How to prevent battery leaking?

[Forest_rain]

After only about 6 months of storage with batteries in it, the batteries leaked in my flash it in. Flash seems to be dead now, even after trying to clean the contacts.

Any idea how to prevent batteries from leaking? Are lithium batteries less prone to leaking? I've never had those "button" type silver oxide or lithium batteries leak even after long prolonged storage.

I've had quite a few AA and AAA batteries alkaline types leak even after just a short time.

Obviously the solution is just to use your stuff as much as possible, so I'm tempted just to sell all the flashes I don't use to prevent them from corroding like this.

 

[madNbad]

Some manufacturers batteries are more prone to leaking than others. A local camera shop once told me Duracell’s were amongst the worst because they would pack more material into the casing for increased power. The downside was, if you didn’t use them up in a short period and let them sit, they leak. Some reviewer call Ray-O-Vac’s, Ray-O-Death for a propensity to leak. Energizers offer a long life and haven’t presented many problems. Some of the no names like Amazon brand or Interstate are surprisingly good. The absolute best thing to do is never store a flash with the batteries in it but the reality is we all do it.

 

[p.giannakis]

The more a battery is used, the more gases build up inside the battery. So the pressure increases from inside the battery and eventually they start deforming and leaking. Obviously cheaper made batteries are worst (especially the ones found a dozen for a pound in poundshops. Six months is too short period, what battery make was it? Never had an issue with Energizer's or Duracell but always get into the habit of removing the batteries when not using them.

 

[Rob-F]

Some manufacturers batteries are more prone to leaking than others. A local camera shop once told me Duracell’s were amongst the worst because they would pack more material into the casing for increased power. The downside was, if you didn’t use them up in a short period and let them sit, they leak. Some reviewer call Ray-O-Vac’s, Ray-O-Death for a propensity to leak. Energizers offer a long life and haven’t presented many problems. Some of the no names like Amazon brand or Interstate are surprisingly good. The absolute best thing to do is never store a flash with the batteries in it but the reality is we all do it.

My experience corroborates this as far as Duracell and Energizer are concerned. I've had several leakage events with Duracell; my luck has been much better with Energizer. And while on this subject, I have had five Walgreen's D-cells in my old Ray-O-Vac flashlight for over 25 years. I check them often. They haven't leaked yet.

 

[Rob-F]

Any idea how to prevent batteries from leaking? Are lithium batteries less prone to leaking? I've never had those "button" type silver oxide or lithium batteries leak even after long prolonged storage.

Lithium batteries contain no corrosive chemicals, making them a much safer choice. I prefer them to alkaline for that reason in my AA and AAA devices. I haven't seen them yet in C and D sizes. I wish the manufacturers would hurry up. There can't be any shortage of lithium: there's been plenty of it around ever since the big bang.

 

[Malcolm M]

There's probably nothing you can do to stop batteries leaking. Just make sure they don't leak in your equipment by taking them out and putting them in a poly bag when not in use.

 

[wolves3012]

You can't prevent batteries from leaking 100%, so the simple solution is to take them out for longer storage. If you read the manual, it's very likely to tell you to do just that. You can clean those contacts with a fibreglass pencil at the risk of removing any plating, it'll probably allow you to get away with it. I've had top-brand and no-name-brand batteries leak but nowadays that tends to be a rare thing.


Have you considered using rechargeable batteries? Nowadays the "stay-charged" types are a far better bet than disposable batteries in almost any device. For a flashgun, a (typical) set of 4 AA-size NiMH cells plus a charger will set you back the price of three or four sets of alkalines but will hold their charge for at least a year (unused) and can be recharged hundreds of times. Even a second set for backup won't break the bank. Save money, generate less waste and have reliable power, wins all around! I've never had a NiMH cell leak, ever, although they can - so you should still remove them for long storage. Look up Panasonic Eneloop & Eneloop Pro for a suggestion.

 

[blumoon]

Have you tried cleaning the contacts with vinegar or circuit cleaner on a q-tip?
Fine steel wool should get the blue corrosion off.
I've gotten flashes to work that looked a lot worse than yours.

 

[View Range]

I have found some Energizer AA batteries to be too big in diameter to fit in some equipment, in particular the F36 battery pack on a Nikon F. I complained to Energizer and their response was to offer to send me more batteries.

 

[philslizzy]

Take them out between uses and store them in a sealed plastic bag. The leaked acid can be swabbed out with a cotton bud and some vinegar

 

[wwfloyd]

Indoor temperature and humidity

I'm a person who likes to use the heating and air conditioner as little as possible, subject to my own comfort limits. When I was going to extremes, I often found new AA and AAA that were maybe a year old, had leaked in their packaging.

Now, collecting cameras, I have to use the heating and AC in a more traditional way, to keep fungus at bay.

 

[Dwig]

You can't prevent batteries from leaking 100%, ...
Have you considered using rechargeable batteries? Nowadays the "stay-charged" types are a far better bet than disposable batteries in almost any device. For a flashgun, a (typical) set of 4 AA-size NiMH cells plus a charger will set you back the price of three or four sets of alkalines but will hold their charge for at least a year (unused) and can be recharged hundreds of times. ...

+1

I've been using the newer "pre-charged/stay-charged" NiMH batteries for the last several years in almost everything around the house, photographic and otherwise. I've never had them leak.

Also, the lithium batteries don't leak or expand as they die. Long ago during the previous millennium I switched to using the CR1/3N lithium (3v) to replace the stack of 2 MS-76 silver oxide batteries in my ancient Nikon F2 Photomic. I design flaw in that camera's battery compartment make it likely to be damaged by swelling batteries. The CR-1/3N is a safe replacement.

 

[dtcls100]

Yep, stop using alkaline batteries. NiMH rechargeables don't leak and are better for the environment. Also, if your camera can take CR 1/3N batteries instead of silver oxide batteries, they are preferable as they don't tend to leak either. Indeed, Sover Wong (Nikon F2 repair guru) recommends using the CR 1/3N batteries in Nikon F2 cameras for just that reason. Another benefit of using the CR 1/3N batteries over silver oxide is that their cold weather performance is much, much better.

If I buy an electronic device that comes with alkaline batteries these days, I may use the alkalines for a short time, but usually throw them out pretty quickly and replace them with rechargeable NiMH.

 

[halfaninchawater]

I'll second the complaints regarding Duracell batteries. I've ruined too many devices, mostly non photographic, with Duracells that leaked. And repeating what others have said I've not had the same leakage problem with Energizer batteries.

I've switched to AA size Ni-MH rechargeable batteries with my photo equipment. When I'm done they come out and go on the charger. After charging they go into a small plastic case, ready for the next time. The case works with any type of AA battery so it's a great place to store them. Take look on Amazon. They're cheap, they fit easily into a camera bag, and there's a lot of different styles to choose from.

 

[Pál_K]

Well, someone has to be an outlier: my experiences with Duracell, Energizer, and Ray-O-Vac have been fine over decades.

I don't keep batteries in the camera or device when it won't be used for a while. I put them in a sealable plastic bag (such as used for food). I have a shoebox filled with such battery-and-bags.

I also put a note in the bag indicating which camera(s) they're for and when I last used them. I have a small multimeter, so often I'll write down the voltage - but that can be misleading when the battery is not under load.

The only batteries that have leaked are cheap 3rd party brands. Either they leak or lose charge quickly.

 

[Bill Clark]

I always took the batteries out after each use. Used rechargeable.

 

[Malcolm M]

One caveat with rechargeable batteries- they do run at a lower voltage than Duracell, carbon-zinc etc. My Nikon MD-12 drive packs up after about 2 frames with rechargeables.