What causes alkaline batteries to leak? And, what can be done to prevent battery leakage?

 

Corrosion.

Keep batteries in a cool, dry place, with no load connected.

 

Even with your best efforts, they will eventually leak, even if it takes years to get there. That's why they are now marked with an expiration date.

 

Corrosion.

Keep batteries in a cool, dry place, with no load connected.

Batteries leak eventually, hot or cold and whether you draw any current or not.

Some of the orange ones from Halfords have already started before you even open the packet!

Buy several brands and mark the date of purchase - any that leak within a year; don't buy that brand again.

 

Buy several brands and mark the date of purchase

Each of my meters has a paper sticker on the back with the expiration date of the battery. That way, I don't even have to open the case to see when I should replace the batteries...if they don't get used up before they run past the advertised time limit.

 

Every time I install a battery I write on the battery the month and year. This way I know how long the battery has been in service.

 

Each of my meters has a paper sticker on the back with the expiration date of the battery. That way, I don't even have to open the case to see when I should replace the batteries...if they don't get used up before they run past the advertised time limit.

For those of my meters that use PP3, I intend to try low self discharge Ni-Mh that are claimed to have 75% of charge after a year - but its not urgent enough to bin the batteries in the meters before they run out.

 

I have been so happy with my Fluke meter. One of the reasons is that I HAVE to mark the battery date because it has never emptied a 9 volt battery before its expiration date, and that is often 3 or 4 years. I wouldn't bother with a rechargeable battery because their self discharge time is always less than 3 or 4 years. Besides that, the idea that you would recharge them means you want them to last more than 3 or 4 years, and that is is like daring them to leak.

I recommend against this.

 

I have been so happy with my Fluke meter. One of the reasons is that I HAVE to mark the battery date because it has never emptied a 9 volt battery before its expiration date, and that is often 3 or 4 years. I wouldn't bother with a rechargeable battery because their self discharge time is always less than 3 or 4 years. Besides that, the idea that you would recharge them means you want them to last more than 3 or 4 years, and that is is like daring them to leak.

I recommend against this.

Never had a Ni-Mh leak.

 

Let us know how this turns out...assuming I'll still be here in 5 or 6 years.