Duracell Batteries

[antrobuscp]

We seem to have had a run of discovering leaks from Duracell batteries. Mostly this has been in low drain/long life situations such as tv/video remote controllers, led lights, and similar. The batteries can still be holding a charge, and even though the appliance might not have been used frequently the batteries are within their expiry dates. We've decided to remove all Duracells and move to Energiser or Panasonic batteries. I can accept isolated leaks even though I thought batteries had become largely "leak proof" many years ago, but there seems to be a pattern here.

 

Anyone else noticed this problem?

 

Colin

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

My experience: there was a bad patch with the 'test buttons' on the batteries, which gave an indication of how much charge was left. The test button patches were where the leaks occurred, and in some cases well within the shelf life printed on the battery, and with plenty of charge still available. The worst failure was of D types inside an aluminium bodied Maglite 'American police style nightstick-cum-torch'; where the leaking fluids made a cement out of the dissolving aluminium of the torch body, making removal of the leaking batteries a considerable labour. No clue that this was going on at all, the torch was as bright and reliable as ever. (The torch now carries a label with tick boxes requiring an annual physical 'take 'em out' check of the battery condition.)

[dhjgreen]

I use JCB, available locally here. They are cheaper and last longer: not had a problem with leaking over 2/3 years I heve been using them.

 

Edit: make that 4/5 years actually, in remotes, torches and all the usual paraphernalia (I hope that word passes the naughty filter)

[Robert]

I have similar experience - not just with Duracell.

 

For quite a few years, leaks were very rare, but this seems to have increased quite significantly of late.  So much so, that the TV remote was damaged beyond repair by a slowly leaking battery.  Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a new one.

 

My theory (and I have no idea if it is true) is that the cases are being made thinner to cut down on manufacturing costs.  Thus rotting through the casing more quickly.  Normally, you probably won't notice, except in low drain situations.

[Horsetan]

Might they be counterfeit batteries?

[jonny777]

Might they be counterfeit batteries?

 

 

Thanks for that link.

 

I have had a few Duracell leak problems over the past couple of years, and I have bought some packs on Ebay.

 

I will check more closely in future.

[antrobuscp]

Might they be counterfeit batteries?

Thanks for the link - it makes an interesting read although I'm not sure how you find out who an authorised reseller is if all you do is buy from "high street" big name retailers at the best price you can find. We have never bought batteries from other than the likes of Argos, large supermarkets, etc., when they have been on promotion. No internet purchases at all. I have only bought a small number of supposedly branded rechargeable AAs on the web, and they have seemed to under-perform, so I haven't repeated the exercise. I have bought specialist camera batteries but have bought from apparently established businesses - no complaints so far.

 

Colin

[BR60103]

I've had quite a few and not just Duracell.

If I'm lucky, I can clean the battery case with a bit of vinegar followed with water. The new battery is put in with a drop of some stuff from an RV show that's to be used on outdoor bulbs.

[cravensdmufan]

Might they be counterfeit batteries?[/quote

 

Might they be counterfeit batteries?

Good point, and thanks for the useful link.

[jonhall]

There are a lot of fake Duracell batteries out there, and the manufacturers spend a lot of time and money trying to make them difficult to copy and easy to spot, but whilst there is demand for a cheap battery*, there will be fakes. The company I work for used to own Duracell and I saw quite a lot of fakes, from fairly obvious to (cosmetically) extremely similar.

 

*or anything else, from washing powder and bars of soap to razor blades and hair driers. In China Safeguard soap is now packaged in a box that is uniquely marked and consumers can take a photo of the QR code, go online and compare the markings with a photo as it left the packing line - this is not by the batch, every single box is different to make it easier to spot a fake.

 

Jon

[davefrk]

Just checked the Duracell AA multi packs I bought from a well known DIY store earlier this year for the garage alarm, they only last a few months then need replacing. Guess what, according to the Duracell site they are fakes.....

They were cheap.

 

Dave Franks.

[Horsetan]

With the huge advances in technology permitting the production of counterfeit items, is there anything out there that's actually genuine? Or are we now into the era of genuine fakes?

[Nearholmer]

I had a lot of problems with rechargeable Duracells, so went over to rechargeable Energiser, some of which SWMBO bought cheap from the USA, and, touch wood, no problems, and some quite amazingly good charge-retention.

[bertiedog]

Just checked the Duracell AA multi packs I bought from a well known DIY store earlier this year for the garage alarm, they only last a few months then need replacing. Guess what, according to the Duracell site they are fakes.....

They were cheap.

 

Dave Franks.

Take them straight to the local trading standards officers if the store will not investigate

[davefrk]

Take them straight to the local trading standards officers if the store will not investigate

 

Unfortunately I no longer have the receipt to prove where I bought them and only have four left of the original two multi packs but now I know what to look for I'll be checking every purchase.

 

Dave Franks.

[tender]

Just checked the Duracell AA multi packs I bought from a well known DIY store earlier this year for the garage alarm, they only last a few months then need replacing. Guess what, according to the Duracell site they are fakes.....

They were cheap.

 

Dave Franks.

I couldn't find any reference to 'fake' batteries on the Duracell website, the link provided above seems to be an independent site so it's anybodies guess as to how genuine the 'what to look for' reports are.

Maybe it's me, but I'm always suspicious of sites that don't list a registered contact address or telephone number and want you to fill in a web form with all your personal details to contact them.

 

Anyway, I have just checked a pack I bought Wednesday from our local superstore and the label peels off and there's no batch number, two of the things reported.

Off to trading standards Monday to see what they say.

[Kickstart]

The worst failure was of D types inside an aluminium bodied Maglite 'American police style nightstick-cum-torch'; where the leaking fluids made a cement out of the dissolving aluminium of the torch body, making removal of the leaking batteries a considerable labour.

I too had this with a torch. Being an led one the batteries had lasted ages. Took me a long time to manager to strip the torch from the led end to get at the battery and drift it out.

 

Katy

[Fat Controller]

With the huge advances in technology permitting the production of counterfeit items, is there anything out there that's actually genuine? Or are we now into the era of genuine fakes?

Lynne tells me there is a market in Hong Kong where everything is counterfeit; stuff on sales varies from 'you can't tell it's not cloned' designer wear to things with very obvious mis-spellings of brand names. Curiously, the latter seemed to be more popular.