ad9mac

I too have had leaking Duracell batteries, esp. AAA alkaline. I had 2 blister packs of them in my emergency stash.
They were about 1-2 yrs old. Claim to be good for 10 yrs.
These were in a closet in the house. Both packs had leaking batteries.
I took a picture and sent it to the company.
They sent me a chit for replacements.
Energizers from now on. And no more flashlights that use 3 AAA batteries only.
Most are a handy size, cheap and bright.
I have one light that will take 18650 rechargeable as an alternative.

nikon_jon Loc: Northeast Arkansas

I think we all could share a 'horror story' of leaky batteries ruining a device. I can't say that any one brand has been significantly worse than any other. Keep a record of when the battery goes in and you can better monitor when the battery needs to come out. I have noticed that a low drain device, such as a wireless mouse, or battery op clock can be the worst because the battery stays longer before it runs down.

I used to shoot weddings with the old heavy 'potato masher' strobes. I think they were made by Graflex, if I remember correctly. The shoulder pack that carried the batteries held two batteries somewhere about the size of a motorcycle battery. I never used anything but Duracells. The lasted significantly longer than Energizers.

If you are shooting for money and you give unquestioning trust to your electronic devices, you are already in trouble. Murphy's law. I ALWAYS carried back-up equipment.

Just a side note. Years ago Ever-ready, the maker of Energizers, advertised that their batteries would not leak and said they would replace a device ruined by leaky batteries. Well, they did leak about as regularly as any other brand. They don't say that any more.

Bottom line guys. Whatever floats your boat. I use which ever I can get a good buy on.

bw79st Loc: New York City

Many years ago I worked for Union Carbide and bought Eveready batteries cheap in the company store. They always leaked. Then a guy behind the counter in an electrical supply store said that Burgess batteries were actually much better. I tried them and he was right. Eveready became Energizer and Burgess became Duracell. I always stayed clear of Ray-O-Vac!

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

Over the years, I have used many brands of AA alkaline batteries, and by my recollection, one was as bad as another. I pretty much settled on Fry's Electronics (in Phoenix) in the 40-pack, as they were better than most, and cost less. More recently, I have determined that the rechargeables are a better buy, and Eneloop is the best, though EBL is a very close second, and are half the price. I've bought some Fuji and Sony while here in the Philippines, and both were no good - didn't last, though I suppose they could have been counterfeit, which is a big potential problem here. For a while, I was recharging alkaline batteries (and don't say it can't be done, as there is a charger which worked quite well - Fuji, as I recall, for that specific purpose), but the charges didn't last as long as with rechargeable, so I abandoned that as somewhat of a nuisance, and now happily use strictly EBL or Eneloop.

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Eneloops are indispensable to me.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

We have a condominium in Florida with lots of remotes. We stay about 3-4 months. I’ve learned over the years that batteries will leak so now I remove them and put them in a separate zip lock snack bag when we leave for the rest of the year. I also take batteries out of clocks and other devices that need them. Saves a lot of pain.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

Hmm . . . I've always had good luck with Duracell batteries. After reading this post with associated replies, however, I now have yet another thing to keep me awake at night.

St.Mary's

How those copper tops keep working and leaking at the same time is strange chemistry but Duracell has perfected the technique. Don't know how many devices I had to clean with baking soda. Bought some Dollar General batteries a while back and needless to say they failed pretty fast, but they didn't leak. How Duracell stays in business is anyone's guess. A pox upon that company.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I've seen all three of those brands leak! THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH pressure relief seals. It is better to have them leak than to explode, swell, or split.

therwol Loc: USA

Alkaline batteries leak an alkaline substance, not acid. The leakage is best cleaned by using white vinegar or lemon juice, both of which are acidic and which can neutralize an alkaline substance. Baking soda is used to neutralize the acid that leaks from the old carbon-zinc batteries that hardly anyone uses anymore. Baking soda can also neutralize car battery leakage. (Sulfuric acid.)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

My personal experience with Duracells and leaking as been terrible. I either use Everready or OEM Brands from Amazon. Best of luck.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Where are you able to buy eneloops? Everybody has me nervous now.

fotojeff

I’ve had both energizer and Duracell batteries leak. When I was being cheap and bought off brand batteries they also seemed to leak more. I utilize the practice of an above poster, when a device is going to sit unused for a period of time I always remove the batteries and place them in a ziplock. I’ve lost several devices due to battery leakage over the years. It’s way cheaper to replace the batteries than the hassle and expense of replacing a device due to battery leakage.

SteveFranz Loc: Durham, NC

This was a very timely reminder for me. I just checked my handheld GPS that's been sitting on the shelf for a long time. Kirkland AA batteries - OK.

Then I checked my Canon Speedlite. Four Kirkland AA batteries. Two severely leaking, one just starting to leak & one OK.

I think I caught the leak before any serious damage to the flash. Thanks for the warning!!

JoeBiker Loc: homebase: Houston, TX

I have had both Duracells and Energizers "Leak". But in modern times, it just results in a white dust everywhere that is fairly easy to clear up. A long time ago (I don't know: 30 or 40 years ago?) it used to result in a corrosive liquid mess, that damaged the metal contacts.