:19:55 +0000, Wade Garrett said:

>Probably best to also avoid buying batteies at the big warehouse-style
>stores where they buy in massive bulk and sit around for long
>timeframes.

I would suggest that your reasoning is reversed; Warehouse stores
like Costco operate on "just-in-time" inventory primarily, so the
batteries you get there will be fresher than most; likely only
a few days from manufacture.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:49:56 GMT,

When I was 9 years old and I wanted the prize in a box of cereal, but
there were no more in the supermarket, I would go to the corner grocery
where they seemed to have old boxes. I probably only did this once, but
I think it was pretty clever of an 8 or 9 year old to notice this or
figure it out. My mother had a car so I don't think she ever went to
that store, so it was all me.

[jack furr]

> b

> Thanks for paying attention to my rant.

I was looking for someone to complain to about Duracell (AAA) batteries that corroded in my mailbox alarm. It only took about a month. Cost me $60 to replace. The batteries say 2034, am I in a time loop here?? Must be..........

[Kona coffee]

I too am seeing Duracell battery failures even before use. I buy the bulk pack from Costco and had half a package fail 6 years before the 2030 exp date. Visible evidence of black coating at positive terminal and or leakage. More people need to complain and return the batteries to point of purchase. But what a mess and its often easier to just dispose of them. I've also had damage to tv remotes from the failed Duracell batteries in use. Made in China and very questionable quality control.

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