Have you checked your batteries in your device lately?

Bigwig - September 19, 2021

Advice

I have a shelf full of flashlights and lanterns, most stored with batteries.  I don’t want to have to find and load some batteries during a power outage.  As such, I periodically check the batteries in these and other battery-powered devices to see if there are any issues, especially ones that I don’t use very often.  I did find one light with batteries that had obviously leaked and was corroded.  I was able to clean it out and salvage the light.

Do you regularly check you batteries in your devices?

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I check mine every 3 months except for the CR123As  which I do monthly because those bloody things have a habit of suddenly dumping their charge, even though they are supposed to be good for years of storage. I store the batteries seperately from which ever device they are meant for except my EDC flashlight.

 

Good afternoon Bigwig,

Yes, regularly and frequently.

Had just checked about an hour ago my helmet light. It uses a Lithium 123.

Part of my field maintenance kit in truck … not for infantry style work … is a plastic squeeze jar of lemon juice in case run into a leakage with corrosion on instrument.  Old method was baking soda and vinegar (from a fading memory); now it’s lemon juce. 

Am wondering what the current professional engineer view is on battery packages with expiration dates.  

Getting ready for some volunteer work outside during both darkness and later.

 

Yep, I do check them, but not on a schedule. Like Bill I don’t keep the batteries in items though, the exception being the torch in regular use and my edc light. I generally use an elastic band to keep the batteries and the gadget together.

 

I believe it’s the alkaline batteries that corrode and cause those issues. So do not store alkaline batteries in electronics. My poor Christmas decorations are a victim of this every year, I can’t seem to remember to take out the batteries at the end of the season.

 

I once had one of two CR123A batteries in my flashlight actually explode, it was enough to partially blow the end cap off the flashlight

 

Do note that some overseas areas have battery corrosion problems not considered here – although some overseas places have even higher quality products than here. 

 

Very timely topic.  I am just in the midst of checking my emergency preps,  done regularly every three months with the changing seasons.

I check the charge status of batteries and my power banks,as well as making seasonal adjustments to my emergency gear.

I abhor alkaline batteries -costly and ruinous to good gear.  I rely on rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium primary batts.

Also prepingfor field work in about three weeks – will be using some of this same stuff for that enterprise….

 

I have a cheap lantern that has a built in rechargeable lithium ion battery but doesn’t seem to hold a charge over a month if left in storage. It does have a built in solar panel so I could charge it if I needed to off grid, but when I would need to pull it out and use it, it would probably be in the middle of the night when it is dark and there isn’t any sun out. 

There is a place for some additional AAA backup batteries to be installed, so I think I will rely on that until the morning when I could charge the built in battery with the sun.

Good to know and test your gear before the power goes off!

 

If you check with your local electrical repair shop chances are they may be able to swap out the rechargeable battery pack for a much better quality pack that should hold a charge for months.   I have a couple of mini LED lights and I leave them in the kitchen on the windowsill charging every day.

 

Thanks for the tip Mr. Masen! I will look into that because it would be nice to have a better and more reliable battery in there. 

Does leaving lights charging all day every day hurt them at all? Maybe not, because there are many solar powered landscaping lights that do just that. 

 

I just checked mine and they work fine, wife had them on for hours a few weeks ago during a power cut.  May be wise to get a couple of spare power packs incase they do eventually wear out.